It must be something in the air.

Not really, but it just seemed a good way to start the blog after not writing in more than a month.

But really, there is. It smells good here finally, after months of burning trash being the only scent in the air. (I've gotten rather good at telling what kind of trash is being burned. I'm considering putting it on my resume, along with skipping stones and opening a bottle with a spoon.) And along with the lilacs and the peonies and the roses that are all magically opening all at once now, it's the time of year that kids are starting to stop coming to school.

In the last two days, two of my classes have finished. My 12th graders and my kindergarteners. Both were rather interesting.

Yesterday it was the senior's final day. Of course, I hadn't seen most of them in more than a month anyhow, but now there isn't even an attendance record that I can mark them not absent in (Although they weren't there, I technically wasn't allowed to mark them absent. Just one of those things.) So, the school, the teachers, and a previous volunteer in my town all turned up to see the "sending away of twelfth class".

It stopped raining long enough to hold it outside, but there were still a lot of umbrellas out. Yes, it rains both inside and out here. Anyways, we were a gathered, and the seniors came a marching out of the a school. This was the funny part. Some were dressed as if going to a ball. You know, hoop skirts on some, bow ties on others, shiny dresses on the rest. Then there were my kids. They were in kakhis and sweaters. Figures.

So they march outside, we move out of the way (There isn't much room in front of the school), and the ceremony begins. The Vice-Director speaks (the director was a no show. I think he was getting his mustache groomed.), then a gym teacher, then the flag is transferred to the next class.

This is where the really odd part comes in. As a final good bye, the graduating class kisses the flag as they pass by it.

And that's it. No reading of the names, no diplomas handed out, no robes, no hats tossed willy-nilly into the air. Toba e, be.

So, after the excitement of yesterday, I presented what I taught my kindergarteners this year to a proud group of 12 parents.

So, we said hello, and introduced ourselves, said colors and did verbs (run, swim, sit, stand, sleep, wake up (I think the last two are their favorites), drink, eat, read, write), and sang about a little bird, and the "If you're happy and you know it..." Song. But, the one that received the most applause was by and far the five little monkeys jumping on the bed. I bet the parents were wondering where exactly their angels learned that one.

And that was that. As a gift for teaching them twice a week for as long as I can last past a half hour, I got a plate that is cosmetic challenged, and some flowers.

Now my apartment will be able to smell like the outdoors. I like that idea.