Michael's Party

My sister Vicki and brother-in-law Joe and their son Michael live in Michigan. Last weekend, we drove up to attend Michael's party. It was quite a party! A red and white striped tent set for a picnic, caterers grilling and serving delicious food, plenty of wine, lawn games, and great conversation! They topped the evening off with a UFO sighting in the sky above the house (or could it have been the wine?).

Was it a birthday party? Was it a graduation party? Well, here is the information they handed out. It says a lot about who they are, and why we love them.

Party FAQ List

So Michael has graduated?
Well, no, not really. He started this year with 20 credits to complete (about three years of high school), and he managed to complete 17. He'll finish off the last 3 in the fall, and maybe take a college course or two as well.

Well, why did he have so many credits to finish?
We took him out of the public school system in the middle of his sophomore year and home schooled for two years. When we all decided he should get a public high school diploma, the school district would not accept transfer credits, but would allow him to work a self-paced program at Bowers Academy, a more flexible alternative.

So why did you take him out of public school?
His needs were obviously not being met, and he was becoming increasingly frustrated, as were we. As a side note, we are participating in a joint study with the U of M and Johns Hopkins on the effect of inheriting a doubly-reinforced Stubborn-Rebellious-Independent-Genius gene.

Why isn't he just finishing over the summer?
Bowers doesn't offer a summer program.

What about college?
He's been accepted at Oakland University and will start full time in January.

What will he major in?
Theater, with a concentration in performing. Or creative writing. Or physics. Or some combination of two or all three of those. Or something he hasn't even thought of yet. Joe had approximately 13 different majors in his college career (See Stubborn-Rebellious-Independent-Genius gene above), so some indecision is to be expected.

And this is also a birthday party? Is it Michael's birthday today?
Well, no, not really. His actual birthday was last Sunday.

So wait a minute. He's not really graduating and it's not really his birthday? Why are you having this party again?
Did we mention the Giants won the Super Bowl?

Honestly, Michael has put in a tremendous amount of work this year, and we think he should celebrate it and be recognized for it. Plus, if we had a graduation party in the middle of winter, few of you would come, and he wouldn't get nearly as many gifts.

OK, I get all this, but where is Michael?
Most likely in the basement with his friends playing video and board games. But don't worry, we have negotiated a public appearance tour, so he will by coming by occasionally. Feel free to ask about an autographed picture, available at a very attractive price today only.

Wow, you guys are nerds.
See Stubborn-Rebellious-Independent-Genius gene above.

My own note: it runs in the family!