Friday, August 17, 2012

Eighth Grade - Day One

 As promised in my previous post about my granddaughter Cari's first day of her senior year in high school, today's post is about my grandson's first day of eighth grade. Yesterday was Day One of Michael's eighth grade experience. This will be his last year at All Saints, our parish school which he has attended since first grade.

I remember his first day of kindergarten--at a different school in an adjacent city. It was a day to remember, mostly because a school bus monitor at his old school put him on the wrong bus. It was a frightening experience for everyone. My late daughter Julie had to make several calls before finding out what happened and getting Michael home safely. Julie was not happy with his old school at all.

A lot has changed since then. Seven-and-a-half years ago, while he was still in kindergarten, he lost his mom and dad. Cari was ten and Michael was six at the time our daughter Julie and son-in-law Mike died in a motorcycle accident. After the accident, Cari and Michael moved in with us and have lived with us since then. It has been our joy and our blessing to raise our grandchildren, help them (and us) cope with loss and sorrow, and watch them grow into happy teens.

When Michael first moved in, he was a shy youngster who hadn't yet lost his first tooth. Now, he's a typical teenager, who loves going to our "farm" with my husband Walt (his Opa), enjoys playing  sports and video games with his friends, and occasionally talks back when he thinks I'm not listening. Michael is tall for his age -- already six-foot-one -- and still growing.

The other night, after making sure he had all his his school supplies, I read his school's parent/student handbook, just in case there was a new rule I'd missed. Under the section on school uniform and proper dress, there was one sentence I hadn't noticed before--about boys not having visible facial hair. So, on his last night of summer vacation, with the help of his Opa, Michael shaved his upper lip for the first time. Wow! How did he grow up so fast?


Here is a photo taken yesterday of Walt and Michael backing out of the driveway on their way to school.

Eighth grade is going to be busy and fun--and filled with memorable experiences. Michael will go on a retreat in September and be confirmed in April. His class has field trips planned, inlcuding a tour of the Cathedral Basilica and the Holocaust Museum in St. Louis next February, watching "A Christmas Carol" at Lindenwood University in November, and a day trip to Hannibal (birth place of Mark Twain, my mom, and his dad's parents) in May.

There's a lot going on in my grandson's life; he is well on his way to becoming a young man.



19 comments:

  1. How tall is that young man? He's a nice-looking kiddo.

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    1. Hi Sioux,
      Thanks.
      He's six-one and still growing!
      Donna

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    2. Yikes! Stop feeding him immediately, and put a dozen or so bricks on top of his head. They just get taller and eat more in these next 4-5 years..

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  2. He is tall! Basketball material? I still have one more year before Xavier goes to kindergarten, but I'm sure in a blink it will be eighth grade and then senior year.

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    Replies
    1. Hi Camille,
      Xavier will be in KG next year? I remember the first time I met him; he was just a toddler running around in the library.
      You're right about time passing in a blink.
      Hope is good all with you and you're feeling well with baby-to-be.
      Donna

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  3. Your grandson looks older than 8th grade which will do him well in the gal department...which will start soon if not already. :) So many new beginnings for you all!

    A Holocaust museum in St. Louis?

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  4. He certainly appears to be a mature young man. You must be very proud. Sounds like he has a lot to look forward to this year.

    My youngest started ninth grade, and had to shave the chin whiskers. He wanted to keep his mustache. Not school regulations, just his choice.

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  5. Hi Claudia,
    I haven't been to the Holocaust museum in St. Louis, but I've heard it is impressive.

    Hi Val,

    We are very proud of him.

    Congratulations on your ninth grader and all the fun waiting him in high school.

    Donna

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  6. Thanks for sharing this story! We had a good first day of school at our house, too!

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  7. What a blessing this tall, handsome young man is in your life. We grow them tall in our family, too.

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  8. Hi Mary,
    Glad to hear the first day back to school at your house was good. Next year both boys will be at the same high school.

    Hi Linda,
    We truly are blessed.

    Donna

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  9. They always remind me of baby birds teetering on the edge of the nest as this stage. Really big baby birds! What a beautiful family you have. Best to all.

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  10. So, if you wouldn't have read that line in the handbook, would they meet the boys at the door with a razor and shaving cream? :) LOL He's a cutie, too. Hang on, Grandma and Grandpa, it sounds like a busy school year! :) PS: I notice Logan is starting to get a little peach fuzz above his lip, too. Goodness, time flies!

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  11. Hi Tammy,
    Thank you! They are quite like baby birds; time to spread their wings and fly.

    Hi Margo,
    He might have gotten an out-of-uniform slip. I can't believe Logan is getting so big. Is he in fifth or sixth grade?

    Donna

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  12. When my son left for the first day of Kindergaten, I did not shed a tear. I sat in the kitchen floor and sobbed buckets! That bus escapade sounds horrifying! We lived next door to the school when my dtr started KG but they sent her out a door on the far side and she was totally lost! A teacher found her and walked her home. Then in college, while on a field trip, the bus left her in the restroom at a highway rest area. They finally noticed and came back for her! Yikes. But Michael seems well-grounded and ready for this next step. Congrats to him and you. Enjoy.

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  13. Donna, you guys have done a wonderful job. He's such a handsome young man and so tall. I have a granddaughter in Catholic school and 8th grade is a big deal. So is being a senior in high school. Big year for everyone in your family. Enjoy!

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  14. they grow up fast! Looks like you have did a very good job at raising him. My youngest son just graduated college in May and starts his first full time job on Tuesday.

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