My twins went off to that great and spacious building AKA Jr. High yesterday and I lived to tell the tale.
Remember the sad situation I put myself in when they went to 5th grade?
Letting them go to 5th grade nearly drove me nutty so you can imagine how yesterday went.
I had a picture in my mind of walking them to school and then walking them home.
After all, I've walked them to and from elementary school dozens and dozens and dozens of times. In the afternoons I would often pack a bag
of otter pops or chocolate chip cookies to share with the crew of kids who decided to join us. Those are some of my favorite memories, some of our best talks.
Shockingly, the twins politely declined my offer.
When I insisted that it would be fun, they called in reinforcements.
Their friends ganged up on me, Mark got suckered, my own sister agreed with them and even Always On My Side Roni had to gently put me in my rightful place.
I guess it's not a great idea to walk 7th graders to and from school....
Sigh.
So I moved to plan B. I mentioned showing up to innocently and in a very discreet way, snap a couple of pictures of them in front of their lockers.
They not so politely said no way.
Double sigh.
All I could do was hug and kiss them and wave a tearful goodbye.
Triple sigh plus three large sniffs.
To save my sanity, I carefully planned out the day's events.
I kept hair cuts and shopping sprees off my list and added volunteering at the Food Bank and scrubbing the kitchen floor-- just to keep things in perspective.
I have a love / hate relationship with this whole "kids growing up" business.
I hate leaving behind the things that cause a mother's heart to swell. Like shoes with the lights in them, speech impediments, missing teeth, the magic that comes with learning to read.
Yet, I love watching them become their own people. I love the conversations we have about first crushes, watching them try new things and just their excitement for life.
I hate the thought that they will be exposed to the things of the world, but I know that learning by their own experience is a necessary part of growing.
This milestone is bitter and sweet all rolled into one.
So, today I let them go ahead and venture over to that great and spacious building for day #2.
It's hard.
I miss them.
The clock is ticking extra slow.
I am fighting the urge to so something crazy with my hair or book a sudden trip to Disneyland.
Mark has been warned that for the next week or so I cannot be held 100% responsible for any rash decisions.
Maybe today I will just enjoy every minute with my two year old. We can hang out in the toddler section of the library. We'll pick up a Happy Meal and stop at the playground on the way home. I'll probably give her about a million kisses and remind her to stay little.
Most of all, I'll look heavenward a whisper a little prayer of thanks, that I'm 10 happy years away from sending her to jr. high.
12 comments:
Hang in there! And call me to consult before doing anything even remotely questionable . . .
Why the heck am I crying?????
I just love those kids. You are raising them just right. P.S. I think you should go ahead and plan that trip to DL.. Afterall, SOMETHING has got to make up for no pics infront of the school (luckily Lissy wasn't there, they would have surely been embarrassed) BLAST THIS GROWING UP THING!!!!
I was thinking about you all day. I should have called! I am glad you have Sam to help pass the time. The twins are going to love their new freedom at the Jr. High and they will make that horrible place a little brighter!
P.S. I don't think anyone takes pictures at the Jr. High. And, when they go into 9th grade, they go to registration all by themselves:). Baby steps, you can do it:).
Alas...I have no pity. My baby, who can barely see over the steering wheel, is driving and junior in high school! Where did the time go?? Talk to me when your story is this sad. ;)
Good news is...grand baby on the way! She better not grow up so fast or I'll be dead before I know it!
Oh Kimberly! I don't get you craziness- probably because I'm not a mom :). I'm still on their side- no photos at the jr. high. You can always send Rachel with a camera and if she gets the urge to take photos with friends maybe she will let you have one :)
Kimberly, try hugging them super hard for a really, really long time. I am convinced it makes them not grow up so fast. (It hasn't worked yet, but I keep trying!)
I was scared to death to go into 7th grade at EJH. I kinda wanted my mom to at least drive me there (no pictures, I was kid #7 after all) on the first day. But no... I made the long walk thru the SLCC campus with my bugle boy button-up shirt tucked neatly into my bugle boy cargo pants (pegged of course), with a braided belt and a green/black cardigan to wrap it all up. I already had the braces and the flat-top, but I wasn't prepared for the acne. I did make a vivid mental note that first day that I was small enough to fit comfortably inside my locker. Ugh, I just got the bad chills.
P.S. - My word verification to post this comment is (word to your) muther. Made me laugh.
I remember Nate's first day in 7th differently. I tried real hard not to make a fuss as I had learned (passed experience) that I was not to 1) take pictures 2) go to school with him 3) make a big deal about anything - now I wish I had done all those things.
You're such a sweet mom! Hopefully each day will get easier to let them go. And hopefully each day is full of great experiences that they share when they get home.
SO Cute!
I always want a good excuse to book a trip to Disney! Do you think Aric would believe that I did it out of "sympathy trauma" ha ha.
Okay, Nate's comments totally made me laugh. He's so funny!!
The twins will do great! It is so fun to have older kids!!
I hear ya, going kicking and screaming into the future. Want to go back to naps and plat dates. at least you still have a little buddy... when Mason went to first grade i was lost, it took me a year to deal. What I figured out was that it was now my time. I learned to play tennis, took up Yoga, took care of all the jobs while they were gone so when they got home it was their time again. Seriously by 2 grade I truly love "tina" time...
Post a Comment