It's Here Again

The school year that is.  As always it's bittersweet.
My son is a junior this year.  After stressing  about his grades the last two years, I am leaving it up to him this year.  He and I have had several talks about college.  He's starting to get excited and considering Western or WSU (of course I keep throwing HPU out as an option too).   I have laid out my expectations and what I am willing to pay.  I have offered to pay half of his tuition (with the hopes his dad would pay the other half.....still working on that), at a 4-year if his GPA can get up to a cumulative of a 3.0, and he's in charge of room and board,  otherwise it's 1/2 of tuition out here.  Last year was a struggle, trying to get him to understand the importance of doing well in school NOW, he enjoys school, just taking the academics serious was another thing.  Yet  I am excited for my son's junior year, this is the point when all possibilities for the future are right there, and that's very exciting!

As for Lo, yikes it just makes me sad she's growing so fast.  Walking her to school today I remembered when we moved into this house 5 years ago, just before my son started at the middle school, and here it is already, her turn.  I'm excited for her, but I also know how fast the next few years will go.  She is a special kid, with an amazing spirit, it scares me that something or someone will come along and try to crush her dreams and confidence!  Every year she asks to be homeschooled, and every year I so badly want to say yes, but for selfish reasons....I just want her around.  I wish I had time to home school her, but I don't.  She gets so much from school,  and she's very good at it, so I just have to let her keep going and hope she doesn't grow too fast!

So cheers to 11th and 6th grade years!

Glad she still lets me walk her to school!

 This is what I will miss most about summer.  It was such a treat to have her  "working" with me every morning.  I loved it.  This was our third summer since her Dad left, and we have adjusted and adapted in ways much better than I ever would have expected, in large part to this girl.  This was one of the outcomes.  It was her and I, and this is what we did every morning of the summer together.  I am truly one lucky lady in so many ways!