My first thought when the alarm went off this morning was, “and so begins another nine months of waking up to the alarm.” I have to be honest. I hate waking to that stinkin thing. Detest it. But then I remembered that I had FIVE WHOLE HOURS of SILENCE coming my way.
Five.
Silence.
To say I’m geeking out is an understatement.
And I have earned this. It’s been a hard-won victory!
You cannot imagine the battle fields of first-day-of-school-preparedness (unless you’re a mom of school kids, of course). I mean, school clothes shopping is from the depths of the darkest regions of Hell, also known as the over-crowded clothing stores during tax-free week. One begins to wonder if saving 6.5% is really worth losing the will to live.
Buying school supplies according to the county school board’s list to over-achieve — but really just to get it over with and skip the crowds — is a waste of time of time and money (you learned that the hard way last year). So you wait until the Friday before school starts when you meet your kid’s teacher to get the teacher’s entirely different list … and then you find yourself engaged in a tug-of-war for the last box of the black fancy No. 2 pencils because that’s what the teacher asked for and your kid wants them in black, not yellow, and it happens to be the last box they have… So you pull the “my kid has emotional attachments to his expectations” card … and then so does the other mom.
I. Have earned this.
The Stinkers are out of their minds excited for this new year too. Yeah, yeah…
But since this is really about me…
I do have mixed feelings, though.
I’m always nervous when I send my offspring out into the world without me. Even for a little bit. I am teaching them. I’m teaching them well; if I do say so myself. But I’m not done. So yeah. I worry.
We prayed over them last night during bedtime prayers. I went back and prayed over them again as they slept… and then again before I woke them this morning. And yet again as I drove away from each of their schools.
But here’s what I know.
I know that these children’s Father in Heaven has sent His Holy Spirit to be with them every moment that I am not. That He will remind them of what I have taught them and continue to guide them as they make choices for themselves; both now and in the future.
I know I have paved their ways with prayer and that my prayers do not go unheard. I trust that they have the right teachers for each of them this year who will see them for who they are and will provide them with what they need to succeed in this phase and in life.
And I know that they are ready. They really are.
So I’m sending them off with my own independent nature excited to have time to myself for the sake of silence (today) and productivity (tomorrow). I’m sending them off to the rest of their lives; for small increments at a time.
I’m proud of who these little humans are and I’m overwhelmed, this morning, at the honor to be the mother of these incredible creatures.
I’m also proud that neither of them were late to school on the first day. Another personal success on my part. <Cue the back-patting>
Dear Mommas, don’t cry. This is a good thing! And don’t worry too much. Your babies are ready (even if they think they’re not). You just keep praying and pouring that Word over them. And if you need some more encouragement, you just let me know. I’m good for that kinda thing.
~ Stephanie
Also, over the years, y’all have asked me about this chalkboard. Mr. Old School built it for my company for those clients who want that oh-so-trendy rustic event with chalkboard touches. This one usually serves as a seating chart. Maybe one day, I’ll have him come up with some plans to share with y’all. 🙂
Our Life On The B Side 