Teacher, My Dog Ate My Homework

It wasn't a typical Wednesday morning; I came home from work and remembered it was the first day of school. Jayden had already left to begin his junior year with football practice at 0600 hours. Jamison was still sound asleep when I arrived. Walking through the door, I had to pinch myself because, as we all know, summers can be challenging for us parents. Not only do the kids need full-day entertainment, but our grocery bills seem to skyrocket, or we constantly hear, "I'm bored," or "There's nothing to do." Like me, you might tell your kids to find something to do, or you'll find many things for them to do. They aren't fans of folding laundry, washing dishes, or putting them away unless it's their chosen chore, so they quickly scatter throughout the house.

I entered Jamison's room and cheerfully announced, "Time to get up." A groan and a mumbled "Do I have to?" met my enthusiasm. Today marked the first day of school. Jamison crawled out of bed with his eyes half-closed, moving as if he were part of a zombie apocalypse, shuffling from his room to the bathroom for a shower. Once ready, we set off for his first day of 7th grade and tackle football practice. Upon arriving at the school, Jamison hopped out with swift goodbye.

I lingered in the middle school parking lot, watching Jamison walk into the building. Cranking up some classic country tunes, I set off for Starbucks to toast the start of the school year. It's a fresh slice of freedom to savor a work-free day while the kids are busy at school and football practice. As mid-afternoon approached and I hadn't yet heard from them, I found myself looking forward to picking them up from practice and catching up on their day.

Jamison was the first to be picked up from football practice, looking exhausted from the day. It was 6 pm, and pizza awaited him at home. I inquired about his practice, and he expressed having a great time and eagerness for the upcoming season. Curious about his classes and the highlight of his day, I prompted him for details. With a smirk, Jamison teased, "You'll never guess what happened." As I waited for him to continue, he recounted, "Hola! ¿Cómo estás?"—the greeting his teacher gave him. I chuckled, remarking that it's exactly what one would expect, and welcomed him to Beginner Spanish. When asked about his response, he admitted he simply walked in and took his seat.

Jayden wasn't picked up until 7 pm and looked utterly exhausted as he got into the car, bringing with him an intense smell of sweat—a typical teenage football player's odor that almost made me gag. Having had football practice all summer, Jayden mentioned it was just like any other day. When the conversation turned to school, Jayden, sixteen and slightly less enthusiastic, revealed, "I'm going to have a baby and will have to wear a sympathy belly." I stifled a chuckle, careful not to provoke the lineman in him, and responded that Parenting 101 might be an easy elective, but I wasn't looking forward to dealing with the Infant Simulator for four days.

Both boys showered, ate as if they had been deprived of food all day, and then immediately went to bed. As parents, we desire our children's success in everything they undertake, instilling the value of education, dedication to their chosen extracurricular activities, and the importance of kindness towards others. Our children will inevitably face challenges in all these areas; it's crucial to maintain open communication, ensuring they know they can talk to us freely when difficulties arise, and that no obstacle is too great for them to overcome.

Here's to another school year—may it be their best one yet!