The Final #FirstDayofSchool Photo ~ #BacktoSchool Where Did the Time Go? #MomLife

First day of Kindergarten and first day of Senior Year!
Same tree in the background...I had a cherry blossom tree
in my yard growing up that I loved to climb (those were
the days) and this tree was my first Mother's Day present
when we moved to Cape Cod and bought a house.

I'm struggling this week, having to confront the fact that yesterday I took the final "Back-to-School" photo of my younger son heading into senior year.  I really don't understand where the time has gone!  Of course, I hope he'll go "back to school" to college many times in the next few years, but it's not the same as having them leave from our house after breakfast, juggling their backpack, lunch, and clothes for practice.

It brings to mind other rites of passage, like my post on Saying Goodbye to Our Backyard Swingset.  But you can't stop time, apparently.  I'll never forget the day I received a publishing contract offer for my first book, Silver Lake--a goal my whole family knew I'd been working on for years.  It was a Friday in December of 2011 when I received the news, and only my younger son was still home, due to his later start time for grade school.  When I shrieked with joy, he came running, and we danced around the kitchen together.

One thing I think I did right!  He's
always love to read.  In fact, this is a
pic from an amusement park, we were
taking a break from rides and he pulled
a book from his backpack!

Now, his hugs are few and far between, but I think that will change as he grows older.  When my older son comes back from college, he's genuinely happy to see us and to be home.  It's all a part of growing up, and I'm hoping I'm doing something right along the way.



But it doesn't make it any easier as a parent!  I know that, with this being my final year as the mom of a high school kid, there's not one game or event I'll miss.  And just like that final first day photo, I'm taking pics, whether he likes it or not!