high school daze

Firstly, if you haven't already, don't forget to enter my cookbook giveaway!

http://ohfercute.blogspot.com/2012/02/celebrating-good-things.html

Your chances of winning are far greater than entering a Pioneer Woman freebie...just leave a comment on that post, and let me know of someone you admire that you would love to have lunch with, contest ends at midnight tonight, night of the Snow Moon!

Now back to the topic at hand...

I sat last night in an auditorium filled with parents and their 13 and 14 year olds.  The sides of the room were lined with teachers in bright red, the stage was adorned with festive red and white balloons.  I listened to the principal welcome what will be the class of 2016, and he let the kids know that even though that seemed rather far off, the next four years would fly by.  We listened attentively as IB programs were explained, and extra curricular offerings.  I was only half listening, the other half of me was wondering how I got to this moment.

Wasn't I just holding his fingers as he toddled down the sidewalk, in search of garbage trucks or a good construction project?

Didn't we just spend the morning at the library, followed by some cookie baking after nap time?

Wasn't he just walking out the door for his first day of first grade?

I was rather in a daze as we wandered through the field house, endless tables of eager students and teachers ready to explain Computer Science, the Debate Team, National Honor Society, the Yearbook Committee.  We ran into families from our days at Horace Mann, and I was astonished at how much their children had changed since I last saw them in fifth grade.  I am sure they were thinking the same thing about Charlie.

We did a self tour of the building, Charlie ran into kids he knew, and his comment was "Mom, I really feel at home here."

He is still trying to decide between staying at his charter school or attending Highland, our neighborhood high school.  He is doing shadowing days in the next few weeks at both places, and then he will have to make a decision.  They are completely different choices, TCA has graduating classes of two dozen students, while Highland is more like 400.  TCA has few offerings for extra-curricular, but a wonderfully rigorous academic focus and tremendous small school support.  Highland has an IB program, and a club or activity for absolutely every interest.  Asian Dance, Food and Film, Chess, you name it, they have it.

Soon another chapter of life will open-I have a few months to get my heart ready.