On Having Middle Schoolers.

This week has been our transition week. Where we realize that summer is ending and schools and routines and schedules are going to happen. Though I'm still a little miffed at where summer actually went, this household is more than ready to get back on the schedule train.

We spent two days/evenings at T and M's middle school. Picture day and walk thru and then open house night.

M is thrilled and nervous and even a little bit giddy about having her very own locker and combination.

Isn't that all of our own worst fears in middle school? What if I forget the combo? What if it's jammed? Don't you remember feeling like that?

I was on my own with the kids for picture day/walk thru. Few things make me feel as young and inadequate as a parent at middle school events where I sometimes see parents who could be my parents. {Ok, just a couple.}

We're standing in line for picture day. I'm holding E who had been asleep in the car and was barely awake, trying to keep H next to me and to stop karate chopping those walking by, reassuring M that her very dressy outfit with heels that she chose to wear for pictures is indeed going to look fantastic and reminding T that we are sticking together. {From experience I have decided I do not enjoy looking for middle school boys in the middle school with three other children.}

I have hands overflowing with folders and checks and picture order forms and children and a volunteer at the school comes up and asks me "Do you have any free time to help with....?"

I think I heard my mother's applause all the way from heaven when I told her, nicely of course, that "I don't know of this free time you speak of." {Really I just said no. Need to do that more often.}

H and E fully enjoyed visiting T and M's lockers. So much that the day after these pictures were taken, at open house night, E shut herself in T's.

We like to keep things entertaining.

J and I remembered on Open House night why in the past we have preferred to leave H and E at home with a sitter during the madness. To say it was a little crazy is an understatement.

There's just a lot of people and a lot going on in general, then throw in all of our dynamics:

Two middle schoolers. Two lockers to visit, practice opening and set up. Two lists of teachers to visit with long, long lines. {We cut corners a little bit and didn't see them all.} Two small children.

Oh yeah and that whole two sets of parents thing.

It was one of those nights that even amidst the craziness I was thankful for our set up and the family we have. None of us are perfect at the co-parenting gig but we just do it and it works and I hope that other families that struggle with divorce/co-parenting issues see that it can work. It takes work, it does. But how lucky that four adults and two littles stand next to our middle schoolers as they figure out their lockers and their schedules and say hi to their friends.

It was a good night and I'm hoping and praying and wishing that those bigs of ours have a great year.

Happy weekend, friends.

***

I'll be posting this weekend about E's {accidental} first day of Montessori preschool. {I thought we were just meeting her teacher.} She loved it, of course, and this mama's heart ached just a little bit.

Please enter the Bead for Life giveaway.

Also, I wrote this week about getting kids on a back to school schedule, go throw your two cents in over here.