calender year

 


     I never buy a calender in January.  I always wait for the "academic calenders" to come out.  That is when the year starts for me.  As it always has - first in my own primary education, then college, then in my career.  There are the "lost years" where the days and months all blended together in a sleepless blur.
   And then, I started all whole new era of an academic calender with my kids' education.  They started back to school this week.  Emma went on Monday.  She is an old hand at this school business but still wanted me to walk her in.  She knows her hall, the staff - waved hi to different kids.  She knows what is going on.
    Samuel started on Wednesday.  He told me that I could go through the car pool line; he knew where his class was and could walk in by himself.
    I told him that it wasn't for him but for me.  And he gave me a look and said, "Ok Mommy" in a tone that indicated he knew exactly what I meant.
   Sure enough, he knew right where his classroom was, cubby, and table.  Didn't even pause to give me a hug (I got one anyway) and said a casual "Bye Mom" as I left. 
   Wednesday was a surreal day.
   So quiet.  So still.  So. . . not what I am used to.
   I wonder what I will do in a decade or so when I won't need an academic calender as much as I have in the past.