Peter's Powerpoint Passage Presentation from a Parent's Perspective

Tomorrow Peter has his 8th grade passage presentation.

It's a powerpoint he's created with 26 slides about his past six years at Greenwood Charter School. And I have spent a lot of time today trying not to weep openly and loudly. I'm so proud of him. And I can't believe he's so old. I haven't kept up with blogging very well lately. And I want that to change. I love reading my old posts. Even the short ones. I love remembering when Peter was seven and loved legos, and when William and James argued about whether or not baby tigers can have friends. I love these times too. And as Peter passes from Greenwood onto Venture High School---yep, I said high school, and as the pandemic comes to an end (we hope!), and as Will and James start at Venture Academy next fall, we are heading into a new chapter, if not a new section of our family's book of life. And Peter has a friend who is a girl who really likes him who he really likes. How can that be? Autumn Stewart is exactly the kind of girl I'd choose for him to like, but I'm struggling a bit with the fact that they email all the time, and he really cares what she thinks...more than what I think sometimes. He calls these emotions my "mama bear" coming out. It's true. I can't protect him forever, from high school, or from girls, or from driving. I don't want him to not grow up. Sometimes it just seems like it happened so fast. I was just talking to him about this, and he reminded me of how full the days and months and years have been. When you think about all we've done these past fourteen years, it's not like it passed by in the blink of an eye. The passage of fourteen years has been amazing and the happiest of my life thus far. And because he's still Peter, and I'm still his mom and we can still talk about anything, we will have a solid and happy relationship and good communication, and he told me he plans to live in Ogden, so there's that. He knows me well. Good to be able to honestly tell him how much I love him, and let him know how much our relationship means to me. What a year it's been----his 8th grade year, all at home online. It the midst of a worldwide pandemic. These kids have been through so much. And they have come out stronger and wiser and more loving than ever. I'm looking forward to summer in a week and a half. Summer break, and no school zooms! I'm looking foward to hearing about Ryan's days at work, when he can go back to the office and enjoy his co-workers in person, and go out to lunch. I'm looking forward to the fall, and our new adventures at Venture! I'm looking forward to looking into going back to work at a library, perhaps after our vacations in the fall. I'm looking forward to our vacations! I'm looking forward to the older boys getting their second dose of the vaccine, and James getting his first and second doses. I'm looking forward to hugging Chris when he comes to visit after 18 months. It's been so good hugging people again now that I'm fully vaccinated. I'm looking forward to going to movies and concerts and ballets. I'm looking forward to firework shows, farmers' markets, and parades. And so many road trips. But there have been a lot of good things during this time of quarrantine. I have loved having my family here with me (most of the time!). I have loved our drives to the library to get the next audiobook in our latest book series. I have loved lunches together with Ryan. I have loved watching Avatar and Mandalorian, and making our sweet Halloween costumes together. I've loved us being together. And it will be nice to have the adventures during the day, and then have a chance to come back to this safehaven, this hobbit hole that we have not left much this past 16 months (plus four days). Having adventures gives you stories to tell, and powerpoints to present. Passages from one chapter to the next are exciting. But it's okay to love the last chapter too, and to recognize all the good bits, and to re-read them now and again when I go back and look at my blog.