Today is the last day of school. The kids left about 15 minutes ago, and I thought I would take a few minutes to look back on the last nine months.
It seemed like only yesterday when Rooster was starting off his high school career. I remember being nervous for him but confident that Chicky would have his back.
The first day of school, I made a big show of giving the kids their lunch money (a lump sum that was to last for a week) with the warning not to call unless they were desperate. The year before, Chicky had gotten in the bad habit of calling for any and everything.
When I picked up the kids from school that day, Rooster informed me that he had lost his billfold and, thus, had missed out on lunch, heeding the warning not to call.
Yeah, I felt about this tall.
The next morning, he found his billfold. It was in the first pair of shorts he had put on the day before but changed out of before heading to school. For his second day of school, he chose to make his lunch. We had the fridge stocked with lots of yummy stuff.
I dropped off the kids and went to work where, upon getting out of the car, I discovered his lunch on the floorboard.
I remember being exasperated. Fortunately, Chicky had given him some of her lunch money.
Poor kid. It was, pretty much, what I had expected given his penchant for forgetfulness.
Fortunately, he found his brain before each class and excelled. He earned mostly A’s and found himself doing quite well in English (AuburnChick pats herself on the back for that one).
He has struggled with friendships. Boys can be mean to each other, but in more obvious ways than girls. He has a ways to go in this area…seeing people for how they truly are…and learning not to care so much but just walk your own walk.
I’ve enjoyed watching him try new things. He tried out for soccer and made the JV team. I’m proud of his effort and was sad for him when he didn’t get to play very much. Today he’ll be trying out for the band. I hope he makes it so he’ll have a niche for next school year.
Meanwhile, Chicky was growing by leaps and bounds. She had gotten her drivers’ license last July but, being the worried mom that I am, had to hold off driving to school the first week until traffic eased up. She quickly earned my trust, got her parking spot, and lived up to my expectations as a responsible young lady.
I watched her blossom in her service to others as well as her relationships with those around her. I’ve also watched her struggle. She had a tough schedule…four AP classes and advanced math courses. We quickly discovered that she doesn’t share her mama’s love of history. Surprisingly, she did quite well in pre-calc. Go figure.
I’ve watched as she’s been hurt by the cattiness that accompanies girl-girl interactions. She has come to the conclusion that fakeness does not make for true friendships as she was unceremoniously dumped by supposed “friends.” It’s been painful for me as I see her hurting. However, I can’t help but marvel that she’s getting it…earlier than those girls who think that money and fancy clothes speak louder than actions. I fully expect her new, hand-picked friends to be more genuine and sincere.
You can see the progression of her confidence reflected in the photos over the course of the year. She walks with her head held high. She carries two debit cards…one for her own account stocked with money that she’s earned babysitting, along with one for my account, which she uses to fuel up the car and buy the family’s groceries. She’s quick to volunteer for tasks and is, overall, preparing herself for bigger responsibilities.
It truly is amazing how much personal growth is possible in such a short amount of time. Raising children is the hardest job I’ve ever done, but it’s also the most rewarding. Being able to look back and see milestones along the path that’s been walked is the payoff and worth every gray hair on my head.
I can’t wait to see what happens next year!
Filed under: children | Tagged: teenagers | 1 Comment »
AuburnChick's Adventures 