I’ve been a nervous wreck for the past year about my first born starting middle school. Like seriously, it feels like I just dropped him off at kindergarten with his little dinosaur lunch box and a bag of Goldfish. A full laundry list of worries would pass through my mind. Will he keep his same little group of friends? Will he get picked on? Will all his friends drift apart because of different interests? Will he fall in with the wrong crowd? Will he get lost? Will he be too overwhelmed with all the change? Will he confide in me? Who would he sit with at lunch? So many worries. Then I decided I needed to stop doing all this worrying and get him prepared the best I could (although the worry never really went away).

I bought a combination lock so he could practice throughout the summer.

I got him a phone so he could call and text us.

I made him his own house key.

I got him a new alarm clock.

I tried weeding out the clothing that seemed a “bit too youngish.”

Then there was the BUS. The bus. The only time my baby has ever been on a bus was for a field trip. I found out the bus route. I downloaded the SafeStop app. I told him his bus number. He and my husband timed his walk to the bus stop. Then I had to let him go. I wanted to stand with him at the bus stop the entire time, but my husband wouldn’t let me. After a crazy zig-zag of nervous across and back across the street, he got on the bus and off he went to a whole new world that I wasn’t a part of. Needless to say it was nearly the longest 6 hours of my life.

When it was time for the bus to return I convinced my husband that we should at least walk to about one street over from the bus stop. There we stood in anticipation. I couldn’t wait to hug him and hear about his day. Then the phone rang. HE MISSED THE BUS! Yes, he missed the bus home. I can’t imagine him standing on the sidewalk completely lost and having no clue what to do. All that drilling of “Your bus number is 2” and the tweeny response of “I know!”, the kid forgot his bus number! My husband had to pick him up while I went to get the other two turkeys.

Lesson learned. He knows his bus number and where his bus parks after school. I figured today (day 2) would be perfect. He texted me “I just got on the bus.” And I let out a sigh of relief. I replied, “Awesome. Now pay attention so you don’t miss your stop. xoxo”

Guess what. He made it home. However, he got off a stop too early and had to walk nearly a half a mile home.

Tomorrow is day three. Maybe he’ll get it right this time.

Dropping off the other two was just strange. I’m so use to my little trio of boys. I don’t know how I’m going to get through this year, but I will. Change and growth is good.