New. Everything is about to be new again. New lessons learned. New emotions handled. New achievements conquered and a fresh start to life as a child knows it. This is a favorite time of year for the kids in my house. Possibilities are limitless. Tomorrow is about to be sought out, anticipated and experienced.
New clothes, new hair, new impressions. When you are growing, each year is an experience and a chance to share what is learned... about lives past and current. Each year is an opportunity to share the sparkly new bits and pieces of yourself.
As a grown up and as a parent, summer's end really has me in a mix of emotions. Another year older in the eye of society. Not just their biological age but the age in which they exist in the community. We, as parents give them a great start. We give them the basic tools of morals, boundaries and manners. School is a kind of "on the job training" where they put those skills to use. Fine tuning them for the future. They develop their circles of friendship, they learn the importance of honesty, they have crucial struggles with disappointment and are given chances to test their knowledge.
This year I will have a child in every stage of the school experience. High school, Middle school, Elementary school and Daycare and this summer was an unusual one. Filled with visitors and lazy days. The oldest was the only one that went on a vacation and that was because of his competition. As a family we swam, we went to the library and we talked a lot. It may have been pretty uneventful but at the same time it was nice. Yet, they are ready for summer to end. They want to learn new things and challenge their brains. They want to get together with their friends and search for tomorrow and I am so excited to fill their backpacks with encouragement.
Let's do this!
