The End of an Era

In August of 2010, we walked into a new elementary school for the first time, in our new town, having only lived here for a couple of weeks. Today, the last day of this school year, our youngest will walk out of that school for the last time. After 11 straight years of having a child in the school, our family will leave Granite Quarry Elementary School. We’ve had 6 of our children complete their elementary years at that school

Last night, as we sat for the umpteenth time in that auditorium (seriously, so many parent nights and concerts and PTA meetings and…), memories swirled. Going to lunch with the kids. Science nights in the gym. Meetings with the principal (we had a few of those). So many great teachers. One of the teachers there last night as been at the school all 11 years and knows each of the kids that attended there. We went from being the family navigating open houses and family nights with a double stroller and cranky kids, to being the family that had all the older siblings saying hi to former teachers. Our kids grew up at that school.

We are so very grateful for the love and care and education Ajay, Allison, Elaina, Allen, Ayden, and Alex received at GQES. We are so grateful for teachers that showed us all (yes, even us parents) so much grace. We are grateful for fun and learning. We are grateful for support and honesty. We are grateful.

Life will look different once again. We’ll have 4 kids in middle school, a homeschooled high schooler, a young adult launching into the world, and an adult who is grown and living her life. It is the end of the era of “little kids”. We kept thinking “I can’t wait ’til they grow up” and now they are and you just want to hold onto their little selves again. Such is parenting. It is an ever changing role and no parenting season is easy. For now, we’ll just take each season as it comes, learning how to parent well, taking our children as they are, and coaching them to be the adults they are called to be.

And fellow parents, remember, this parenting season will change. Enjoy this season for what it is. Let’s stop wishing the years away. Let’s be fully present NOW, in this season, for who our kids are today. We can do this together.