BACK TO SCHOOL?

First day of school

Wow!
October 1st already?
where does the time go?
along with the rest of the world, i am aware that i am number/date illiterate. this is not one of those 'moments'. i do realize that i am blogging about back to school practically one month after school started.
however, we're still waiting for parker to start school.



he made it for the 1st hour of the 1st day...
came home sick
and has been back less than 4 full days since.

currently he has a clinical diagnosis of mono. (despite having an initial mono test come back negative). he had a ton of tests done yesterday and will be seeing a pediatric specialist on monday. we would appreciate prayer...
1. obviously for parker as he is one sick little guy
2. that we would receive a definitive and accurate diagnosis
3. that i wouldn't get it!

it appears that parker will be home indefinitely. last nite was meet the teacher nite at his school. he suggested that he come along...so he could meet his teacher! his teacher has been wonderfully understanding and supportive. she's put together a whole package of school work for him to work on so that he won't fall too far behind in his studies...

so it looks like we'll be hitting the books at home for the time being.
he's not so thrilled about that.
and me?
i'm horrified...most of the work she sent home was MATH!!!



this is a pivotal school year for our family. taylor is graduating, avery is starting her first year of full time school, and parker, once he gets to school, is in grade 5.



didn't know that grade 5 could be considered a pivotal year?
well in my world it is...

grade 5 was not my best year. i think i spent more time in the principal's office then in the classroom. i won't elaborate less i further incriminate myself but let's just say that the thought of being the parent of a grade 5 kid makes me a little weak in the knees.

grade 5 is that year where you exchange the "primary" class for "intermediate" and in this day of age, are graced with the label "tween". of our 3 kids, parker changed and "grew up" the most this summer. it feels as if in the blink of an eye, he left little boy behind and entered this funny little "tween" stage of life. it has been quite remarkable to watch him morph before our eyes. this summer, he suddenly developed an awareness of the emotional differences between the sexes... his humourous observations about such things have left us in stitches.

one evening i was watching a 'girlie' show (Say YES to the Dress) and long suffering parker was keeping me company on the couch. a young bride on the show remarked, "oh, every girl dreams of shopping with their mom."
beside me Parker snorted and guffawed aloud, "lady, i can assure you,NO BOYS have EVER had that dream!"

yes, my quiet, shy middle child is rapidly changing and we are seeing a humorous, scientifically oriented side emerge. he has a keen sense and thirst for the mechanics of how and why things work. this was best evidenced in a 2.5 hour discussion we had on 'puberty' this summer. the general 'birds and bees' overview was not even close to satisfactory for his scientifically inquisitive brain... NO, this child wanted a university level tutorial which meant that his inquisitive questions such as "what is the name of the hormone that signals the brain to produce testosterone?" had me "googling" for the answers every 5 minutes.

this summer he made the rather astute observation that girls and women say the word "cute" ALL THE TIME.
and you know what?
he's right.
since he pointed it out
i noticed
i have "cute-itiss"
and so does the rest of the world
the word cute is everywhere!

even on the stapler in the tattoo shop!
Poor Parker nearly had a coronary when he saw that.

and now on to my bookends, taylor and avery




avery has adjusted well to grade one. or maybe i should say that grade one is adjusting to her! with a zeal and zest for life that is truly her own she has enthusiastically embraced this the start of her full time school career.

en route to school on the first day, she asked,
"so i just want to be clear about this... i'm still not allowed to kiss boys this year?"

oh my.
what a girl!
she keeps us on our toes but puts joy in our hearts at every turn.

First Art Work of Grade 1
"on summer holidays i climbed a big mountain with my family."

taylor is in grade 12.
i can hardly believe it...i don't want to believe it.



a couple of weeks back, graham and i accompanied taylor to the army base where he will be undergoing his training for the reserves this year. we met with his 2nd lieutenant, were introduced to his platoon leader and were given a tour of the base. at one point during our tour, we rounded a corner into a hangar that was a bee hive of activity. military vehicles and personnel were everywhere. i was completely overwhelmed with the sight of so many soldiers dressed in full fatigues. i think in that moment the full gravity of this hit me hard. or maybe it was the 2nd lieutenant saying words like "afghanistan, road side bomb, armored vehicles..." at any rate, i left that base feeling anxious (and went home to shed a few tears in private) - while graham and taylor excitedly exclaimed over the guns. sigh.



at the start of every new school year, i have always taken time to consciously choose to enTRUST my kids to God. somehow it always seems an appropriate time of year...i guess there is something about releasing them from the safey and security of your home and "sending them out into the big, bad world" that can do that. this year trusting their future to God has a whole new level of significance. yes. this year the world seems a whole lot bigger and badder.