If this month races by like the summer seemed to, it won’t be long before I’m writing about Halloween, fires in the fireplace and getting warmer clothes ready to wear. Right now, living on the coast, the air conditioners are still running full tilt, we still have months before hurricanes are no longer a threat and the only leaves that have turned are the ones on trees that are dead.

However, as far as the grandchildren go, their lives are back in full swing. With all seven of them returning to school in August (although not all on the same date), their calendars are already filling up with sports schedules, dance classes and other after-school activities. Our eldest grandchild will be filling out applications to college; she has a number of places she is interested in and should be accepted by all of those to which she applies. Honestly, I hope she chooses one that isn’t too far away so that she can come home from time to time, but I’ll be proud of her wherever that might be.

Her brother, the eldest grandson, is starting his freshman year in high school, after attending the same school from kindergarten through eighth grade. He has a few friends going to the same high school, and his sister will be there to see him through his freshman year. He has already made the soccer team which he’s excited about. I must admit I wasn’t at all surprised since he’s been playing since he was five and is on a competitive travel team that starts after the high school season ends. 

I think they all look forward to being back in school, getting to see friends every day which wasn’t possible over the summer. One of our grandsons moves up to middle school, but it’s still the same school he’s attended since kindergarten, like his sister and brother. One granddaughter is now in seventh grade and our grandson, her brother, is in fourth. The youngest granddaughter is in fourth grade and her brother is in first grade at the same school they’ve always attended. 

So, busy days and busy schedules. I love being close in proximity to four of the seven so I can help out when they have conflicting schedules that have them going in different directions at the same time. I also love being able to attend as many of their activities as possible. Watching them grow in so many ways, seeing them mature, finding their interests growing and/or changing, realizing how different things are in so many aspects, obviously from my growing up years, but also from our daughters, their mothers. I applaud them for raising these young people to be people of whom we can all be proud. Are they perfect? No because no one is. But, they have qualities that stand them in good stead as they continue to grow and mature. 

I can’t wait to see what this school year brings for all of them. I won’t be surprised by their successes because they will be theirs and deservingly so. They will complain about certain aspects of learning, but will continue to move ahead, maybe with one step back but three steps forward. I hope, and plan to, be there for all things that are important to them. 

As they age, I hope they’ll be able to look back and remember when they danced in the Nutcracker, scored the winning goal in a championship tournament, were awarded first prize in an essay contest or earned their black belt in taekwondo and know that their Gigi and Pabo were there cheering them on. I want them all to know how much they were loved and cherished by their Gigi and Pabo because they were and are!