Back to School Again

For most people, the passing of the years is marked by New Year's and the dropping of the ball in Times Square.  However, when you have kids, the passing of the years is really marked by the school year.  That is especially true in the Golden household, where my wife is a teacher.  Every August marks a new school year - a new beginning filled with new classes, new adventures, new problems and new friends. 

This year, my son will be a sophomore in high school, while my daughter will be a sixth grader, her first year of middle school.  For the first time since 2008, there will not be a Golden kid at Fairway Elementary.

The recently passed 10 or 11 weeks of summer saw a lot of changes for my kids.  My son got his driving learner's permit and is learning to drive.  (This may have resulted in a few more gray hairs on my head.) He's also grown about four or five inches this summer.  His voice has deepened, he has hair on his legs and he is becoming a young man almost before my eyes.  My daughter has shed her glasses in favor of contacts.  She looks older just by having done so.  The fact that she now wears mascara may play into that as well.  She is very excited about going to middle school - having her own locker, having different teachers every hour, having better lunch options.

For the past few months, my kids' days have been filled with sleeping in, trips to the pool, riding bikes to lunch, trips to Six Flags and copious amounts of Fortnite.  Daily routines go by the wayside.  Things are relaxed and weeknight trips for frozen custard are common.  In the weeks to come, routines will change.  We will get back to earlier bed times, homework and studying, dance and tennis.  Friday nights will feature quick meals before high school football games.

The calendar may still show the same year, but in my house and in homes all across the country, a new year begins this week.  The 2018-19 school year is upon us.  Here's hoping it is a great one for my kids and my wife, as well as for all of your kids and spouses/friends who are teachers.

Thanks for reading.