Children grow so fast - Uriah

On Sunday, Mom was over at my house (I have 2 Moms). She was talking to Uriah and said, so what grade are you going into next year? "Seventh" was his answer. OMG.....seventh grade...he is going into seventh grade! Seventh....wow that brings back some memories. I was held back in fifth grade, so my son is one year younger than I was in these grades, but to compare as far as grade wise, we'll just have to go with it.

My seventh grade year....Alta Loma Elementary...in Peoria AZ. A year I was trying to figure out who I was. Keep in mind.....I was meek, mild, geeky.....big time geek that refused to accept that. Clothing would be jeans.....usually 2 different colored pair of socks (slouched) to match whatever shirt you happened to be wearing. Rubber bangles and rubber rings, plastic earrings....some is shapes like arrows that actually looked like they were going through your ear. Freindship bracelets, and for some reason Metallica sits heavy in my mind.

His 7th grade year.....Reagan Middle School...and we have lived in the same school district/town his entire student career.

I was in the choir. I think I sang quite well and I enjoyed it. He is in band playing a saxophone.

I also tried, and I emphasize TRIED to play volleyball with the school team. An Alta Loma Lobo. I made the team, I was on the team, they kept putting me in and for what reason I have no idea....cause to look back at it...I SUCKED. I probably volley'd the ball behind me EVERY time. But they let me play.......sucking or not.

I may have been geeky, but I had alot of energy and could follow a beat. I joined clogging with a freind of mine named Mandy. I loved to clog, and I was good at it. Dance dance dance....... loved it. Messed my knees up something awful....but I enjoyed it.

I also remember doing paper mache. It was then I found another freind. A dark haired hazel eyed boy. This was my first crush. He was in a different grade, so he was on the other side of the campus wall. This was also when I learned if you want something to stay a secret, you don't write it on a piece of paper and give it to another student figuring they would respect privacy and pass said note to person you asked them to give it to. Instead they will look at it, laugh and then show EVERYONE, much to your embarrassment. It takes a long time for a "geek" to live ANYTHING down.

My first crush on a boy..........makes me wonder about my own little man. I know he has talked about a "girlfreind", which I approved of.....her Mom is a freind of mine. But Uriah has not gone out on a "date"......I think they are too young just yet. But it still seems kind of cute. Uriah had a "girlfreind" and I have also noticed these kids swap girlfreinds/boyfreinds like they swap notes in class.

I was also taught by some young lady freinds who took pity on me, on how to properly "tease" hair. Before then I always seemed to have "little kid" hair styles. They don't know how that one act, actually boosted my confidence enough to actually feel like I finally belonged. I am sure to them, it meant not much, but for this young lady, it made a HUGE difference.

I never really felt I had belonged for a long time. Of course I did move around alot for a few years. Utah, Arizona, Utah, Arizona, Utah, Arizona, and it continued until my freshman year at Peoria High School...... where nearing the end of the year, we moved and settled in Illinois.

Anyway........that one statement, "I'm going into 7th" just brought back a flood of thoughts and memories.....some good, some bad. Don't get me wrong..... geek or not...I still had an excellent year. I still have some good freinds from those years I can still count on. You know who you are.......you know your in my thoughts alot. Even one is now a Sister in Faith.....no longer just my freind, but a Sister.

Please Lord, don't let me fail my children and please make life a little bit easier for them. I know at the time I thought it was dang tough...but looking back, it was just learned lessons.

By the way.......I'm still a geek...... LOL

My son is too...but hopefully he accepts it a whole lot better and easier than I did.