With just over a week of the new school year under our belts (hooray, only 35 more to go!) I would say routines have fallen back into place pretty well, and day-to-day schedules have run fairly smoothly so far. (Oh no, didn’t I learn my lesson? Unjinx, counter-jinx, anti-jinx!) Of course, maybe that’s because I purposely set my expectations artificially low in the early days of September—so to measure success, we celebrate that no one has missed the bus (yet…I mean, yay, us!); we commend our young scholars for getting their homework done (hearty round of applause); and we cheer when both boys manage to get out of the house with their lunch, important papers to return to the teacher, Assignment Book, and whatever other paraphernalia they require for their daily foray into the academic world.
I realize that this particular year is probably going to be one of extra growth for my sons. (And I’m not just talking about Derek’s height…or how much he eats…or even his shoe size, for that matter.) Riley is beginning 3rd grade, which is commonly considered the first “serious” year in school. You now belong to the Upper Grades, no longer lumped with the “little guys” in K/1/2. (Oh, what a difference a Summer makes, right?) Homework increases in length, amount, and complexity. When Report Card time arrives, you no longer receive those sympathetic O-for-Outstanding or S-for-Satisfactory. Nope, it’s Formal Grading time, with the standard A/B/C format applied to your work. And let’s not forget that important Rite of Passage you’ll be required to master: Cursive Handwriting! For Derek, of course, heading into 6th grade means a dramatic jump in responsibility. Not only does he need to get himself up and ready to roll an hour and 20 minutes earlier than he has for the past 6 years, he also must corral his supplies (including his fancy-schmancy (code for: expensive) graphing calculator and his Band equipment), manage 7 classes worth of assignments, and budget his time to fit school and soccer (and eating and sleeping) into his life. So yeah, I suspect there will be some steep uphills, maybe some slipping and sliding along the way, but together we’re going to tackle the slow and steady climb up Mount Maturity between now and June.
With all of that in mind, I’ve been noticing and appreciating more than ever the moments when I catch glimpses of the boys acting like…well, like kids. The monsoon-like weather conditions we’ve been dealing with this week have prevented any outdoor playing. Instead, Derek and Riley have collaborated to construct enormous, elaborate pillow and blanket Forts. When the structure meets with their satisfaction, they proceed to stage complex battles pitting Superhero Action Figures against Army Guys (which we even had to purchase, in order to enable the War of the Living Room to occur. I overheard them planning a future incident in which Dragons apparently will storm the castle. I guess we’ll be perusing the toy store for a set of Magical Creatures next…) During breaks in the Toy Combat, they have been observed acting out favorite scenes from Star Wars and engaging in spirited lightsaber fights. But my favorite example of “I’m not quite grown up yet” comes at in the evening, when Riley will still ask to have a story read to him, and Derek will nonchalantly stroll in and snuggle up next to us to listen as well. Then they each expect both Husband and me to personally say goodnight, give them a kiss (me) or a manly-yet-affectionate head-rub (Husband), and pull their covers up around them. It warms my heart to share the Bedtime Ritual every night--and I don’t care how tall or sophisticated either one of them gets, I won’t mind if they let me tuck them in until they go away to college!
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