The Despain Review

Nate wasn't as quick to get out of bed this morning like brother & sister. He eventually wandered out of his room & laid back down on the couch watching morning cartoons before eating breakfast. Nate is our picky guy. He knows what he wants to wear & what shoes he wanted to buy for school. Believe me...it took 2 different trips to the mall to find them. :) After getting dressed he asked over & over again if it was time for school yet. Not yet I would reply. Not more than 20 sec. would go by & the question was asked again. I couldn't wait for 8 a.m. to come so that we could move outside for some pictures & head to school to meet his teacher. On the way to school Nate explained to me how he'd like to go by "Nathan" this year & not Nate. He's so funny! We call him both names & it's never been an issue but I told him I would pass the word on to his teacher. We met Mrs. Thurgood (who had been Shay's 2nd grade teacher) at the door & she welcomed him in with a big "Hello, Nate!" She then went on to tell him how she had talked to his 1st grade teacher who said he liked to be called Nate. Nate looked at her & then over to me. I explained to her that he wanted to be called Nathan this year. She laughed, apologized for writing Nate on most of his papers, & promised to call him Nathan if that's what he wanted. I told her afterwards that he goes by both & not to worry about it....he'd answer to either name. :) I don't know if being in 2nd grade has brought on an older attitude, or if he just simply wants to be called Nathan, but either or....he's cute!

After school he ran over to the car to ask if he could walk home with 2 girls. I told him yes, followed closely behind, & regretted not bringing a camera. He made sure he walked between them & got mad when he discovered me following along!

30 days ago we started to hear the countdown of summer break. Not that Shay wanted summer break to come to a close...but that it was quickly passing by and the days, hours & min. of his skateboarding & rollerblading time would soon be minimized. Shay is our "extreme" kid. No jump is too big! He spends hours outside working on his skateboarding "skills" & building bigger & better jumps.

Surprisingly, he was up at 4:30 a.m. this morning waiting for the hour to arrive when he could get dressed & wear his new "bright red" etnies to school. Wandering down the hallway at this early morning time he found his sister also awake. :) She called him in & they spent the next hour talking quietly in her bed about the 1st day of school only hours away. I only wish I could have captured a picture of this moment. After Naomi arose @ 5:30 a.m. Shay wandered back to bed waiting quietly for me to come in & wake him up. He was soon in the shower, sprayed with "AXE" body deodorant, & dressed for this "dreaded" day. He cleaned his room, ate breakfast, brushed his teeth, combed his hair & waited patiently on the couch until I mentioned it was time to go & that pics needed to be taken. I've never seen a kid move so fast out the door & to the car!!!

Naomi is an official "freshman" in high school. Her morning started at 5:30 a.m. (a little earlier than summers wake up time) & we were out the door by 6:40 a.m. to pick up her best friend Marissa. Naomi hurriedly skipped through the stations of the radio trying to find music to listen to, only to find D.J.'s talking about some topic or another. She sat restless in her seat, talking back & forth between Marissa & I. I wanted to laugh out loud at these 2 girls who sat in the car with so much to say at 6:45 in the morning. As we neared the school (2 blocks away) I asked the question...."Any last words?" Marissa said out loud "I'm scared!" & Naomi even louder announced "I'm going to crap my pants!" haha. I laughed so hard. There is no candy coating Naomi's thoughts...she says it like it is.....or wait...I hope she didn't!!!!

I dropped these two off at the curb, wished them well, sent Naomi a text message telling her I loved her & that she'd do great.......and then I cried all the way home! I know what you're thinking...cry? Yes I did. I wasn't prepared for that emotion. We have talked extensively about the first day of school & what fun she'd have in these next 4 years, and then I watched my little girl walk away from the safety of my car & into the hands of a much bigger world! Knots & butterflies lived in my stomach all day until I got her call at 1:50 announcing she'd made it through & all was well.

Our family with Justin.

A little push...and off he goes. I'm not saying it was that simple though. Santa had brought Nate that cool "tonka" bike when he was almost 4 years old. The bike was looked at, checked over, and put in the garage where it would stay for the next 3 1/2 years. Oh wait...he did take off the training wheel 2 years ago when he was going to attempt to ride it by himself......and it never happened! :) So here he is 7 1/2 years old, and learning just now how to ride his bike that is now too small for him. Oh well. As parents, we learn to just let things go.....it's not worth the fight. I guess I should mention that this was not Nate's idea, but Dad's "fed up with the bike taking up space in the garage" moment. Tears were cried, pleads were made to Mom (to make Dad leave him alone), but in the end he got on, he pedaled.....he rode!!!!!

*Note - we've got to work on the steering part...haha!