Back to School and Happy Birthday Fred!

August is a big month around our house!  School starts back and Fred and Clayton have birthdays.  Since we finished out last year homeschooling Monday was the boys first day of school in Bartlett AND it was Clayton's first day of middle school.  Oh mercy.  Clayton has to be at school by 7:00 am.  With a carpool line a mile long we have to leave our house by 6:40 am. (We live less than a mile from the school.)  Before we took Clayton to school we had to celebrate the big guys birthday, because nothing says Happy Birthday like blowing out candles at 6:30 am on the first day of school.

Instead of waiting in the line we parked at Kroger and walked to the school.  I was pretty quiet.  I knew if I spoke I would start crying and not a few tears, but an ugly cry.  What middle school boy would not love his mother taking him in to school while breaking out in the ugly cry?!?  I opted not to speak.  He (and I) made it in fine.  We walked in his classroom like a champ.  Once I turned around tears started flowing down my cheeks.  I may or may not have seen the principal and choked out "My family and I are praying for you."  It's really all a blur.  I made it to the car and then collapsed.  It was quite the moment for me, since I'm not normally the type to cry.  I drove home and didn't speak for quite a while. As the day went on it got better.  Jack does not have to be at school until 8:00 am so Fred is able to take him on his way to work.  I did fine when he left...thankfully.  We did our obligatory first day of school pictures.  Andrew is not in these pictures because he was still in his underwear.  It was, after all, 6:38 am when these were snapped.  

Aren't they handsome and cooperative?!?  I waited all day to see how their day went, but I knew how it was going down, because this is not my first rodeo with boys.
Me:  How was your day?  (Said excitedly and ready for a play by play of the day)
Boys:  Fine.
Me:  Tell me about it.
Boys:  It was good.
Me:  What was your favorite part?
Boys:  I don't know.
Me:  How was lunch?
Boys:  Good.
Me:  Did you make any friends?
Boys:  Yes.
Yep, that's how it goes and I'm okay with it.  There is not a lot of drama at my house.  Just the facts.  I learned this lesson when Clayton started preschool.  It's just how it goes.  After they've been home awhile more details slowly come out, but in their own time.  I just patiently wait.  
We are praying over these boys.  We are praying that they will be leaders among their generation.  That they will lead others to Jesus by the example they set and the things they say.  We are praying that they will make deep and meaningful friendships with guys that will encourage them in their faith.  We are praying Isaiah 30:21 over them. "Your ears will hear a voice behind you, saying, "This is the way; walk in it".  We are praying they hear and obey the voice of the Lord everywhere they go.

Renee came over that afternoon so Fred and I could celebrate his birthday.  He chose to eat at Central BBQ.  Everything about it was quintessential Memphis.  It was delicious.  Then we rounded out our extremely romantic date night with a trip to Target to buy book covers for Clayton.  Just when we thought our date was over we got a call from our eldest son that he needed a combination lock.  Thankfully, we had to go to 3 stores (we had already left Target, sense the sarcasm) before we found a lock...so...date extended!!  We really did have a good time together.  I think this marks 17 birthdays that we've celebrated together.  Fred is 37 (even though he thought he was turning 38...that's another story.  I did the math for him and now he's convinced that he's 37).  Our life is not perfect, but God has allowed us to spend this time together and we are grateful.  It's been a fun ride "growing up" together.  How blessed I am to not only love my husband, but to like him and count him as my best friend.
We made it through our second day of drop off.  We survived.  I really feel like I should get a medal for getting a kid to school by 7:00 am.  Yes, I do.  Next week Andrew starts preschool two days a week.  It will be the first time I've been without a child in my house in 11 years.  I'm not looking forward to it.  Really, I'm not.  The saying "the days go by slow, but the years go by fast" is so true.  I'm sure more tears will appear next Tuesday.