Graduation Season

I've heard this is a unique Midwest thing-the big high school graduation open house.  We have two this weekend to go to, and one next weekend.  One is family, and I am helping out with some desert bars, and with loaning some tables and chairs.  The other one tomorrow we are attending with no obligation, other than to celebrate the graduate.  I'm helping my friend V next weekend to clean, cut, and prep fruit for a big fruit salad.  In graduation season, it is great to have friends and family willing to roll up their sleeves.  We've been down this road for two kids already, and have a break for another four years. 

Typically, the years you have a graduating child, and possible the year before and after depending on your child's friends and families social circles, you may have as many as 20 open house's to attend.   The open houses I had were very informal, with hot beef sandwiches, pasta salads, fruit and veggie trays, and deserts.  We also put out snack type food like nacho fixings, pretzels, and trail mix for the people that have already eaten at another party, but still might want to nibble with a beverage while visiting. I was very fortunate weather wise and we could have the parties outside, but would have been prepared to use the garage with an extended tent or awning.  Display boards and memory DVDs are fun.  I still have my older kids memory boards, not sure why, tucked behind our dresser, though it has been 8 and 6 years since their parties. I'm already for a wedding rehearsal or reception right?

Besides the cost of throwing your own open house, the gift giving can be a bit pricey. We plan for this going into the high school years, but going to the ATM for stacks of twenty dollar bills can make a person gulp. It is very circular, giving and receiving monetary gifts between graduate families, but it is a norm in our neck of the world. It is also understood that not everyone can participate in the gift giving, so it is an unspoken rule that there should be no expectations either.

For close friends and families, I typically put together a  laundry care package along with money.  The dollar store is perfect for this.  You can get a pop-up hamper, detergent, fabric softener, a clothes line and clothes pins, and hangers for under $7. For fun, I write out simple laundry directions, with a final or, "OR, re wear your clothes until you go home to mom for the weekend."  When machines still used quarters, I would tape enough for a wash and dry load, but now the machines all use loadable currency on their dorm cards. If I know the graduate isn't college bound, or will be living at home, I've made other packages such as a movie and popcorn night with some Red box codes, soda, and microwave popcorn. When my nephew was going to be commuting to a nearby technical school, I put a gas card, a window scraper, and extra socks and gloves, to be stored in his trunk.  It was very hard to find the gloves in spring, so I think they may have been a work glove.

Well I'm off to the store to gather up my brownie making supplies so I can get them made, cooled, and cut, and then drop them off before noon.  I'm not part of the set-up crew, but they need things ahead of time.  It is Father's Day tomorrow, and we are sending DD#2 off on a mission trip very early tomrrow morning.  These is not the lazy days of summer.