Firsts and Lasts

 Over the years I've tried to take a picture of each child's first day of school.  As a family we've had a lot of first days of school: 6 kids x 13 school years=78 first school days. Each first day is just a little sad, as I watch each child start the year with a lot of excitement, a little reluctance, and a bit of trepidation.  Let's be honest: each year I've also felt a little joy as I look forward to nine school months of a little more time, a lot more quiet, and an increase of freedom for me.

Scott, first day of Kindergarten, 1984

 The toddler too young for school was always mad to be left out of the fun, but soon happy to discover that Mom was all theirs for 6 or 7 hours.

 First day of school, Scott, third grade, Amy, age 2, Shelly first grade, 1986

My children will be eager to describe for you how they walked to Eagle Cliff Elementary 20 miles uphill both ways in a snowstorm to get to school everyday. Actually, it was just under a mile, and they walked unless the temperature was 27 degrees or less.  In Montana, that means they walked an average of 3 or 4 days a school year.

First day of school, Amy 3rd grade, Ashley, age 3, Jessica 1st grade, 1993

It was always nice to have a sibling to walk to and from school with--Megan got a lot more rides because she had no younger sibling to walk with, and our neighborhood had aged to the point that there were no elementary age kids heading in that direction.

First day of school, Jessica 3rd grade, Ashley 1st grade, 1996

 I especially liked having two kids at a time in high school--one to drive and the younger one to report on their sibling's driving.

First day of school, Ashley senior year, Megan Freshman year, 2008

After all those years of first, today we are switching to LAST TIME mode.

As Megan begins the LAST DAY of her high school experience,

 it's hard not to be sentimentally nostalgic about all of those firsts that have culminated in this final last.

We can't even imagine what it will be like to never say, "Good-by! Have a great first day of school!" or "Have fun on your last day!" And so today we begin all kinds of new first.

As we watch Megan drive off with her friend

we feel more than a little weepy

watching Megan leave for high school for the very, very, very LAST TIME!

No more early mornings. No more late night last minute homework freak outs. No more "I forgot I need 9 dozen cookies for the thing that starts in 2 hours".  No more school shopping, prom dress buying, school supply hunt.  No more lost calculators. No more missing text books. No more expensive sport shoes. No more cold benches and crowded auditoriums.  No more a million and a half things we've been doing for the last 30+ years.

 Now I hope you will allow us some privacy us as we go inside and mourn the passing of an era in our lives......

I think we'll get through it.....