A Month of Change

Ok, Ok I know it's been awhile! But its been a little crazy lately. This month, yes, in July, my kids started at their new schools. First let's start with my new junior higher Miss Lena...

Yes, that is my baby!! All grown up! I want my readers to stop for a minute and think back to YOUR first day in Junior High. Remember the fear? the excitement? I wasn't sure what to expect when I picked her up. So, I played it cool. Hanging back, letting her come to me. So I waited...the kids began to pour out of the classrooms. Overhearing the excited parents asking, "How was your first day?" and only getting back a dismissive "Fine" from their junior higher. Wondering if that little girl I had seen this morning would be gone forever. FINALLY out comes Lena with an ambivalent smile, struggling not to smile too much. Then she sees me and she does something she hasn't done in years, as we begin to walk to the car... she grabs my hand!! She then begins to share her day, every minute of the day, with the same excitement and fervor that she has for everything in her life. The fervor I hope she will ALWAYS have for everything in her life. I let out a sign of relief. Lena is going to be just fine!!!

Next is my son...
So why am I calling him that??? Well you see, my son has decided he will follow in the footsteps of his favorite superheroes and have different identities!!! At home with family he is my titi, at baseball he is David but in school he is...CARLOS! So who is this Carlos? I think Carlos was born the minute he saw his new teacher. His teacher, who the minute she saw him, came straight to him and gave him a huge hug and called him by his previous name David. Why? Because she was Lena's 6th grade teacher. I think at that moment is when he decided he was no longer David, the brother of Lena but Carlos his own kid making his OWN way in this crazy school we call Sunnyside!!! As the orientation kept going and going, I called in for reinforcement, (VERO you rock!!) but she was quickly called off when my son asked me, "Can I start school now??!!" I was actually the first parent to leave, why? Because Carlos had no use for me!
So we ended our first week of school with both kids riding their new buses home. This was the first time I actually saw fear in my Lena's eyes. But, I pushed her to give it a shot, and told her to text me the minute she was on the bus. Both me and Juan Carlos got her through that first ride with rapid texting and a lot of smiley face emoticons!! And David? Well, he reported making a new friend! And when I asked his new friend's name he responded.."It was a girl mommy! I asked her to be my friend and she said Yes!!" God! I wish I could have heard that conversation!!!(:
Love and raspberries,

L