Suddenly, I was struck by the fact that these youngsters had grown entirely too fast - Catie, now a 4th grader at Millry Elementary; Carlie and Conner in Kindergarten; Courtney, becoming more and more independent each day. Jeez! I was in desperate need of a rewind button.
After choking back the tears, I collected my thoughts and said a quick prayer asking God to watch over these precious children and protect them as they entered this new chapter in their lives.
Moments later, with a soft rustling noise over my shoulder, I caught a glimpse of Courtney Erin peeking around the doorframe of her bedroom with a somber expression across her face. In that moment, I knew she felt it too. She felt the same empty nest feeling that burned at my core. Yet after a quick wink and a smile, I managed to get one of the sweetest grins ever from my little caboose!
Catie, Courtney, Carlie & Conner - dressed for the BIG day at Millry Elementary!
Upon arrival at Wildcat Hill, Carlie and Conner braced themselves in the backseat of our SUV as Courtney's tearful whimper turned into a shrilling wail. The twins stared at one another, not sure who should open the door, when Catie leaned from the front and said to her baby sister, "Court, Court, it's okay to say goodbye!"
Now, those of you who know Catie Minus, know that she's one of the most compassionate nine-year-olds around. And thank God she spoke up when she did because the tardy bell was only minutes away, and I couldn't bare the thought of my kids being late for the very first day of school...*ahem* - We live just .3 miles from campus, so there really is no excuse!
Whew! Just in time, and thankfully, no tears shed on the "Welcome" mat outside Mrs. Becton's classroom! Carlie Elaine was so excited to see her friends from pre-school and meet her new teacher, Mrs. Becton.
Geared up for some much needed "male" time, Conner was thrilled to see his friends from T-ball and church.
So, in closing with this post, you can easily see that It's Okay To Say Goodbye! Wishing all of you at MHS (and abroad) a wonderful new school year! Have a great day, everyone! Tory
Oh my goodness. Your children are soooo cute! I'm glad your little darlings got off to a good start. We don't start until after Labor Day, so I'll enjoy these lazy days while we've still got 'em!
ReplyDeleteThank you, Julie! I hope you enjoy these last weeks before school begins for your kids.
ReplyDeleteYou never cease to amaze! I so look forward to your post.
ReplyDeleteI know how you feel about hitting the rewind button. I have had that same thought so many times here in the last couple of months. I think it really hit me several days ago when I realized Madison was starting his Freshman year of high school. It doesn't even seem possible that I have a child that old. It's like I woke up one day and both of mine were not babies anymore. Your sweet family is so beautiful and I really enjoy coming to your blog from time to time checking in on you and your book status. Hope everything is going great for you and Trey!! Kristin H.
ReplyDeleteWow, Kit! Madison a Freshman; now that is hard to believe. You and Scott are too young to have a high schooler. He is such a handsome young man and Miss Grace is absolutely stunning! I hope school gets off to a great start for them both!
ReplyDeleteThank you, Mr. Jan! I'm glad you enjoyed this post and hope you visit again soon.
ReplyDeleteOh Tory! You started school there so early! Well, your kids looked adorable and happy, I'm sure it went just fine. Kids in Chicago don't start until September 7 can you believe that? We are still gone on vacation until the 23 rd but then we have to get down to business with all of the back to school shopping. Anyway, sorry to be out of the loop for so long!
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