I mean, A’s school is like across a courtyard from C’s school, but technically we will have one kid each in elementary, middle, and high school next year. On to 3rd, 7th, and 9th!
(side note: it is sooo pleasing to me that the kids are always either all even or odd years, ha).
This kind of blows my mind, as does the fact that high school is only 4 years long and then (in most cases) that will be the end of having all 3 kids at home with us every day. I know this and I accept this, and of course it’s normal, and I also find it devastating. When I was younger (ie: when I had toddlers) I honestly rolled my eyes hearing things like this (maybe at that time it felt like they’d be toddlers forever? And I did not WANT to live with toddlers forever?) but, well. Here we are.
I feel like noting that my kids had really good school years this year. Of course, if they had BAD school years, I wouldn’t write about that, but I also can assure you I wouldn’t say the year was good if it actually wasn’t.
But seriously, it was and I am grateful. Socially, academically, activities, all of it. There were little stressors, but no major drama (and we absolutely HAVE endured all kinds of school and school-adjacent challenges in other years). Our biggest challenge this academic year was . . . well, broken bones which seemed to just keep coming. But no one has a cast at this particular moment.
Truly, I’m proud of all 3 kids for working hard. We had lots of fantastic teachers in the mix too (including some I have known now for years). And I feel lucky we’ve been able to find school environments that have worked out really well so far for each kid.
SUMMER SPREADSHEET
I had mentioned potentially sharing our summer spreadsheet on the podcast and then someone asked about it! Here is a version from last year (with our own details removed):
This was done in Apple Notes, so super easy to recreate and access on the go.
(Why yes, our summer is 9 weeks – I don’t know why that keeps suprirrisng me but it does seem really short.)
So what goes in those boxes?
Travel weeks are easy – I just put the destination.
Then, for any weeks home, I put the general idea of what each kid is doing (in our case, either various camp, math, gym practice, etc). You can include potentially any drop off/pickup info, and I add “PAID” when I see I’ve been charged. You could also add checkboxes for any forms etc.
I REALLY find it helpful to look at the summer through this lens and wouldn’t attempt to plan the summer without some kind of sheet! I should really rename it just SUMMER SPREADSHEET because A isn’t going to camp but still has entries.
8th Grade Graduation is tonight (!) – we will see if A lets me share any pictures. I hope so, I really like her dress!
It is nice to be ending the year (generally) on a positive note.
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I am so glad all kids had a good year! And helpful to hear that you have also had prior years that were not so good. We are coming off a really bad year (4th) and making some changes, but I think some part of me still worries it’s all bad from here. Ups and downs seem more hopeful.
Hugs, Byrd! My middle child had a really difficult 3rd grade year and I’m happy to report he’s finishing 4th next week in a much better place (socially, psychologically, academically). Don’t lose hope! We made some changes too and it made a difference.
we had multiple years that were objectively Not Good for various reasons. (And YES to making changes. We made a few big ones and never regretted.)
I have yet to feel sad about the passage of time so far as each stage has been better than the one we left. But we had very similar thoughts about babies/toddlers, so I will be prepared to feel more sad as we enter the high school years – which is still far off for us with kids in PK and 2nd grade! 3 schools sounds complicated but it’s good that 2 are close and I assume those 2 have the same school calendar? The boys will be in the same school for the next 3 years and then not again until they are in 9th/12th grade! But the elementary and middle school are both very close to our house and hopefully Paul will be taking the bus to middle school so we shouldn’t have too many years of complicated logistics!
Enjoy 8th grade graduation! We have our younger’s PK graduation on Friday which should be cute. He’s been telling us about how they’ve been practicing their songs but cannot remember what those songs are. Lol.
I think what’s hard is that I like each stage of childhood better than the last, and then poof, one day she’ll go off to college and I’ll barely see her after that. Here’s hoping she still likes me then and will still let me take her shopping and on vacation.
My son is younger – 9 this summer – but same… the baby phase was awful, toddler was alright, but this elementary age is fantastic. More independent – he can run to the shop, takes charge of his own grooming, can help make dinner but still wants to hang out with me and have a cuddle at night.
My sons have both graduated college. I can tell you that it’s not devastating. The time will open up for you and you will still have a meaningful- probably close- relationship with each child.
Well- I was initially devastated when Paul went to college. But then I adjusted, and college is a fun phase too. Everyone talks about how much fun it is to have adult children, and it is- it’s just different. ANYWAY. You’re still a long way off (although high school goes fast, sigh.) I hope we get to see graduation photos!
I’m also feeling a little emotional at having a rising 9th grader for the first time — I loved the middle school years with my oldest. I know his teen years will be good too, but it’s hard to say goodbye to a season of life that’s been really sweet. My middle child also finishes 5th this year and my youngest will be entering kindergarten so it’s a lot of firsts for our family!
We’ll be at 3 schools next year as well(!), and it’ll be our first year not attending the lovely neighborhood elementary school we’ve been at since 2018. The kids are like, “Peace out.” I cried, lol.
My youngest is moving to a magnet school that doesn’t provide transportation, but fortunately, several families near us are also moving there as well, and I think we’ll have a robust carpool network. I’m excited and slightly terrified for my middle one to get himself to and from middle school. It’s part of neighborhood culture that kids ride their bikes independently the > 2 miles to middle school, and of course, that’s what he wants to do, but it feels like a BIG jump.