Last Day of School, 2012

This picture was the first day of school.

And this one....the last. 


Some pretty major differences between the two photos. 

The most obvious being the vehicle. 
I became the proud mama of a motor vehicle driver. 
It hardly seems possible that I could be that old.
That the Wildcat could be that old. 
But the truth is right there, staring back at me through the lens of the camera. 
This kid is taking a big step into the adult world starting tomorrow......
It's called:  employment.
Proud of my son, who applied for and got his first job.
The first step into the "real world"
Is really
A HUGE step
For the kid
And his mama
(who wants  to still believe that the Wildcat wants to be tucked in at night with a bedtime song and prayer)
(don't think i won't wake up early and take another photo of his first day of work)
(insert evil mama chuckle that grates on the ears of teenagers everywhere)

Then that gorgeous girl on the left.

 
She left the house today as a junior high student.
She will return home as a high school student.
And athlete.
Here she is catching at in a high school softball game:

 And leading off to steal third.....

For this girl, I am looking forward to high school.
I'm looking forward to watching her branch out
In her abilities
In her social circles
And her academics.
I believe the high school years will confirm what I have always believed about my Marz.....
.....that the idea she has that she doesn't  fit in where she is is more about the fact that she needs the opportunity to spread her wings than the thought she has that something is wrong.  New friends, new opportunities, new classes might just be the remedy that is needed.


And as far as that girl in the middle goes: 

 She's got my heart.

She isn't like any of her siblings.
And God didn't make her to be like any of them.
I learn so much from this girl and her personality every single day of my life.
She tries hard to be who she is wired to be.
Which is hard when the cool thing is to look like everybody else.

She has a summer babysitting job....only part time.
Which is good for me.
Because I'm not sure I want to share her any more than I already do.

And Tookie.....

This girl left as an elementary student this morning.
And will return home as a middle school student.
With everyone else doing their own little summer things, it might just be me and this one left here at home. 
Which I know she will hate.
Because she has spent her whole life watching everyone else get to do their own things
Way before she does. 

I'm thinking about spoiling her
(something i have tried hard not to do)
(but her older siblings already think i do anyway)

So why not? 

I don't know what else to say.
Except bring on the BBQ and Ball season.
Bring on the smores
The long days
The summer camps
And everything in between.

Cuz I got my camera.
And so much will change in the next 2 to 3 months. 
I don't want to miss a minute of it.