I have a kid in high school...say what?

Lewie, yes my little Lewie, my baby boy, my sweet angel from heaven, started high school this month. He was looking forward to it all summer long, and truly, I thought I was ready. Really...I did. We went to the high school parent orientation, the tour, and even to several sporting events (mostly to see his cousin Sarah), and each time, I went with excitement for the "next chapter." Not forced excitment--real excitement.

Then, August 28th came, and I wanted to bury myself under the covers. Couldn't we all just have another day, week, or month of summer? Why did the middle school years have to end? I was just getting used to the whole awkward, voice-changing, pimple-popping, hormonal years of middle school. Now he would be entering the mysterious vortex of adulthood with all the complexities of dating, driving, and decision-making. After his first week, he reported back that the bathrooms were filled with aerosol mist from vaping, and the winding hallways led to the occasional corner fight or makeout session. A note from the principal also reminded us that the possession of marijuana at school (in addition to other drugs) was another concern.

Yes, on that first day of high school I had to let go of a piece of me--the piece that wants to nurture, control, and protect my little boy.  I still faithfully set my alarm for 5:30 a.m., so I can prepare his breakfast and lunch before watching him get picked up by the school bus at 6:30 a.m. But things are different. My son battles me about wearing a jacket when it's raining or cold outside, and I can only watch him get on the bus in secret through the living room window. (He would absolutely die if I ran out there to give him a jacket while he's getting on the bus. Teenagers aren't supposed to have moms...well visible moms. Still, I am tempted to do it one day. He'll forgive me...when he's forty.) 

Two weeks after Lewie's first day, I attended "Meet the Teacher Night." My husband wasn't interested in moving around to eight different classes, so he skipped it, but he still wanted to know my assessment. Lewie has Graphic Design I, Geometry, English, World History, Biology, Spanish II, Gym, and a class called Advisory. They are split between "A" days and "B" days, so the classwork is manageable, but I still was impressed with all the walking he has to do in a single day to get to each class. In some cases, the bell would ring before I made it. I was climbing three flights of stairs to the gym (our high school is built into a mountain), and then rushing back to the ground floor for Spanish. Then, I was back to climbing another two flights for Biology... His teachers seemed structured yet nuturing, and each used their six minutes of "talk time" to address the individual topics they cared about the most. There was no room for questions. The bell abruptly ended their speech, and off we went like lost sheep to the next classroom. There were definitely some quirks with the room numbers and the stairwells, so on numerous occasions, I had to stop to ask where I could find a classroom. Thankfully, for the first six classes, I had another mom friend to tag along with.

Now, we are past the one month mark, and Lewie has fallen into a routine. He had his freshmen year photo, and I'm diligently looking at details for a possible high school trip to Costa Rica in the spring. (Since the school opened in 2001, there has only been three of these trips, so I know that if Lewie doesn't go this year, he won't have another chance before he graduates.) I have told him that he needs to join at least one club or activity to which he is still groaning: "I thought I could wait until my junior or senior year." I recognize that as a kid that loves video editing and computers, he's not going to gravitate toward sports or the chess club, but I want him to get involved in "SOMETHING." Yes, my "control" is limited now that he is a teenager, but I'm still not out of the game. My new slogan is "Mom knows best." (I say this with the utmost confidence, not letting on that this new high school vortex has me terribly confused. Do I know best? I know one thing for sure. These are the years when teenagers will often not listen to their 'wise' parents and inevitably have to learn from their own mistakes. I know because even though I'm old, I still remember those mistakes.)

So for now, I'm adapting and reminding myself to savor these years because college will be next. Yes, it can be hard to have a perpetually tired, hungry, know-it-all in the house, but it's even harder when that presence goes away, and to be honest, my son is still this amazingly sweet kid; it just gets clouded when the teenage hormones kick-in. Now I'm getting ready for what the next month brings...Parent-Teacher-Night, high school football games, and homecoming. Oh boy!

First Month of Eighth Grade

Well, I meant to post about the first day of eighth grade, and that didn't happen.  Then, I planned to post about our first week, and that didn't happen either.  So, here we are about four weeks in, and I finally found a few hours before bed (and before the beginning of week five) to write about our first day, first week, and first month of eighth grade.

To say we weren't ready for the first day of school is an understatement.  I did manage to take Lewie sneaker shopping on one very hot August afternoon. (We even treated ourselves to yummy chocolate crepes at the Choupette Creperie & Cafe in New Haven beforehand as seen in these pictures.)  

I managed to buy him a backpack, pencils, and a few notebooks prior to the first day, but we soon learned that his teachers wanted other items--post-it notes, a small stapler, folders, and a graphing calculator.  No problem.  He had everything by week two.

To be completely honest, Lewie wasn't super excited to begin school this year.  For one, most of his friends are one grade above him, so they started high school--he wouldn't see them in the middle school hallways like he did last year.  Secondly, he wasn't ready for the end of summer.  He still wanted one more sleepover (which we did fit in the weekend of Sept. 10th) and a few more relaxed days to hang out with friends and family by the pool.  It's fair to say that summer came to a screeching halt once August 29th hit--with announcements to remind us of standard routines, schedules, and calendars,  So far, Lewie has had picture day and several days of standardized testing.  Us parents had "Meet the Teachers" night--on Oct. 13th, we'll be meeting to discuss the annual 8th Grade Trip to Washington D.C.

Lewie appeased me by holding this sign one last time. 
I don't think it would be fair for me to ask him to do this again in high school.

On the Friday before Labor Day, we "allowed" Lewie to have his traditional day-off from school to go to our beloved, small, amusement park called Lake Quassy.  (We've been going to Quassy on the same day for the past ten years [with the exception of 2020], so we couldn't break our annual ritual now...)

Let me be clear; every year at Lake Quassy is fun, but this year seemed to be perfect.  Besides our normal rides, we were able to enjoy the Quassy Queen boat ride, the waterpark, and their quaint beach, which is not always in the cards for us.  We laughed, treated ourselves to yummy treats, rode on our favorite rides, and then laughed some more.  The only difference this year is that Lewie couldn't go on the Pirate Swing seven times in a row like he used to...  After one or two rides, he'd tell us he needed a break before going on again.  Is his "iron stomach" changing?

Fall is officially here, and now we're getting ready for all things October.  (October is one of my favorite months!!)  I still have to post about our summer vacation to Utah and our fun summer days in general.  I will find the time--I promised myself.  In the meantime, I hope everyone had a good start to the school year.  Here's to our last year of middle school and making it great!

Back-to-School Traditions

This year, Lewie started 7th grade!  Since he was a distance learning student last year, August 30th was his first official school day as a middle schooler.  There would be bells ringing to change classes (seven of them), a locker combination to learn, and a gym uniform to change into.  

Since this is the age of COVID, there would also be a mask to wear (even though he is vaccinated) and the possibility of going into quarantine if anyone in his class tests positive.

Yes, the day was fraught with anxiety, but for me, not for Lewie.  If he was nervous, he didn't show it, and when he came home from his first day, he was all smiles.   His teachers were nice, he had "aced" his locker combination (at least two times out of three), and he had seen some friends he made last year (from being online) in the hallways.

On August 30th, we also started a new tradition, too.  Bruce will run up to the bus with Lewie to watch him get on and then run up to the bus to greet him when he gets off.  Yes, Lewie has an official pal, and Bruce will whimper every time he sees Lewie get on the bus.  We both whimper to watch our boy go away.

After seven years of watching Lewie get on the bus, I should be used to the routine, but last year the pandemic created a new one.  Instead of watching Lewie get on the bus every day, I had the joy of seeing him learn from home in the kitchen, and since I was working from home, too, I could eat breakfast, lunch, and dinner with him.  This year would be back to the "norm" or "new-norm," and it felt unnerving.

The second tradition for us is that we make a trip to Lake Quassy every year on the Friday before Labor Day.  (We didn't last year because of COVID.)  Since school always starts before Labor Day, I always have to call the school/notify teachers that Lewie will be missing a day of class.  I'm sure it doesn't make for a good first-impression, but tradition is tradition, and we like having this day off because we get the entire amusement park to ourselves.  It's also a reminder to us that in this crazy world, family still comes first.  Education is next, but family is first.

Our Quassy Day was sunny but breezy.  The weather made for a gorgeous day to go on regular rides, but it was too cold for the water park and too breezy for any of the paddle boats or the Quassy Queen (our tradition within a tradition).  Still, Lewie had a blast going on the Pirate Swing six times, the train three times, and many of the other rides at least once or twice.  Daddy, of course, made him go on the only adult rollercoaster in the park, The Wooden Warrior.

We had lunch and ice-cream and came home feeling refreshed instead of tired from a long first week of school.  Yes, it will take some time to get settled into this "new normal" of school and work away from home.  So far Lewie seems to like it, especially seeing his friends.  As for me, only time will tell...

The First Day of Fifth Grade and a Weekend to Remember!

Little Lewie's first day of fifth grade was the last Monday of August.  We weren't so prepared for the back to school routine; in fact, we didn't do any back-to-school shopping at all!  Lewie left the house with his same backpack from last year and same clothes.  Fortunately, we had enough unused pencils, notebooks, highlighters, and pens that we didn't need to purchase those either--whew!

According to Lewie, this is his "signature pose."  Fifth grade is a big deal this year because
he will be switching classes and learning how to play the trumpet!

Part of me wants to make a big deal about the first day back, but there's another part of me that hates to see the summer go...  Back-to-school means back to rushing, routines, deadlines, and of course, colder weather on the horizon.  As is our annual tradition, we took Friday the 30th off (i.e. played hooky), so we could have a long four-day weekend of fun and festivities.  This definitely helped ease the transition...

On our "Hooky" Friday, we stopped by Burr Pond to try paddle boarding.  It was fun!!

Our next stop was our annual visit to Lake Quassy Amusement Park. 
Since most kids were back to school, we had the amusement park to ourselves.

Notice how Lewie is the only one on the Pirate Swing.  He must have rode this 20+ times.

No trip to Lake Quassy is complete without the train ride!

On the Sunday before Labor Day, we went to the Goshen Agricultural Fair. 
We hadn't been to this fair since Lewie was a toddler!

Pretending to milk Bessy.

"Beep beep, I'm a sheep", I said, "Beep beep, I'm a sheep!"

Every good fair must have rides...

By the end of our four-day weekend, we felt ready to embrace school again.  In fact, on Labor Day, I found a "good luck charm" to carry us through...

I picked the clover by our pool and put it in a bowl of water.  I never saw a four-leaf clover in real life before.  It's just perfect.  Honestly, just perfect!

First Day of School (Fourth Grade)

Lewie started school last Monday.  He's now a fourth grader with privileges to sit at the back of the bus.  Thankfully, however, my sweet boy is not growing up too fast.  This year, I was still pleasantly surprised to learn that Lewie was not interested in buying certain clothes or sneakers. (I offered to take him shopping, and his response was, "Mommy, you know I'm not a fashion designer!")  So, he's still content to wear whatever I lay out on the bed.

When it came time to get on the bus, he let Grammy and me kiss him goodbye (without feeling embarrassed by us).  Then he proceeded to find his favorite seat, about the middle of the bus, six rows down.  He plopped down, took off his backpack, and waved goodbye with a big smile.  God, I LOVE this kid!

My mom had the opportunity to pose with Lewie this year for the back to school photo.  My husband was still inside catching up on sleep, and I had wet hair and no make-up.  (I managed to get Lewie dressed on time, but I was running late for work!)

When Lewie returned home, he said he LOVED his teacher and had a great day.  Even better was the extra bonus of being told that he wouldn't be given any homework during his first week back.  When I opened his backpack, I saw that he completed a worksheet in school called, "First-Day Feelings."  After reading the answers, I just had to share some of them in this post.

          My favorite place is home.

          After school, I like to play games.

          When I feel sad, it helps to think of happy things.

          If I could change my name, I'd call myself the name I already have.

          My favorite time of year is summer.

          If I could rule the world, I'd make everything free.

          If I had $100, I'd give it to the poor.

          The best thing that happened to me last year was when I got a homework pass.

          My favorite possession is Tiggey (his stuffed animal).

          If I lived in another country, I'd like it to be the U.K.  (That's where Dan TDM lives.)

          On my birthday, I'd like to learn how to make games. (He means "video" games, of course.)

All I can say, is here's to another awesome year of school and an awesome year of spending time with our big little kid.  This kid makes every day a joy.

First Week of School Traditions (Third Grade)

Little Lewie officially started third grade last Monday.  There was some sighing and whimpering as this kid got out of bed, but no tears.  I reminded him that he needed to give his new teacher a chance. Miracles do happen.  Maybe he would love third grade.

I was a little out of practice with the morning routine, so Lewie almost missed the bus!  For some reason, I thought the time went by slower in the mornings--my bad!  I had exactly three minutes for pictures before the bus showed up at our driveway.  It didn't give us the chance for long, tearful goodbyes, which definitely was a good thing.

He grabbed his backpack and jacket and to the bus he went.  Once he found a seat, he even waved back to my mom and me with a big smile.  "Good," I thought.  "Now I can finish getting ready for work."

Since I had a long day of work ahead--almost a 12 hour day--I called my mom around 4ish to find out about Lewie's first day.  She put him on the phone, and he told me "it was the best day ever."  He wanted to keep me in suspense until I came home, but my mom told me a few things she learned when she picked him up..."Lewie said his teacher at school was having trouble with the computer, so he helped her.  He also said his teacher was really nice and was not going to assign too much homework."   Yes, all it takes for Lewie to have a good day is to demonstrate his computer knowledge and to not get much homework; his new teacher knew exactly the way to his heart.

At the end of the week, on Friday, I promised Lewie I would take him out at noon, so that he, Daddy, and I could spend one last summer day together.  Starting as early as three (2011), our family made it a tradition to go to Lake Quassy Amusement Park on the last Friday of the season--the Friday before Labor Day.  Since most kids are in school, we get easy access to all the rides and arcade games without having to wait in lines.  This Friday was a little cooler (68 degrees and windy), but we still enjoyed the day.  It was what Lewie needed to congratulate him on being so positive about school, and it was what I needed to congratulate me on being positive about work.  I needed this special day with my son, especially when I know that work takes me away from him at least two to three nights per week.

We started our day at Quassy the same way we always do...with the train ride.  Then, Lewie ventured to his favorite ride--the Pirate Ship.  Daddy and I went on it three times with him.  Then, thankfully, he made a friend who was willing to go on it an additional four times.

Then we went on the Quassy Queen (our usual boat ride) followed by the Carousel, a few more spinning rides, and the bumper cars.

Who wouldn't enjoy playing with a life-size version of PacMan?

Our day at Quassy ended the usual way too...with an ice-cream treat.  (It's never too cold for ice-cream!)  It was definitely the way we needed to spend our day to get us pumped for the new school year.  School is important but so is family time.  Every once in a while, we need to make time for activities like this, so we can enjoy the time, the age, and the memories without feeling rushed.

Lewie has a half day scheduled at school on September 27th.  You know I'm taking that day off to be with him!  Let the planning begin!