T minus six days...

We are officially less than one week from the beginning of school.

This week I have gotten letters from both the high school (for Kyler) and the junior high (for Savannah.)

My two oldest are starting new schools in six days.

And wow, is that high school big.

He has his first official cross country practice on Monday.

Savannah has an ice cream social on Tuesday to get her schedule and meet her teachers.

Kyler has freshman orientation all morning Wednesday.

Let the madness begin...

I love fall. I love the structure and schedule after the laziness of summer.

But summer isn't even CLOSE to being over.

And my babies are going to big, scary, new schools.

So I'm hesitant and apprehensive this year.

The thing is, no one really explains to you when you start having babies that they are going to grow up. Really - I didn't really give it a moment's thought. Sure - I'd seen kids grow up. Heck, I did it myself. But when I was changing diapers and wiping the high chair and picking up the toys for the millionth time, I did not give any thought to the reality of those sweet, roly poly babies actually becoming people. And going to high school and junior high... how dare them!

It's not that I want to go back... whenever I spend time with people who have little ones, I'm amazed at how much work it is. You actually have to follow toddlers when they wander out of the room to ensure that they don't find sharp objects and poke their eyes out or swallow them... you have to chase them around all day. No - I don't want to go back to that.

But I don't really want to go forward either. Because forward equals more time away from home for my babies. Already I feel like they're hardly ever here - and when they are, they're on the phone with friends or in their rooms with their MP3 players blocking out all communication. As much as I'd like to chase them around all day now, I don't think they'd be too keen on the idea.

I've often wished lately that I could be the proverbial fly on the wall. So I could see how it is they manage themselves out in the real world. Their world is separate from mine for the most part now... and I miss being able to control everything that enters it...

Ahh, parenting. It never ceases to amaze and challenge and bewilder.

And I wouldn't trade it for anything.