Summer

...is ending.

By this time next week my dear Mikeal will be back in school. He's going to be in FOURTH grade. HOW IN THE WORLD DO I HAVE A FOURTH GRADER!?!?!

In no time at all he's going to be in middle school and then high school. Then off to college and married and is going to start having babies and I'm too young to be a Grammie!

/insert inconsolable weeping/


At the end of his 3rd grade year they had him take a slew of tests to determine if he qualifies for the gifted & talented program. I don't recall getting word about it yet, so maybe I'll find out at the Open House on Sunday, then doubly hope that he doesn't need $100 worth of additional school supplies immediately.

Side Note Content:

I was in the G&T program when I was in elementary school and would have continued in the accelerated programs on through high school had we not moved to a backwoods hick town that looks at you like you have two heads when you know and understand what inertia is in 7th grade. ((Isn't that a 3rd grade science lesson?)) The same backwoods town when you correct the English teacher, in 8th grade on the proper usage of "they're, there, & their" you suddenly grow a 4th head and the teacher has a complete mental breakdown & quits. ((Okay, she didn't quit because of me, I was the good kid, she was just having a rough time in her personal life, but still - how hard is it to hold a Master's Degree in English, teach 14 kids, and not know the difference between the three?)) Yes, that's right - there was 14 kids in my 8th grade class - and it was a BIG class. The 8th grade class of the year before only had 8....there were 50 6th graders, but by the time they'd made it to 8th grade there was only about two dozen, the rest had dropped out already.

Then Tuesday of next week Mikaila starts school again. She's still in the 3 year old program, so only goes 3 days a week for 3 hours. In January she'll be bumped up to the 4 year old program, and will be in school for 4 afternoons a week.

I'm hoping my transition this year goes better than it did last year. I swear I spent most my free afternoons just sitting here lamenting over how quiet it was and how I wasn't fighting the mess makers while I cleaned house. It was weird being able to sit in a quiet, clean house, for an hour or three even.

Mikaila being in school hasn't yet reduced me to a sobbing mess. Mikeal being in school didn't reduce me to a sobbing mess until after I dropped him off for the first day of 1st grade. It wasn't even a build up of anticipation or fretting about it beforehand, like I hear so many others lamenting about - their babies are getting ready to start school, reduce to tears a month before - nope. Mine hit me clear out of the blue, almost immediately upon walking him to class..one of the only 1st grade moms to be crying, the rest of the moms had cried the year before at the beginning of kindergarten.

Yea, I've never been one to follow the crowd...

I know the kids are looking forward to going back to school and it makes me happy! They both LOVE going to school to the point Mikaila has thrown quite a few tantrums in regards to wanting to go to school RIGHT.NOW! I've resisted going up to the school to find out who Mikeal's teacher is going to be simply because I know Mikaila is going to throw a fit over not getting to go to class and hang out with her friends.

I am thankful though that this year's supply list wasn't all that bad - each kid only has one bag to take to class with them as opposed to 50. Of course I'm sure this will change in the next year or two as Mikaila advances into actual elementary school and Mikeal advances into middle school...and then my heart attacks will begin again when I see the lists. Lets just hope one or both of them cool it on the end of summer growth spurts!

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