Last Saturday, I placed my little boy on a mighty stead.
And then, basically, I just let him go.
Fortunately, he came back to me.
Fortunately, he survived.
Though, as you can see, he had to hang on for dear life.
Two days before that, I strapped myself—willingly—into a rocket ship-type contraption and was flung into space at lightning speed, leaving my common sense and my flip-flops behind.
Just kidding! I wasn’t wearing flip-flops.
(I did, however, leave behind my dentures.)
The fact is, we’ve had a lot of excitement over the past couple of weeks—fun and excitement and family outings and whatnot—and I’ll tell you, I have needed these diversions. Why? Because this homeschooling mom has lost yet another student—Son Number Two, (aka Jem), who has gone to join Son Number One (aka Joe) at a private school just up the road.
Funny. I remember being asked—again and again and yet again—the question, “Are you always going to homeschool?” My reply has always been, “We’re going to take it a year at a time.”
The past two weeks have seen me amending this statement. Now I know that I’m taking it a day at a time…because that is the most that I can do. I don’t really want to think about what it’s like when they’re gone—when the school day runs for weeks on end because—guess what?—the kids are off at college.
Thank goodness I still have my boys home by 5:00.
Thank goodness they’re home in time for dinner and—even more importantly—are there to do the dishes when it’s done.
Ha.
So yes, 12-year-old Jem is now a 7th grader. He is doing great so far and seems to like it, although he sighed at all the note-taking he did on the first day. (Get used to it, kid.)
On Tuesday, he went to the orientation while at the same time, I attended a very nice brunch with the other mothers of the 7th grade boys. As we nibbled our scones and visited over coffee and tea, I listened to some of the moms share their stories. One mother said that this was her youngest child and that she was putting three more children through college right now. Another mom talked about her 24-year-old daughter who’s been “sowing some wild oats” and was on her way to Thailand.
(The mom found that one out on Facebook.)
A third mom sighed at how fast her son was growing up. “He’s starting to pull away a bit,” she said, and the rest of us nodded sympathetically. “My husband says that they need to do this,” I told her. “It’s part of their becoming a man.”
“And plus,” I added, with a bit of grin, “There’s a reason why ‘Mommy’s Boy’ is a negative label. They really do need to pull away.”
But no one is saying that it’s easy.
You’re figuring out by now that the point of this post isn’t really pony rides and roller coasters. These things are the filler along the way—the fun and the love that keep us grounded. Most days I feel like my daughter in the photo below, whisking my head around fast to take it all in and leaning heavy on grace to see me through.
It’s the ride of a lifetime—the ride that’s my life.
I’m hanging onto every minute.
I'm leaving the first comment because it's psychologically jarring to keep seeing (0)Brave Souls at the end of this post.
Plus I just have a really bad habit of talking to myself.
So here's a second comment:
You should have that made into a t-shirt: Homeschooling Family: Having the Ride of a Lifetime.
Or some such.
So would you mind sharing why you chose to put your boys in school? Just wondering.
The short answer, Lorri, is it's a really good school.
And also the boys look cute in uniforms. 🙂
Oh my goodness. That serious look on your little guy's face is so sad and sweet at the same time. Did he enjoy the pony ride? Your big boys look so grown up. And as someone who finds roller coaster rides terrifying, I admire your courage!
I love the t-shirt idea 🙂 (((Hugs))) to you, parenting is bittersweet. You have two handsome and decent-looking young men there.
As an empty nester of 15 years, who reads your blog faithfully because it reminds me of our household when the kids were here, I have to say that you never really ever get over that the kids are gone. Yes, you go on – you have fun, you love the quiet sometimes, you love being with your husband, but you miss the kids. Because that was your mission, that was the reason to be, the kids were (are) the loves of your life.
So, as my mother used to tell me when she was 65 (my age now) – enjoy it because it happens fast. They grow up!
Now the plus side of this is that you get to watch them raise their children. That's the best!
Jane, that is a beautiful comment. Thank you.
You are a braver woman than I,,,,I would never, ever get on one'em rides 😉
um, would you please tell George to quit growing and trying to catch up with his big brothers….thankyou.
I am gearing up to farewell my soon to be 18 year old daughter off to University next year to do a Bachelor of Nursing (then onto Midwifery later). She will share a 2 bedroom flat with my soon to be 21 year old daughter who has been at Uni for nearly 3 years. She will graduate at the end of this year, hopefully get a good job and remain in the city – 400kms away from us!
My apron strings are very long – they know we love them, they know they can call us anytime of the night or day, they know they can come home in a heart beat. They know they are the loves of our lives! We tell them all the time.
Joolz
Yes, you miss them when they go to college. Especially when there's a hurricane coming and they call home to say "I'm coming home…for half an hour to get bottled water and board games and then head back to school for the big adventure!" Sigh.
I've taken to texting him "goodnight" each night as I go to sleep. He called home 3 or 4 times today–that's almost as much as he did his entire first semester. So I guess I have a hurricane to thank for that.
I lived in Eden Prairie when I was in middle school and had forgotten all about Valleyfair until I saw your picture!
Beautiful all pics and really I Wish U full enjoy in your life . Good Family