First Day of School

Today was a day we knew was coming, but somehow it ended up sneaking up on us. Of course, I'm talking about the first day of school. How is it possible that summer is over already? Doesn't seem even possible that our days of getting up, throwing a bag in the car and taking off are over for another 10 months. I also lose my freedom of going places that I can't walk. Not being able to drive because of health reasons is pure torture. I'm not old enough to have to live like this. I can't drive because of the meds, but can't live without the meds. It's a vicious circle and I don't see a way out of it.

My beautiful daughter is a senior in high school this year. She's getting ready to start her own life and is using this year to learn all she can about being a young woman. We're giving her a more freedom to make her own decisions about life, but are still here to keep her from making some of the same mistakes we've made, well, that I made growing up. I never want her to go through the same pain I did. We're teaching her about taking care of herself and an apartment as well as balancing a checkbook and managing money. She has found her first job and is really happy there. It's just entry level dishwasher at a local resteraunt, but we all start somewhere! She is thinking of being a chef, so she does need to learn the business from the bottom up.

My handsome son is a sophmore this year. He really shot up over the summer and is close to 6 feet tall now. He's part of the academically gifted program in school. Sadly, that program isn't given priority. How do I know? They're on their 4th or is it 5th teacher in so many years. The superintendent called the kids (and I quote) "Elitest, little snobs!" Can you believe it? I have a few words to describe him, but try to keep this blog PG and won't put them. He doesn't believe the program is necessary and is out to destroy it. The kids in that program are the district's best and brightest and need the extra challenge. If we lose their drive, we lose a generation of the doctors, researchers, astronaughts, computer programmers and teachers. Do we really want those positions to be filled by C-average students? Of course, I'm not afraid to go toe-to-toe with ANYONE who messes with my kids, so he and I are far from friends. He called me "Nothing but a trouble maker." I need to have a tee shirt made with that in big letters. If caring about my children and doing everything in my power to see they have a wonderful life makes me a trouble maker, then I'm proud to wear that title.

There's no excuse for the things he said and did his first year in the position. We're a small, rural area and he came from a city. Things run different here and he thinks he knows better than those of us who were born and raised here. These are OUR KIDS and we know best. We chose to raise our families here, not because we're being paid entirely too much money as some I could name.

Enough of him. He's not worth anymore of my thoughts.