At the risk of waxing cliche, it seems like only yesterday when we first laid eyes on Joel the 5-month old baby in Guatemala .... and now he's starting second grade!
Yep. Tomorrow my baby boy will not only report for his first day of second grade, but he will also turn 8-years old on Wednesday, Aug. 22.
As Ferris Bueller famously quipped, "Life moves pretty fast. If you don't stop and look around once in a while, you could miss it."
And how!
Admittedly, over the course of my life, I have wasted far too much time chasing after things that have turned out to be, well, a waste of time. I've tried to change that trend over the past eight years, experiencing moderate success along the way.
The past year alone has been a whirlwind for us, making a major move after calling Gallipolis, Ohio, home for 17 years. Now we call Zanesville, Ohio, home. The move brought with it many other changes aside from the location.
When Joel entered first grade last fall, it seemed as if the passage of time moved into high gear. Add in church activities and Cub Scouts and high gear really doesn't sufficiently describe the pace of life. Oh yeah, we're playing soccer this fall, in addition to all of the other fun stuff.
Ole'! .... Ole'! Ole'! Ole! .... Ole'! .... Ole'!
And now second grade. We met Joel's teacher at the National Road Elementary open house on Monday evening. Miss Wilson is a sweet lady. In fact, all of the folks at National Road are very nice. I worked there as a substitute teacher last spring and really enjoyed the experience. Anyway, after meeting Miss Wilson, we're looking forward to a great school year.
Joel and I have had several talks this summer about behavior and attitude, and what Jolene and I expect from him this school year. We had some rough patches last year, but I think 2012-2013 will be better.
I never understood this when I was a kid, but this whole school and growing up business is really a team effort. When the kid is in second grade, so are the parents. So not only is Joel a second-grader at National Road Elementary, but so are Jolene and I. Well, probably me more than Jo. You guys that know us well know that's the truth!
As we enter this next phase of our lives, we are praying for God's guidance and wisdom to help us do the right things and provide Joel with the instruction and direction that he will need.
