The Combination Lock

I promise to post more about our Ethiopia trip, there is just so much to say and not enough time to write!

And meanwhile life is happening fast and furious over here.

Tomorrow our oldest child goes to orientation day at the middle school where he will start school on Monday.  

I already got the pre-recorded call from the school today and an email with the same message informing parents "This is a day for your student to get to know his/her new school better and to begin to form relationships with teachers and their peers. They don’t need nor do we want parents shadowing them. As a new middle schooler, we want your student to begin depending on themselves, rather than their parent, to navigate middle school and this is a safe environment for that learning experience."

Not that I was planning on "shadowing" my kid tomorrow, but it was fun joking with my son that I was sad that I couldn't go with him now and follow him around all day!

Tonight, my husband and I gave the boy a crash course in the fine art of opening a combination lock!

You know right - left (pass the first number) - right?

It can be tricky!

It took the 11 year old a few tries but he's got it down now.  Another life skill we can check off the box of things that we have taught him!

We may have shared many stories with the boy of our days of school locker woes.

Middle school!  It's the beginning of a new era for us all.  Somebody hold me!