Back to school 2012.

No matter how hard I try to deny it, I knew this day would come, AGAIN, like it always does.  And as always, I'm never quite ready to embrace it--The day I send my little ones off to school for a whole 'nother year.

Yes, I realize that I'll be able to get a whole slew of stuff done in half the time.  My house will stay neater, cleaner, quieter.  All true.  But, I'll miss those mess-making buggers.  I'll miss the closeness, the security of knowing my kids are nearby, safe (even if they're driving me crazy).

I want my kids to spread their wings, AND, at the same time I get a little miffed when I think about them growing up.  Not needing me.  Or, needing me in a different way that I just don't know about yet.  I have this secret desire to be a lunch-lady at the high school so I can be around them.  Wouldn't they LOVE that?!

One thing that WAS super exciting this morning was Annie.  That girl JUMPED out of bed!.  She's been waiting to JUMP out of bed like that for FIVE years!  She's a kindergartner now.  The Big Cheese, that girl. 

Lincoln, on the other hand, was quite a different story.  What mother has to BEG her child to wear NEW school clothes the first day of school?  Yep, me, right here.  

(Aarrgh...I'm a pirate who doesn't want to go to school)

William had a fight with the syrup this morning.  And the syrup won.  That didn't deter him, he still wore his BYU t-shirt (look familiar, Katie?), syrup notwithstanding.  He had no worries because he's a big bad 4th grader, senior status at the elementary level!

Brigham played it cool, reveling in the fact that he got to stay with me for another hour before I took him to school.  I'm actually really looking forward to this time alone with him.  He's the one I'm worried about most because he's off to middle school.  I can't be there as often as I can at the elementary.  I still think 5th graders are too young for middle school.  I need this one on one time each morning to touch base with him.  Connect with him.  It'll be good for us.

It's just Sammy and me.  I'm sure we'll have our own fun.  But for now, I'm a little down, and I'm gonna let myself miss my kids for today.  But tomorrow, I'll face it with a smile.