The End of Days

Today is the end...

of school for the year.

of having two Middle Schoolers...next year I have only one (and one high schooler!)

of waking up at 5:30am...Yipee!!!...for a while, anyhow.

of remembering crazy schedules, for the most part.

of forgetting to pick up Bridgette on Thursdays ...and some Tuesdays (because she's at her clubs) and getting that call..."Mom, where ARE you???" (Duh...you called me on the land line...where do you THINK I am? lol)

of asking "Did you do your homework?"

of taking stock of all lunch groceries for the week (the kids take cold lunch).

Tomorrow is the beginning of...

sleeping in until 7:30...Yippee!

being "friend zone central." (usually Yippee!)

sleepovers almost every weekend we're home.

less structured days...double Yipee!

dividing up chores.

having the kids around all the time...*love it!* (usually)

If you haven't guessed, today is the kids' last day of school. Bridgette will be home soon, and we'll go to Knoke's...the local chocolatier shoppe, for ice cream. That's our last day of school tradition. This will be the first year Aaron won't be joining us. That's because Middle Schoolers have a field trip the last day of school, according to grade. Bridgette is a seventh grader, so her whole grade (all 400+ of them) rented out the local movie theater and had their choice of seeing either Shrek or Marmaduke. (Bridge picked Shrek.) Aaron's 8th grade class (all 440 of them!) took a bus to Minneapolis to Valley Fair - a huge amusement park like Six Flags. He won't be home until 6:30 or 7pm. So, he's missing the Knoke's tradition for the first time since we've lived here because Knoke's will be closed by then. I don't want to deprive Bridgette of the tradition because Aaron won't be here. Next year, Bee will be in 8th grade and she'll miss it when I take Aaron. Thems the brakes, I guess!
The last day of school always makes me a little sad, because it makes me realize my babies are growing up. Then, when I take them to Knoke's and we discuss their faves of the year and I realize what great kids they are and how special they are and how blessed I am that God let these great kids belong to me I get happy again. I really am proud of these babies of mine.
Even if Aaron told Mike and I that his 8th Grade Fare-Thee-Well (which is their graduation) was optional and that we didn't have to go and that barely anyone was going except for the kids in the band (which he isn't) or those giving a speech (which he wasn't). So, he didn't think we needed to go. So, we let him talk us out of it. We didn't go. BUT...Aaron had been saving for a video game and wanted me to drive him to Target to get it and we had to pass the school - which was PACKED with cars in the parking lot - overflowing into the lot next door and into three streets. I said "Aaron! What two kids besides you aren't going????!!!!" He assurred me it would just have been boring and nobody would have had fun.
One of my girlfriends had the same trouble with her daughter. We agreed that we were probably the only two parents who didn't attend. Aaron was on the honor roll. He probably had an award or something. His dad is like that. My only consolation is that Bridgette is just like me, so I know next year she will WANT to attend and we'll end up staying for hours on end meeting everyone in the school and she will probably give three speeches!
Kids! You gotta love 'em! I know I love mine. Right now I am reminded that this boy only has four years under our roof and it doesn't seem long enough. I really do enjoy his company. And I only have five years with my soul mate, my daughter.
Only 45 minutes and we can go to Knoke's and I will be happy again!