Growing pains

I should be doing something else.... cleaning the disaster of a house we live in, finishing the curtains for the motorhome, packing for camping, doing laundry, writing thank you notes for the teachers, making muffins! But I can't concentrate, there's too much going on in my brain to do any of those things. It has been an emotional week, as the school year winds down for the Summer. I'm so done with this school year. But I also don't want it to end.

Simon's leaving elementary school. He's growing up, and going to middle school in the Fall. He enters Deep Cove Elementary's doors for the last time as a student tomorrow. Oh. My. Word. How did that happen so fast?? I'm not ready. And it really, really doesn't help my emotions when Simon does the "countdown to the end of elementary school" thing every day. And when Ruby says "Mom, I'm never, EVER going to be in the same school as Simon EVER again." Enough already, I get it. Wah.


I remember Simon's first day of Kindergarten like it was yesterday. He was so excited to go to school that I could barely take a photo of him... he was dancing around the kitchen and couldn't stand still. I was sad to see my baby leave, but I also had a 3 year old and newborn baby to keep me company, so I was happy for him. He was so ready to go to school.

And I also remember all the strangers I encountered before he went into Kindergarten, who (annoyingly) felt the need to share their feelings on preschool... they were like "if you don't put him in preschool, he'll have such a hard time adjusting to school. He needs to go!" Um, thanks for your opinions??! Simon never did go to preschool and didn't know a soul on the first day of school. But when that door opened and his new teacher appeared, he never looked back. He was the first one in the school and had his backpack hung up before all the others. Hard time adjusting? I think not.

6 years later, he still hasn't looked back. And that's a good thing. A really good thing. It's amazing how confident he is, how eager he is to experience new things and meet new teachers and friends. Among other things, he's developed a passion for dancing over the past few months and it's been so fun to see him try new dance moves, push the envelope on music choices/genres with his parents, and has taken charge at times in choreographing dances with his friends. At the grade 5 talent show, I was a bundle of nerves and emotions, as I prepared to watch Simon do a solo dance performance. And even before it was his turn, I was ready to burst into tears. I was so proud of his friends as they sang, danced, did magic tricks, played the piano, etc. in front of their peers. I had seen those beautiful faces since their first day of Kindergarten too, and remembered how timid and shy some of them were. Man, I was a proud Deep Cove mama! And then it was Simon's turn. Oh Lord, may he do well. He did. He was awesome.

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As he leaves the safety of Elementary School, I pray that he never loses his confidence and big smile. That he retains his good friends and meets new ones who will encourage him, inspire him to be all that he can be, and will be a good influence on him in this crazy world. And I may end up being that wacky mom who takes a little drive by Bayside School at lunchtime to make sure he's not getting beat up on the school grounds by bullies, or alone in a corner crying for his mommy. Yeah right. It's not going to happen. But I'll check anyway, just to be sure.

He's so ready for middle school. Me? Not so much. But it's not about me... it never is. He can't stay young forever.

It's like that, and that's the way it is! (line from a dance club song, that is forever in my head, whether I like it or not.)

I'm so proud of you Simon!