Flying on the First Day of School

I'm a sucker for the first day of school--even now that I am no longer in school. I love brand new school supplies. I love the thrill of a new beginning. I love the formation of a new community. Now, I love watching my kids experience that too. Today marks the beginning of a new school year for the three you see here. Meagan is in third grade, James in first, and Charlie is in half-day preschool. Charlie took part in a home-based preschool two mornings per week last Spring, but today marks his first true school experience. Meagan and James are in the same class as it is a 1st-3rd combination class. They are excited to be together, and I love knowing that they will be together. Charlie is in the same class James was in for preschool and kindergarten, so Charlie feels very comfortable (maybe too comfortable) in that classroom.

The three of them were so excited this morning. I, on the other hand, had mixed emotions. We've had such a fanstastic summer and it seems wrong to call summer off before we even reach the mid-point of August. More than this, I'm coming into a new beginning of my own and as much as I love new beginnings, they are always a bit jarring--no matter how well you prepare. This will be the first time in almost nine years that I don't have at least one kiddo (if not two or three) as my constant side-kick. There will be many perks to this kid-free time as I'm convinced that one kid-free hour is equal to least two kid-full hours. Still, it's a crazy thing to watch your little birdies fly from the nest (even for just a couple hours each morning). As my tiniest bird excitedly threw his little back pack on top of those of his brother and sister in the trunk of the car, I found myself with a lump in my throat and my eyes a bit misty over the three of them fleeing the nest at all at once. But, alas, this is the whole point of parenting...to teach these little people to fly on their own...

And fly they will.