Another Year Round The School Sun

Last night was rough despite our careful considerations.  We ate before dark, consumed no caffeine, skipped a surgary dessert and left the bbq exactly when we planned.  They showered before bed, picked out clothes, packed back packs, and were tucked in not early, but at a reasonable hour.  You know what is said of best laid plans.  Shortly after I sat down to breathe my own sigh of relief blog, I was visited by T. Bone and then Miss Bit.  He was simply sad that summer was over.  To that I simply said...I get it.  She was a bundle of nerves about not getting enough sleep and not making friends.  To that I reminded her that she is the nicest, kindest 8 year old  I know, and although I'm incredibly biased I am not the only person who knows this to be unequivocally true.  My tactics were falling on ears that were not listening...not able to hear really.  The easy solution was 10 minutes of  Turtle Man.  That's all it took.  Well,  10 minutes of  T.V. and my pledge to tuck T. Bone back in and then to sleep on the air mattress beside my girl.  I didn't get much sleep, but she did and that is really all that matters.  Let me tell you a secret....I'll do it again tonight if it helps her during this transition. And I may even do it the next night too if it's what she needs to feel safe and secure.  Change is hard...this I know first hand.

So although the night was rough, the morning was a breeze.  I was woken by a cheerful T. Bone who was singing in the bathroom.  Change is not as daunting for him.  He grieved the end of vacation last night, and woke up ready to see his friends and start sixth grade this morning.  Just like that he went from sad to stoked.  He gobbled down the donut he requested anticipating a need for sugar with sides of strawberries and scrambled eggs.  He obliged my request for a first day photo with nary a complaint and said I love you before getting in Coach's car.  That's my boy.     

Miss Bit hit her snooze once before finding me on my second cup of jet fuel coffee.  She was sporting a slight smile which told me that her excitement was winning out over her fear.  After everything she had to do was done,  I agreed to paint her nails beach blue.  She too posed for our annual first day picture relaxed, ready, almost relieved that it was finally here...the first of many firsts.  I dropped her off, confirmed that she didn't need me to walk her to the door, kissed her goodbye and made sure to wait for her to look for my parting wave.  Same as last year, and yet another year round the sun.

It seems impossible that I have a third grader and a sixth grader.  Sorry for the cliche, but it's so humbly true. They grow up in what often feels like the blink of an eye.  It's why I come here to write.  In this space, I write to remember.  My ultimate fear is not that they are growing up- growing up into wonderful, beautiful people I might add- but that I might miss something.  To write is to capture the moments we seize.  This record is my celebration of our journey around the block...around the sun...from morning to night...all the way through this blessed life.