Last week I had to register my children for school. I have such mixed feelings about the first day of school. I have some sadness in knowing that it’s the last year of high school for my oldest and the first year of high school for my daughter. But at the same time I am excited about what is to come.
My daughter continues to have reluctant feelings about the whole thing. Her attitude hasn’t been the most positive but I have a good feeling about everything. I really do believe she is going to enjoy her high school…but I have yet to convince her of that.
It didn’t help when my oldest two got their schedules and we went to find out where their lockers are located. My daughter’s locker is right by her big brother’s locker. I thought it was great. She looked at her brother and said, “Don’t talk to me!”
So apparently she doesn’t understand yet that it’s cool to have a brother who is a senior. But I am glad that she will have someone there who can kind of keep an eye on things. For some reason everything seems different with your daughter. There is a greater sense of wanting to protect her.
While my children are dreading the return to school, I am excited about their future. My youngest is starting Spanish and my daughter took a risk and signed up for German. I am also excited about the art classes that my daughter will have. She loves expressing herself through art and I just know she is going to really enjoy this.
My oldest has a fairly easy schedule, so he can kick back somewhat and hopefully make the most of this school year (minus his calculus class). I just hope he enjoys the last of his high school years.
This will also be the first school year that I will not have to drive my children to school. I finally have all three children in one school district and a child who can drive. Wow, it seems so unreal at times.
I can’t help but remember those days when my youngest son had to be pulled away from me, kicking and screaming, so he could get inside to his kindergarten class (this literally went on for half of the school year). Now he is too cool to hug me in front of his friends.
I remember those days when my daughter went off to school wearing all pink and carrying her pink backpack. Now she has this crazy, 80’s retro look (which I actually love since I think the 80’s was the best decade).
I remember those days when my oldest son sat next to me on the couch learning to read, educated at home by me for several years. Now he is preparing to become an adult and to learn how to fly (figuratively and literally).
If you have young children, please treasure every moment you have. And don’t be too quick to rejoice in school starting back up again. Believe it or not, there will come a day when you almost dread the first day of school. Yes, I definitely have mixed feelings…
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Photo by aallingh in Flickr