Observation from the first day of school: 12 years of growing makes a Hell of a difference in a kid!!! Pips first day of Kindergarten, she was absolutely adorable with her chubby little cheeks, bouncy long curls, bright new clothes and brand new backpack that was half as big as she was! Everyone smiled at her sweet adorableness. Yesterday, first day of her Senior year in high school, she got smiled at all right, long blonde hair, fully developed, shining spirit and beautiful. I watched her walk across the parking lot to meet her friends at Starbucks, so did about six guys dropping in for their morning go juice - watched her coming and going. I thought I might have to help one man put his eyes back in his head for him but he turned away just in the nick of time - whew, yeah, my girl has done a lot of growing in the last twelve years. And a lot of maturing in the last one. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
The first day of school is always special, Kindergarten through High School makes no difference. It's always fresh, always new and heralds the return to normal routines. Kids, as kids, don't realize that first day back is a bag of mixed emotions for their parents. Is there a parent out there who doesn't mark the growth of their child, and their childs' advancement toward the edge of the nest by the grade they're in? As each new school year starts, it does so in a whirl of the bitter sweet that is life.
The day my oldest child started Kindergarten I cried, then hurried home to tell my one year old he could never ever grow up. He grew anyway, like his juice was laced with Miracle Grow. That day I decided I to make the first day of school extra special for all of us. I baked homemade chocolate chip cookies. Did so every year after that too. Yesterday I baked my 24th, and FINAL, batch of First Day of School Cookies. Yesterday, my youngest child, last one still in the nest, began her Senior year of high school - Seniors need cookies too. Only this year, I think, Mom needed them more. Bitter and Sweet.
I allowed myself a few minutes to grieve the passing of my young ones, then spent the rest of the day taking joy from the tradition I was able to give my children - and myself - these last 24 years.
The first day of school is always special, Kindergarten through High School makes no difference. It's always fresh, always new and heralds the return to normal routines. Kids, as kids, don't realize that first day back is a bag of mixed emotions for their parents. Is there a parent out there who doesn't mark the growth of their child, and their childs' advancement toward the edge of the nest by the grade they're in? As each new school year starts, it does so in a whirl of the bitter sweet that is life.
The day my oldest child started Kindergarten I cried, then hurried home to tell my one year old he could never ever grow up. He grew anyway, like his juice was laced with Miracle Grow. That day I decided I to make the first day of school extra special for all of us. I baked homemade chocolate chip cookies. Did so every year after that too. Yesterday I baked my 24th, and FINAL, batch of First Day of School Cookies. Yesterday, my youngest child, last one still in the nest, began her Senior year of high school - Seniors need cookies too. Only this year, I think, Mom needed them more. Bitter and Sweet.
I allowed myself a few minutes to grieve the passing of my young ones, then spent the rest of the day taking joy from the tradition I was able to give my children - and myself - these last 24 years.