Letting go is hard to do...senior year.

So this morning started off similar to every other morning. I woke up, got ready, made sure my son got breakfast and then we rushed off to drop him off, before heading in to work. Any of you who drop you child off at school most likely will be able to relate to the staff member waving you closer and having you pull up the curve so that more cars can fit in. All of this in efforts to speed up the drop off car lane at the school. Well, I never (yeah I know that's an absolute term and usually I don't use those terms but this time it's true) pull up all the way. I pull up far enough for him to be at the level of the front door. Don't ask me why I do that, I think it's because I just don't want to make him walk more than he has to. Well anyway, I pull up like I normally do, regardless of seeing the male staff member waving his arms. I park and my son opens the door. MInd you the male staff member, I think he's a teacher, is practically right there. I tell my son that I love him very much and to have an awesome day. His reply, "Ok mom you too". As I am about to pull away, I see the male teacher/ staff member ask me to roll my passenger window down. I'm thinking, "This is it Nury. He is sick and tired of you not pulling all the way up. Whatever he says, you appologize and tell him you won't do that again." I roll my passenger windown down and say good morning. He replies the morning greeting and then says, "I just wanted to tell you that I'm new here". I start thinking..."Oh boy, here it comes...". He continues, " I have been doing AM Car Rider Duty the entire time and I've not heard a single mom tell her son that she loves him and to have an awesome day. Well at least not loud enough for me to hear her. I think it's great and we need more of that." I looked at him and thought, "Oh ...is that it?" I smiled and told him that he was my last son. I wished him a good day and thought, "Guess I don't really have to pull up". I'm beginning to think that this last school year is going to be pretty hard when it ends. I will surely miss the early morning breakfast cooking and the drop offs at the school. I will surely miss organizing school supplies, checking school webpage, and weekly grades. I will miss emailing teachers to check on my child or will? Maybe I won't miss all of those things. I think I'll end up gaining at least a couple hours of my day back. Teenage years are complex. Look at the picture above. We were on the West Coast. You'd think he would be smiling since we did fly first class and stayed for about a week. He tells me that's his happy face. I laugh because I think he means it. He will be in college next year. I wonder is he ready? Will he survive without me?

He knows the basics, like washing his own clothes and even the dishes. He knows how to cook basic meals.

But he doesn't know how to fix a car or put out a kitchen grease fire or even clean out his refrigerator. The most important thing I don't think he fully understands is the high importance of keeping a budget. Making sure you always put aside gas money, groceries money, and even recreational money. I'm pretty sure he has no idea how to save money or how to keep depositing money in his S&P Dow Jones account.

I guess I would be worried that he doesn't know that visiting his parents is very important. After all maintaining a positive realtionship of any kind takes communication, trust and loyalty. I'm not worried because his older two brothers are doing just fine in this department.

I will continue to enjoy my last child at home. After that...I'll be writing a book or two.