So I Heard He Got Pinned

When Josh told me he had a "Pinning Ceremony" as a part of graduation, I immediately starting singing this song and haven't stopped since.

Fortunately Pinning was yesterday and I can now move on with my life.

Josh's sister was kind enough to watch out boys so I didn't have to wrestle them through the ceremony.

So we dropped off the boys and headed to the school for the happiest school-day EVER. We were early enough to sit in the car for a little while before the ceremony. I don't remember the last time we just sat in the car talking - definitely a pre-kid thing. Maybe even a pre-marriage thing....except we weren't kissing, we were talking. Maybe we've never done that? Hmmm....

There ceremony was a lot like a graduation ceremony. A dark crowded hot room filled with people who were still a little sleep-deprived and hung over from finals week.

And a lot of people told a lot of jokes about how they were nervous or excited or something - only they used the technical diagnosis showing off their new nursing knowledge. It was wildly funny the first few times, but I felt bad for the last speaker because by the time it was her turn the jokes were a bit stale. 

After a bunch of talks and a bunch of inside jokes that not even Josh got, they read the names and gave them their stuff. 

The ceremony was lovely and nice and boring and I was even more grateful for my ceremony-hating penny-pinching husband who opted not to walk in a cap and gown in an even longer ceremony earlier in the week.

Of course when you go to a pinning ceremony you expect to get a pin, but Josh didn't want to pay for a pin he didn't care about, so instead of a fancy-pants cool-kid pin, he got this.

I can't count the dollars this man has spent on his education. But it's all worth it now that he got this awesome penny pin. 

In real life I'm terribly proud of Josh. These two years have been tough in more ways than I can count. And he has somehow managed to do it all. Plus all the things he did in preparation for this program and while he was waiting for it to begin.

The "it's over!" aspect hasn't really set in yet since he still has to pass the NCLEX which is the biggest baddest horriblest test of his education so far. Which means he's still spending all of his time studying and worrying. But at least clinic and class and careplans are over. That's a HUGE step int he right direction.