This is a back to school picture from, I think, 1996. Secret Agent Man would be entering 4th grade, Social Animal 2nd, and Kick Back Dude 5th. Girlie Girl was just 3 and Handsome Lad wouldn't join us for another almost 9 months!
Now, back to school still feels exciting, but it has definitely changed as the kids have grown. Now Kick Back Dude takes his own kids to school. Secret Agent Man is a single man and most days just mean it's time to go to work. Social Animal and Girlie Girl are community college students working around the whims of their own schedules.
Now, Handsome Lad is the only kid going back to school! Here he is, ready for his first day of high school. I picked him up this morning from his dad's house and dropped him off...and recalled once again how much I hate drop offs and pick ups at the high school :-)
He's excited about high school and I'm excited for him. He's had his challenges as a student, but he's been running around with older kids for so long that I think he finally feels he's caught up and is in his proper element. So, there is a lot of happiness. But it is a very different sort of day than it once was. My mom didn't take today off or go in late, because she was out yesterday with a dental appointment. My sister never wants to do anything with me anymore. So it was just me and I came on home after dropping him off. No more first day of school breakfasts...at least not this year.
But things always change. There is still much to look forward to. It is just different now and I don't think anyone could help but be reflective on a day like today. So I will take this last day off work and put my feet up, ponder the past a bit, and congratulate myself on having helped to get everyone to this point in time, happy and healthy and full of potential.
9 comments:
Boo, it is so sad when traditions fade away. Good luck to Handsome Lad.
That's too bad about the ending of the breakfast tradition. I'd miss that. I'm bracing for my first college "drop off."
Exactly! (re the end of the post).
Change is hard... but life goes one. And usually in a good way, if you make it so.
MrManuel: It is sad, but time rolls on :-)
Secret: I did miss it. None of my kids have gone "away" to college. They are all nearby, so I haven't done that!
NoRegrets: You're right. It is hard when things change, but if they didn't...that might be a bit depressing too!
I'm so glad that he was excited about starting high school! I think I was a little intimidated on my first day....well week of high school. The building was so big, I thought I'd get lost everyday.
I'm sorry that things didn't come together so that you could have the traditional breakfast. I love that idea. Hopefully you can do it next year! Or I'll fly over there and we can go!
You just have to find some new traditions. Like finding a friend or someone else to go out with for breakfast or lunch and then give yourself a get out of jail free day where you don't do anything practical and you do whatever you love to do to spoil yourself. You've done a good job raising amazing people into the world. Celebrate yourself!
Tara: I remember being very intimidated as well. He is a fairly confident person, which must be nice!
Yeah! If my family flakes off on me, I need my friends. So, next August? haha!
Churlita: Thank you! Hoping next time this rolls around I will be feeling more celebratory. I will definitely call upon friends if my family is over the whole thing :-)
I always have some learning curve when things change, but I will adjust...
The start of a new term is so exciting and filled with possibilities. I loved high school and never understood why so many students professed to hate it. It sounds like he's going in with a positive attitude.
BB: I loved high school too. And my youngest is truly happy to be there :-)
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