Oh, The Places You'll Go

From the moment I woke up this morning I've been over today. I couldn't figure out why. Or maybe it's that I knew the reason all along I just chose not to accept it. I've been trying to be strong and remind myself that this is another step in life. I went through it and survived so have millions of other kids and I know mine will, too. It's just so scary sending him out into the world of middle school. He's pretty stoked about it so far. He met some of the middle school teachers not long ago and he wants to join band. I'm keeping him at the same school all his friends from elementary school are going to so I know he'll be fine but this seems so much harder than sending him off to elementary school did. He's had the most wonderful teachers ever at SDES as well as staff members, room moms, PTO members. We've been blessed with people who care about each individual child and love them the same as they would their own. We've made a lot of friendships over the years.

Tonight is middle school orientation. He's ready. The question is am I? And I can certainly tell you, no I am not. I'm worried will he know where his classes are? Will he be able to use a locker? Will he get picked on for being the under class man on campus? Will he still be stand up for himself? Will he be assertive enough to say when something is bothering him? This year he had no problem telling his teacher when he was having a hard time. I want him to still feel confident enough to do that. To speak his mind. I want him to form the same kind of bonds with his middle school teachers as he always has with this elementary school teachers. I want him to know the good kids from the bad kids, as he always has, and choose not to associate with them. I want him to stand up for, not only his friends, but other kids, too.

Nobody tells you how hard the pre-teen years are but to those friends of mine who have children younger cherish each and every moment because they do fly by. I just hope that I've instilled a good sense of self esteem and values in this kid and that he can fly as effortlessly through middle school as he did in elementary school. He's come a long way from kindergarten to now. From a little boy who spent the first few weeks of kindergarten crying because he missed me but being strong enough to keep pushing through to being the kind of young man who is friends with everyone and has no problem asking his teacher to be moved because the kid he sat next to bothered him. He knows what he needs and isn't afraid to ask. He's nothing like me at this age and that's a great thing. He makes me proud of the guy he's becoming and he makes me proud to be his mom. {Now, it's time for me to invest in some water proff mascara.} Here we go Class of 2021.

“You have brains in your head. You have feet in your shoes. You can steer yourself any direction you choose. You're on your own. And you know what you know. And YOU are the one who'll decide where to go...” ― Dr. Seuss, Oh, The Places You'll Go!