THE END OF AN ERA

< SILENCE > 


The silence this morning is deafening.

For MANY, MANY years, I have home schooled.

For MANY, MANY reasons, last week, I enrolled the remaining 4 into school.

I lamented over the decision for quite awhile.

I give a huge THANK YOU to my friends that I called upon in the final days leading up to the ultimate deed being done.

For those that are still in the trenches, I applaud you.

You can't tell it is January can you?

 Here are the older two returning from the bus on their first day of school.

The next day I enrolled the younger 2 hootiekins.

It was lunch time when I finished enrolling them.

My youngest smiled and asked, "Can I stay, Mom?"

"Yes, you can stay."

His more subdued older brother painfully looked and me and asked, "Can I go home now, Mom?"

"No Sweetie, you are staying." 

I walked them over to the lunch room.  They were like celebrities:  the new kids on the block.

Then in an instant, they were gone.
I turned and left the school quickly as not to embarrass them with my tears as I had with the older two.

The next day I got the most wonderful and bittersweet news, my very oldest hootiekin was officially a home-school graduate.  Done with high school. 

 Congratulations oldest hootiekin!!!
I am very proud of you!!!

 I wondered one last time if I had made the right choice for the remaining 4 but alas, I know the answer, at least for now. 

God bless you little hootiekins.  I will miss you very much at home.  

I think I will go now and make some noise.  It is much too quite around here.