Moving On

It’s cliché but I’m going to say it anyway: It seems like just yesterday Gabe and Olivia were starting Kindergarten. I was freaking out over Olivia moving from pre-school to Kindergarten while staring unbelievingly at Gabe’s little face and wondering where the time went.

Here I am again.

In four short days, Gabe and Olivia are done with elementary school. Done. They are moving on to junior high. Again, I’m bewildered. Where did my little gap-toothed, chubby cheeked guy go who loved Thomas the Train and cuddling with his Mom? Who is this chiseled-faced, handsome teenager who loves soccer, his friends and video games? Where did my tiny lady with missing front teeth and an uneven gait go? Who is this teenaged girl complete with breast buds and pimples and legs as long as a giraffe’s?

I am so happy to see the kids they’ve become. I’m not really sad that they’re not little anymore, it’s just that it’s strange. If these last 6 years went his fast, that means the next 6 will probably go even faster, and in 6 years they’ll graduate! It’s absolutely mind-blowing.

Not to mention that I’m, again, completely freaked out about Olivia’s transition. There will be a new building, all new teachers, new aide, new friends, new everything. She always does better than I imagine, but there’s so much anxiety when thinking about how she’s going to handle it all and, honestly, how I’m going to handle it all. I worry about the kids being nice to her, about the teachers giving her what she needs, about the teachers and aides being kind and loving to her, about her safety…the list is endless.

I worry about Gabe too. Junior high is rough for many kids. It’s such an awkward time in your life. I worry that he’ll have a hard time adjusting too. I especially worry that it will be difficult now that they’re out of their little elementary bubble where everyone grew up with Olivia and she’s no big deal. What if kids make fun of her and he hears it? The list of my worries for him is just as endless.

But then I remind myself that worrying just makes you suffer through it twice and I force myself to stop. The kids are going to junior high. Things will be different. We’ll deal with it like we always do. I just wish time could slow down just a little bit…don’t you?

**forgive the quality of the pictures…my external hard drive died so I had to use lower quality image downloads from Shutterfly until I get the pictures back. Fingers crossed!**