Investiture Ceremony

At the end of the last school year, E decided she wanted to run for primary school prefect: she wrote a speech all on her own, and then went to every classroom in school to give her speech and ask for votes. After all the votes were tallied, she had won! Her friends were also elected to positions on the student council. E was thrilled!

Unbeknownst to us, at this school, they swear in all the student council during an investiture ceremony (I had to look it up, too). It was a lot of pomp and circumstance that seemed unnecessary to me (bag pipes?!), but E was so excited! E and her friend, Mihika, sang a duet of the school song--E in English and her friend in Hindi (a language she doesn't speak, btw). 

Even I had to go on stage to put the pins on her shirt. (And that last sentence is proof that I live in India!) It was quite the event!

E told me that they had to stand seriously, without smiling.

So I kept trying to catch E's eye and make faces at her.

She only broke once. 

E and her besties!

Indian Independence Day

We're not always around for India's Independence Day, but since we weren't travelling this year, we could take part in the local festivities. Our apartment complex always has a flag raising ceremony so we got dressed up--the girls in traditional wear, and Brandon and I in our India t-shirts--to check it out.

 

Usually there's strict rules about when and where you can fly an Indian flag,

but Modi asked everyone to put flags out this year. And they were everywhere!

Our ward also had an activity full of some very competitive games, and a fashion show from the RS, showing all the different styles of saree within India. Fashion shows seems to be a default activity for women in these kind of things (insert eye roll here), so I declined to participate, but seeing the different saree styles was pretty cool.

We definitely felt the patriotic spirit! Happy 75th Independence Day, India!

First Day of School 2022

First day of school! The summer was far too short, but here we are again. H is officially a high schooler (and because I'm feeling sentimental about it, click here to see his first day of kindergarten post), and CJ joined her siblings at the big school campus. No more 15 minute commute for her! When we first moved to India, we thought we would leave before she had to switch schools, but here we are!  

The kids all came home from their first day worn out from the day of school and the long drive.

I’m already counting down the days to fall break.

Walking to the school bus

Waiting with E and her friends

First time on the big bus with her siblings!