This morning Little Emo had his first taste of 7th grade. His school did an orientation day just for seventh graders to give them a chance to find their classes, lockers, and meet teachers without any one else being in the school. It was only a half day, long enough for each teacher to give an introduction, and for them to try their skills at opening their lockers.
I have to admit I was at least as nervous for this first day as my kid was. I had butterflies in my stomach all night and this morning, but I couldn’t tell him that. I picked up his best friend – I’ll call him Little Jock or LJ - and dropped them off. They were both a little anxious, but excited at the same time. They understand that JR High is a step up towards being a teenager. No more little kid stuff. For that reason, they were more excited than previous school days. I, on the other hand, was nothing but nerves. School has never been Little Emo’s favorite thing. Each year we’ve gone through the same stresses and melt downs. He’s a bright kid, but school has never kept his interest. All I’ve been thinking is; one class was bad enough, what are we going to do when he has seven?
I was watching the clock all morning, waiting for the end of his day and my required phone call. 30 minutes after school ended and he had made it to his Little Jock house my phone finally rang. “So how was it?” I asked. “You’re not going to believe this mom.” He started, “But it was awesome!” I was so relieved! Never had we had such positive words spoken about school. I’m so hopeful at this point that maybe we’ll finally have a good year. For the first semester he and LJ have 4 classes together, which I know will be helpful. He also has friends coming in from both of the elementary schools he’s attended so as he put it, he knows “tons of people” there. His classes were “good”, and the teachers all got an “alright” status on their first day. It’s all better than I could have asked for.
I’ll never admit to him that dropping him off for 7th grade made me as teary eyed as when I dropped him off at kindergarten, or that I really wouldn’t have minded walking him to his class. I held back of course – I figure that probably would have hurt his “cool” factor a little. Now I’m just keeping my fingers crossed that the postive feel he had for today sticks around for the next six years! 
Hey Al, when you gonna post more stuff huh?!