And He's Off

We’ll we made it. Baker is off to 6th grade and I survived another Arizona summer at home with four boys. Who said it couldn’t be done? It probably had a large part to do with Mike being home for the last 4 weeks but none the less…we all survived!!

Mike started off the school year by giving Baker a blessing on Sunday night. It is always a honor to watch and partake in these blessings. I fell blessed to have the priesthood in our home and greatful to a husband that honors his and is worthy to hold and use it. Baker is the fist to start school this year. The other boys don't start for another week. Baker is super excited to be starting back up at school. He is very excited to have the teachers he does and be in the classes he is. He changes for every subject this year which is very exciting for him. He has to dress out for PE and has a locker to put some of his belongings in. (very grown up)

I had the opportunity to walk Baker to school on his first day, per his request. As we got closer and closer to the grounds I realized that I was probably going to be the only parent there. I kept asking him if he was sure that he wanted me to be there and his response was always “yes”. As we got to the spot he need to be there were no other parents in sight at all. I asked again, “Are you sure you want me to be here?” and he again said, “YES”. Friends came up to him that he hadn’t seen all summer; girls were coming up to him. It was a mad house as I had anticipated it being….still no parents. I asked again… “Baker, are you sure you wouldn’t feel better hanging out with your friends?” He said no. It was at this point I began feeling out of place and he was just standing by my side.

I thought back to my school days. I remember my Mom. She dropped me off every school year until I can remember. I remember High School and she or my dad taking me. Never was I embarrassed…we’ll let me rephrase that…my Mother never embarrassed me on the first day of school. She saved that for other days!! I loved them being there. It was a comfort to me. I recall them taking me to my classes. My mom and my dad. Holding hands even. I can recall my dad taking me to 10th grade in Phoenix, MD. (I won’t go into a detail…that was not a shining year for me) but I remember just knowing that he was there taking me in and that giving me the confidence that I could do it. My mom would take me to school be it I had gone there before or not. Maybe it was tradition, maybe it was to calm my nerves, and maybe it was just to let me know she loves me, as I found out on Monday that is why I did it for Baker. I’m not sure. All I know is that I was honored that he had me stay. That he wasn’t embarrassed to have me there. That among all his friends, he didn’t care that I was there. What a privilege it was to stand next to him and see him be himself and know that that was my young man. I am so very pleased with the choices he has made so far in his life and am excited to see what lies ahead for him. And like my parents, I will be there every step of the way as long as he wants me to be.