Today marked another rite of passage. It was 8th grade recognition. It was my third time going through this--each one has been special. But this is my youngest baby, and he is now going to be a high schooler. It seems like yesterday when he was finishing kindergarten... but that was almost in the last millennium. He is still friends with some of these kids, although he currently towers over them.
Two years ago, we found out the sky was the limit as we reached for the stars... the theme of the 6th grade recognition at Temperance Road Elementary. The group of kids (all 60 of them) from TRE class of '06 was pretty tight. Great kids with loads of potential. They were starting to look like teenagers, but frankly, were still kids who carried a special kind of innocence & naivete that we parents wish we could bottle up and throw on them at the age of 16.
Junior high marked huge changes--some good, some bad--for the kids. Physically, they are growing. They are maturing, some too quickly. They are challenging us for their independence and showing us that they are ready to handle greater responsibility. As much as we'd like to keep them tucked in safe and warm at all times, they are ready to spread their wings, and we need to push them out of the nest, at least a little. We have to remember, however, that they are still kids and still need our guidance, albeit sometimes in a roundabout way. Rebecca, our favorite Blonde Highlight, did a dynamite job with her keynote speech. It was witty and poignant all at the same time. The message was strong, and I'm hoping the kids paid attention. (I wish I could have gotten a picture of her son, though, when she said she was going to do a dance since that hadn't been explicitly forbidden. The look on his face was just priceless!).
Two years ago, we found out the sky was the limit as we reached for the stars... the theme of the 6th grade recognition at Temperance Road Elementary. The group of kids (all 60 of them) from TRE class of '06 was pretty tight. Great kids with loads of potential. They were starting to look like teenagers, but frankly, were still kids who carried a special kind of innocence & naivete that we parents wish we could bottle up and throw on them at the age of 16.Junior high marked huge changes--some good, some bad--for the kids. Physically, they are growing. They are maturing, some too quickly. They are challenging us for their independence and showing us that they are ready to handle greater responsibility. As much as we'd like to keep them tucked in safe and warm at all times, they are ready to spread their wings, and we need to push them out of the nest, at least a little. We have to remember, however, that they are still kids and still need our guidance, albeit sometimes in a roundabout way. Rebecca, our favorite Blonde Highlight, did a dynamite job with her keynote speech. It was witty and poignant all at the same time. The message was strong, and I'm hoping the kids paid attention. (I wish I could have gotten a picture of her son, though, when she said she was going to do a dance since that hadn't been explicitly forbidden. The look on his face was just priceless!).
Just to show how much they grow... the first picture here is of Matt and his friend Devon the night of their 6th grade recognition. The second is from today, with Matt and Devon on the ends. Aaron and Allison are in between. These kids really rocked with their outfits today. The last picture is of four of my girls--gorgeous and sweet every one. (Kaylee, Kelsey, Maddie, Taylor). Congratulations kids! Best of luck at the high school next year.
1 comment:
Thank you so much Phyllis. And it sure does go fast.
Onward to High School!
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