MY SPAWN SUCCESSFULLY "MATRICULATE"...

Although when I "graduated" from both elementary and middle school it really was not met with any fantastic fanfare (basically, the bell rang on the last day of school in June, I went home for summer and then showed up at a new school 3 months later in September), apparently we parents (or at least we insane Los Angeles types) decided at some point that these (standard?) rites of passage should be marked with parties, limos and even gifts... What???? I don't get it, don't agree with it, but certainly would not deign to deny my child the same unalienable rights as their peers! When taken to the furthest Nth extreme in Hollywoodland, I believe this is called: "Keeping up with the Jolie-Pitts." At least this new way of spoiled parenting did not include the J-P requirement of also adding a few adopted children to the dinner table. I really had to keep my opinionated disdain regarding this issue to myself. It would have been met with equal horror from both my own progeny as well as the Harper Valley P.T.A. So, I quelled my feelings of once again succumbing to peer pressure and acted as if I was on board for the entire charade... At least I got some got souvenir photos of my gorgeous daughters out of the whole thing...