High School here we come!

We had grade 8 grad last week for our daughters class.  That is a momentous occasion for sure.  It's literally a flash of time right in front of you - remembering when she was 4 and just starting JK and then bam! It's grade 8, last day ever of elementary school,  clapping out all the grads and watching them walk out into their future.  It's letting the rope go a little bit further, trusting that she will make good choices most of the time and knowing that there will be mistakes along the way and that is ok too.  Really, mistakes can be awesome in themselves.

So I left the grad dance (I was a chaperone much to my daughters dismay!) and thought about all the emotions I was feeling.  I felt thankful.  I felt like I was watching something bigger than me.  I felt proud.  She makes us proud.  Thinking back to the first week of grade 8, the teacher asked the parents to write a letter to her entitled "In a Million Words or Less" and tell her about your child.  Strengths and weaknesses, what they love about school and what's not so great, funny habits or anything else that mattered or that we considered a must know.  I really enjoyed writing about Naomi - and think that I may one day give her that letter. A snippet in time to show her where we were at in our lives at the beginning of that important year.  The year when your child is not really a kid anymore, but blossoming into adulthood.

We had a lot of fun times this past year as a family, but what sticks out in my mind are the funny little moments.  The things that made me laugh so hard I couldn't catch my breath!  I've discovered that Naomi has a sense of humour that will serve her well in her future.  I think that is what her friends love about her too.

I haven't forgotten about my other kid - he's well on his way into preteen.  He's balancing on the line of kid / teenager and finding his way too.  This is what raising kids is all about.  It's raising human beings.  Passing along our knowledge to our kids to give them a base to make decisions on.  Hoping and praying that you make the best decisions too.  Really all I've ever wanted is to have kids that know kindness and compassion.  To be the best person that they can be.  The rest will fall into place.

As I write this, I am sitting on the deck at the trailer, it's going to be a beauty of a day.  Roxy is curled up across from me in the sunshine biting at her paws and driving me crazy!  All is good in the world.

Keep smiling! and thanks so much for reading Adventure Mommy!