Those Sweet Angels of Mine (...and a million other thoughts)

Not quite six years ago, we brought two precious angels home from the hospital to their then not quite 7 year old brother who was proudly halfway finished with first grade.  A little over six weeks ago, we sent those two angels off to kindergarten and their brother to 7th grade.  What a remarkable journey it has been thus far! 

Welcome home, little angels!

Kindergarten (x2) and 7th grade - two very different stages and yet here we are experiencing them all at once.  I had worried and fretted all summer long as to how all 3 would adjust to this new chapter of their lives. My oldest angel mumbled "love you, too" under his breath as he got out of the car to go into the school. (At least he wasn't too cool to say it, right?)  My sweet little angels merely walked in and sat down in their separate class lines as though they'd been doing this for years.  I didn't make it out of the elementary cafeteria before the tears started gushing.  Suddenly, they seemed so grown up.  When did this happen?  Wasn't it bothering them to be separated?  Would they be sure to find each other on the playground?  Would their big brother survive football practice?  I spent the first day of school sobbing...crying...sobbing...crying...I could hardly wait for 3:00pm to arrive so that I could pick up the little ones and 5:30pm so we could pick up Alex.  I wanted to know all about their days...Did they make friends? Did they like their teachers? What did they learn? Was 7th grade going to be as good as 6th grade? Wasn't it really too hot to be practicing football? etc, etc, etc! (Yes, secretly, I wanted to know if they missed me as much as I missed them...but no, I couldn't and didn't ask!)  Come to find out - they all had had a great day!  I didn't know whether to laugh or cry when Alli gave me one of her biggest hugs and quietly whispered in my ear "Mommy, did you cry a lot today or just a little?"  I am not one to lie, but in this one instance, I had to...so I told her "just a little bit, baby...just a little bit."

Kindergarten, here I come!

Ready for Kindergarten!

Watch out 7th grade!

While I miss them terribly during the day, it makes my heart happy that all 3 of them absolutely love school.  There has hardly been an afternoon go by that Lane and Alli haven't played "real school" upon returning home from school.  I happily listen and observe as they imitate their teachers and classmates.  Without asking, I can almost always tell what they have learned about that day, which students had to pull their cards and why, the mood of the teachers, etc.  It is entertaining, yes...but it is also another sign...yet again, that they are growing up.  


That older brother of theirs has hardly had a moment to breathe.  In addition to football and refereeing soccer games, he quickly added running cross country to his list of activities.  This requires 6:00a.m. practices 3 days a week.  Our stipulations for allowing him to do this were that he had to keep his grades up and not be grouchy.  The former is much easier for him than the latter, but all things considered - especially with an almost 12 hour day at school, he has done rather well.  He seems to thrive on staying busy...(I am pretty sure he comes by this naturally.)

Add to the above all of their other activities (dance, soccer, church, etc)  and the daily grind of school and homework and we could easily say that these first six weeks or so have been a whirlwind at best.  And yet, they've been a whirlwind of learning experiences for all of us, illnesses for most of us, challenges for some of us,  and blessings abundant. 


Alli, my shy and stubborn, quiet but controlling little angel remains a hard read but has grown and changed so much just in a short span of time.  She has, at her own pace, come out of her shell a little bit.  She was quick to make friends both in her class and on the playground.  Her favorite thing is to swing and swing and swing.  According to her, her friends love to push her on the swing.  (I question this, but she sticks to her story.)  She seems to have a cute little kindergarten crush on a little boy named Ace.  Her stories are full of excitement and she seems very happy.

My little man Lane - he's still his outgoing little self.  His teacher tells me he is "perfect" at school.  He must work really hard at being that way because come 3:10pm, he is pretty much done with it all - done being "perfect," done wanting to learn, done wanting to put forth any sort of effort on homework or anything else for that matter.  He's just tuckered out by the end of the day.  The only thing he still has a desire for in the afternoons is food!  He wants a snack and another snack and another snack and then after supper, yes, a dessert.  For the first few weeks of school when I'd pick them up in the afternoons and ask about their day, his only comment would be "I'm hungry."  He, too, has made his own little friends and speaks of them often.  He seems to be a little sponge just soaking it all up...thankfully, he retains most every little detail.

Oddly enough, Lane and Alli seldom play together on the playground.  I just thought that they would...at least at first, but they really don't.  However, they must miss each other and miss getting to talk to each other during the day.  From the minute they get in the car in the afternoon to the minute they go to bed, it is constant chitter-chatter.  I could (and often do) spend hours just listening to them, their stories and conversations.


Last but not least, there is my Alex.  He has taken on the challenges of being both student and athlete very well.  For the little guy (and his mom) who worried all summer about getting hurt out there on the football field because of his small stature, he has come a long ways.  What he lacks in size, he makes up for in heart and a simple but honest love of the game.  He seems to be having the time of his life.  Then, there was his first pay check for refereeing soccer games - he was so proud to have earned money on his own.  (Plus, I think he truly enjoys remaining a part of the game.)  Those early morning cross country runs don't seem to phase him - he has yet to complain about having to be up and at 'em so early.  His school work remains top-notch.  His attitude is testy at times, but what 12 year old's isn't?  

The other day it occurred to me that this is really only the beginning of the journey.  We have many more milestones yet to reach.  I know there will be ups and downs, challenges and triumphs along the way.  None of the 3 of them are perfect...they often hide their wings, but in my eyes, they will forever be, those sweet angels of mine.