And so it begins... again.

Today is the first day of school. Actually, it's a day full of firsts. A.J. started high school, Stacee started junior high (more on this is a moment) and Colin started first grade. Which all culminates into a fantabulous milestone for me:

ALL FOUR KIDS ARE IN SCHOOL ALL DAY!

Yes, that's correct. If I so choose, I can actually be alone in my home with silence from 9 am to 2:30 pm. That's potentially 5 and a half hours of just me. In case you're wondering why this warrants a blog entry, the last time I was alone was in the 90s. I'm sure you can see why I'm so excited.

Not that my days will be empty. Kris and I made the agreement that if I got to quit my job and stay home, I'd have days full of mopping, organizing, cleaning, dusting, etc. But let's face it, my house can only get so clean, right? Truth be told, I'm really looking forward to finishing projects and starting new ones. I like it when dinner's done when Kris walks in the door. It's a very peaceful feeling when I get up in the morning and the kitchen is clean, or when I have time to clean the toilets before the ring is visible. These are things that make me smile. If I get to do them alone and in the quiet, more power to me!

So, A.J. started high school today. He chose zero period which starts at 6:55 am (yes, that was am!), which means he left the house on his bike about 6:20 this morning. Far too early for me, but his body clock is different than mine. I tried to convince him to let me drive him the first day, but he wasn't having it. It's strange for me to think of him in high school. He's the third generation to go through that school. My parents met there, my brother and I went there and now him. Not to mention several aunts, uncles and cousins, as well. I'm glad that he doesn't have any teachers I had, although it really wasn't that long ago that I graduated. Sometimes it seems like I'm still about 19 in my head, but then I look up to A.J. (literally - he's 6"2' now) and realize that I am actually old enough (but barely!!!) to have a high schooler. It makes me teary to know that there's only a few more years he'll be living here under our roof. Such a limited amount of time to speak truth into his life and teach him all the things he needs to know before he's an adult. He's such an incredible young man, and it's only because he's such a good boy that Kris and I even have the ability to still impact his life. For so many parents that ship has already sailed. How fortunate we are with this gift.

And Stacee started junior high. This has been the hardest thing for me about school starting this year. As far as her maturity level goes, she was so, so, so ready to move from elementary school to junior high. The concern lies in two areas: 1) Only 2 other kids that she knows from 6th grade are attending her school, and 2) She really has no time for drama, gossip and pettiness. I don't know where she got that, but it's truly a zero-tolerance personal policy with her. This is what makes me worry the most. She's perfectly capable of making friends and meeting new people. New situations tend to make her nervous, but she's able to talk herself through it. She's a fun, straight-forward young woman who knows right from wrong and isn't afraid to choose the right thing, even if she's the only one. I'm just afraid she's the only one, which will make junior high an incredibly lonely place. In a culture where your "tribe" counts for everything, I worry that she won't be able to find her own. It's such a precarious balance to strike between being yourself and finding approval for it.

School starting also means the beginning of all the activities that accompany it. This means that I'll spend way too much time driving/carpooling/picking-up/dropping-off than I want to. A.J., Stacee and Brennan will all be taking dance classes again, and participating in our church's Christmas production, "An Evening In December." A.J. will attend youth group once a week, as will Stacee and I. Brennan will want to, but he's not old enough and Colin is still perfectly happy at home. I wonder if he'll ever grow out of that. For the sake of my gas budget, I hope not.