Middle School Begins

Yes, we have hit the milestone. Where on earth did these years go? I think it was just like last month that we were dropping this precious child off to kindergarten. It is amazing to me that he is already old enough to go to middle school.

At the beginning of this summer, I just could not imagine him ready to off to middle school. He was still a baby. (Not really, but in my eyes) Someone told me that they had felt the same way when their child went to middle school, but by the time school started their child was definitely ready. Chase has done this as well. He has matured a lot this summer. He even acts like a teenager sometimes, even though he his only 11. We see the adolescent years nearing us everyday.

Friday, his school offered an orientation just for sixth graders. Basically it was a day to get the kids orientated with where they should be and when. I was sooooo lucky that the mother of Chase's best friend offered to take Chase as well as another good friend of theirs. I dropped him off, he was nervous, but not half as nervous as he would have been had he had to go into the school alone. I think it helped with his anxiety tremendously to have two friends by his side.

I fidgeted all day. I worried all day. I was so nervous for him. 2:45 could not get there fast enough. The clock seemed to draaaaaag.

Finally, my cell rings, it is him. He sounded great. He was giggling with his friends. He said his day was good. He knew several kids in his class. His teachers all seemed nice. His favorite class was PE and Exploring Careers. I wish his favorites were English and Math were his favorites, but whatever got him through this day!

Tomorrow is the "real" first day. He seems oddly calm about it. He went last minute school shopping today. He got new sneakers, and a couple pairs of jeans. Boy, buying sneakers use to be so much easier than it was today. Oh, we also had to get a lunch box that was more "middle schoolish" than the ones we have in the cabinet.

Mackenzie will start third grade tomorrow. She is always okay with the beginning of school. She likes the socialization, and of course the thrill of wearing a new outfit. She too bought new sneakers today, as well as a few shirts and shorts.

We also bought all those friggin school supplies. Pencils, crayons, pens, paper, notebooks, folders, highlighters, and the list goes on and on. I am certain that I spent close to $100.00 just on school supplies for the two of them.

Hopefully tomorrow morning will go smoothly. I pray that it does. I guess I will, once again, get all teary as I drop each of them off in the morning. I remember totally not understanding it when my own mom did that every year on the first day of school. I thought she was a mush. Like mother, like daughter.