It is that time again....

I can hear the marching band practicing at the high school down the road.

John, my middle son, a Junior in high school, and a lover of football (American for those of you who are thinking Soccer) is up early (5:45 AM) and out the door for two a day practices.  He is taking his little brother along with him.

Ben, my youngest, is now a Freshman in high school and a member of the student athletic training team.  The teams practice in the wee hours of the morning to beet the Texas heat, a great idea, however, when I get up at 7:00, the house is quiet and empty.

Weird.

In another week my oldest will be headed back to college.  Noah is always a joy to have around...but he has seemed out of sorts.  Poor guy has spent much of the last month and a half with his mouth either numbed up or recovering.  Last Friday he had 5 teeth extracted (4 wisdom teeth and a molar that got in their way.)  That combined with suddenly realizing you are an adult makes life a bit different.  I remember the feelings and try to help where I can, but know it is his to figure out....which he will.  In the mean time I let him sleep and heal and dream of the day when he will not be my broken boy, but a man in his own right.  I can smell it on the horizon....or maybe that is just his dirty laundry.

Noah turns 20 in September.  That is weird too.

It has occurred to me that this will be the first time in about 14 years that I haven't gotten up with my boys to see them off to school.  I am used to them driving themselves...Noah drove his brothers for a couple of years and now John is.  It is the hour that they leave that has me balking.  Ya, I could get up at 5:30 in the AM, I could do a lot of things....like dye my hair orange and wear plunging neck lines....but I don't think it is going to happen...any of it.  I do however, look forward to greeting them when they get home in the afternoons.

Back to school has always been an exciting time of year for me.  I love buying school supplies.  I love organizing lockers and notebooks.  I love learning new things.  I LOVE the change in the weather.  This year I feel ambivalent.   I no longer look at those long stretches of time all to myself and think, "oh the things I can get done."  I am pondering what next.....

Hmmmmm .... maybe I should make a list.  What would you put on that list?