Graduation Drama

Tonight was Ben's preschool graduation ceremony. By way of a bit of background to this story, I asked Ben several weeks ago during a conversation about graduation, did he get to wear a cap and gown to graduation? He answered me yes. I know, never take the word of a four year old... when will I learn this lesson? So fast forward to tonight. Ben needed to be back at school at 6:30 to line up for graduation, so I picked him up a little after 5 and met Joel and his parents for dinner nearby the preschool. I didn't want to drive all the way home and back, since that would barely leave any time for dinner.

After dinner Ben and I pull into the parking lot of the preschool at precisely 6:30, and Ben says, "Did you forget I was supposed to wear my fancy clothes?"

"WHAT?" I said. "I thought you were wearing a cap and gown!" Not only was Ben not wearing his "fancy clothes", but since we just got back from vacation yesterday today was a big laundry day. I pretty much had to scrape the bottom of the barrel for Ben's clothes this morning -- he was wearing gym shorts, a t shirt, and (ironically) loafers (which he insisted on putting on this morning instead of his sneakers). All around me, parents were walking their decked-out kids into the school. Some were wearing ties. I even saw one kid wearing a blazer.

I ran Ben up to his classroom and asked his teacher if there was time for me to run home for a change of clothes for him. "Not really," she said apologetically. "But don't worry, he'll be fine." (With a look that said WHAT KIND OF MOTHER BRINGS THEIR KID TO GRADUATION WEARING GYM SHORTS???)

Fine? FINE? My kid was about to be in the FRONT ROW on stage, wearing GYM SHORTS! I kissed Ben goodbye and called Joel frantically on his cell phone. He was as thoroughly aghast as I was. He insisted he could drive home and get a change of clothes. I insisted he wouldn't have time. He won the argument and sped home, breaking the speed limit by about 30 miles per hour.

And thus it was that Joel and his mom, armed with a change of clothes, accosted Ben from the line of graduates waiting outside the auditorium, buttoned a shirt on over his t shirt, and stripped him of his gym shorts. They shoved him into his khakis in the middle of the hallway and put him back in his place in line. (The loafers he was already wearing worked nicely with the outfit). With five minutes to spare, even.

Here are a couple pictures of Ben, front and center, not wearing gym shorts (THANK GOD). Joel was manning the video camera, so I'll try to edit some video tomorrow. Congratulations, Ben!