May Highlights:
- Lilah is named one of the valedictorians of her class
- Lilah wraps up her swim “career” in championships (Camarillo wins 4th year in a row)
- Lilah goes to prom
- We celebrate Mothers’ Day
- We take a family vacation to Lake Tahoe
- Luke finishes his first season of volleyball
Lilah Shines at Senior Awards Ceremony
Lilah confessed to me that she doesn’t like praise because it feels like bragging. So what a conundrum she found herself in when she was invited to attend the senior awards ceremony along with us. At the ceremony, we figured Lilah would be recognized for two scholarships she had won so it wouldn’t be too bad. Well, good thing the school has these ceremonies, because there we found out that Lilah had not only won the two scholarships we already knew about, but had also won two more scholarships, a top 10 scholar award, and had been selected as one of the school’s valedictorians. This meant that Lilah was repeatedly called up to the stage to receive her multiple prizes.
Of course Cathy and I were thrilled. What was even cooler were the amount of hoots and hollers she received from her peers when her name was called as one of the valedictorians. I knew that Lilah had friends and supporters at school, but I never expected for so many of her classmates to cheer her on like that. Despite all the praise that was lavished on her, I did see Lilah smile a lot and I believe she actually had a nice time at the event. Obviously, we were so proud of her. We know she works really hard and it was nice to see her recognized for her efforts.
Lilah Attends Her First and Last Prom
Another occasion where Lilah’s smile was evident, was when she met up with her friends for pictures before the prom. Luckily, we were invited to the park to take pictures of her and her friends. Lilah had her hair and makeup done by Cathy’s stylist and she looked so stunning and so grown up. Seeing her in this light definitely drove the point home that she is no longer our little girl, but a mature young woman who is ready for the next stage in her life — one that may still involve books and learning, but will also mean a new level of independence as she goes off to live on her own and pursue who her own dreams in college. As I snapped away, I marveled at how all these “kids,” many of of whom Lilah has known since childhood, have also made similar transitions. In an environment like that, it’s easy to feel optimistic about this next generation human beings and all the potential they have in front of them.
In terms of the prom, I don’t know much of what happened there. What happens at prom stays at prom, right? However, Cathy and I were comforted by the fact that the prom “after party” was held at the local movie theater and that if any kids wanted to leave the after party before 5:00 AM, they would have to call their parents to come get them. Luckily, we were not awakened from our slumber and Lilah made it back home sometime after 6. She said she had a good time. I asked her what the big song was this year that got everyone all excited to go out on the dance floor. She said, it was none other than an old song from her favorite band, Queen. Turns out they played Bohemian Rhapsody, a song she is also learning to play for her last piano recital. And yes, she is very excited about the Queen movie coming out in November ;).
Lilah Swims in Her Last Meet
Speaking of “lasts,” this month has felt like a series of lasts — last awards ceremony, last prom, last swim meet — with more lasts to come soon such as last day of school, last piano recital, and last spring with us. Obviously, we know she will have many more first experiences coming up as well and so much to look forward to, but you can’t help feel a tad bit nostalgic for the things you won’t get to witness anymore, such as her swim meets.
That being said, at her last swim meet, I could tell that Lilah and several of her teammates were happy to be done with meets as they verbally expressed that sentiment to each other repeatedly. That being said, the camaraderie and friendships she’s developed through hundreds of hours and thousands of laps in the pool is something I believe will stay with her for years to come. What was also cool is that this special group of gals was part of a swim program that won the season end Coastal League swim championships in all four years they competed.
To celebrate their win, they did what they always do – they lined up in front of the pool and jumped into the water at the same time (here’s a video clip of the moment). The coaches then jump in afterwards with their regular clothes on (not their swim suits). It’s a tradition, I think all will remember fondly. And yes, it was another “last” moment for us to witness as well.
We Squeeze in Short, But Fun Vacation to Lake Tahoe
Not knowing exactly what our summer vacation plans would be like due to Lilah going to summer school at UC Santa Cruz, Cat proposed a quick trip to Lake Tahoe. Glad we decided to do it. Though we didn’t really get beach weather, we did get the opportunity to see the lake at the fullest we’ve ever seen it. We could tell the lake was brimming to capacity because the water ran the full length of all the boating docks. Another sign of the lake being full was just how much the beaches had shrunk — just narrow strips of sand pretty much everywhere we went. This means that summer sit-down beach spots are going to be at a premium this year.
One of the nice benefits of going to Tahoe at this time of year was the lack of crowds. Sure, there were still people, but probably only a fifth or less of what you’d see in the summer, which meant that there was little traffic, grocery store lines were short and so were the lift lines. Yes, I said lift lines. Luke and I used this opportunity to snowboarded Squaw Valley for the first time ever. They only had a limited number of runs, but we didn’t care. We were just stoked to board in a new place with relatively warm weather and enough snow to squeeze some turns in and enjoy before at last calling it a season. Now that our season pass covers Squaw Valley, we’ll have to see if we can make a trip to Tahoe next winter and catch the mountain when it’s full of snow, something that must be spectacular to see.
While we snowboarded, Lilah was treated to a one hour massage with aroma therapy. That was part of her graduation gift and something that truly seemed to relax her. She said the masseuse managed to get all the swim kinks out of her. Cat and Lilah also attended a made in Tahoe festival where Lilah was fascinated by the aerial, cirque du soleil-style, gymnastic performances. So much so, that I could easily see her trying it out one day.
We stayed in a VRBO in Squaw Valley this time, but still stopped by our old time favorite, The Franciscan Lodge, to check out and marvel at the high lake levels. Here are two pictures that really show the dramatic rise in the level (notice how much beach there is behind Lilah in the 2014 picture and then compare that to the 2018 picture):
2014 lake level
2018 lake level
Wow, what a month it was! That’s all for now. More next month…