I.AM.NOT.READY.FOR.THIS.

 Yesterday was enrollment for our kids. Besides dreading the school fees for four children, it always means summer is coming to an end. I hate saying good bye to our no morning routines, wake up whenever you want, stay in PJ's til noon, play in the afternoon, snow cones at night kinda summer days.

Yesterday.This.Happened.

I enrolled Gaby in middle school. She is so excited. Which I thought was making it easier on me as a parent. I told myself I was ready for her to have this new adventure. Make new friends, switch classes, have a locker, have after school activties.

I.AM.NOT.READY.FOR.THIS.

We walked in into the school- the only time I have been there was when Gaby was playing basketball and had a band concert, both times in the gym only. I saw these bigger hallways. Bigger library. Lockers everywhere. Toto, we are not in elementary school anymore.

I.AM.NOT.READY.FOR.THIS.

I took a deep breath and started the process... the bus will not pick up at 8:39am like the elementary one does, it will pick up at 7:03am. She will not have one main teacher but 7 different ones. She will not have the same classes for one year, she will have different classes each quarter.

I.AM.NOT.READY.FOR.THIS.

How is she not going to get lost in the crowd? Will the teachers love her in middle school as they did in elementary?  Will her subjects still come easy to her or will she struggle? Will she be accepted as a girl who isn't girly?

As we made our way through the lunch line, the library, the payment in the office, I held back tears (not because of the cost, well, I felt like shedding a few tears then too) but because my baby girl was uber excited and I needed to be excited too.

 I.AM.NOT.READY.FOR.THIS.

We were all finished and Gaby had her locker info and class schedule in hand.  She wanted to walk around and see where everything was. So we did. I was clueless as to where her "team" hallway was. Working the middle school PTO was a teacher (and parent) from SHES who pointed me in the right direction. After following her advice on where to go, I fought more tears back. Hoping my friend did not notice my eyes watering up, we found her team hallway. Again, these hallways seems so big.

Gaby found her locker. It took both of us a few minutes to get it unlocked and open. The middle school assigns the kids a team. Each team has all of their classes and lockers in the same area/hallway. Gaby will have to travel a little as she goes to band and Spanish.

 I.AM.NOT.READY.FOR.THIS.

Gaby was excited when she finally got her locker opened on her own. She even practiced a few more times. I could tell she is ready for this new journey.  And even though I feel like I am starting over, feeling like I did when I was sending her to Kindergarten, I know she will be fine.

This past year Gaby has grown as a pre-teen, making choices both good and bad, but she is still a good kid. One that is excited for school. Middle School.

Our last station was the spirit wear table. And even though Dustin and I will have to sell a kidney to pay for school, we thought it would be nice to start her out with some Shawnee Heights Middle School shirts. Okay, some are mine too- retail therapy always helps my emotions.

I know her first day of middle school will great. I.AM.NOT.READY.FOR.THIS. But Gaby is. And I will be too (in my new SHMS shirt). I am thankful for a child that isn't scared or worried about moving up. I pray that her experience will be a positive one.

Cheers to Middle School!