First Day of School '08

The first day of school arrived here at the Camp house on Tuesday. One Camp eagerly embraced the start of the school year (Owen) while another begrudgingly agreed to let the learning begin (Me). Sara fell somewhere in the middle - excited to see friends in a new place, but also a bit apprehensive about her move to middle school. Yes, that's right, middle school. For those of you who haven't been keeping track, my baby girl has entered middle school, that world of lockers, cliques, and crushes. SO much changes in middle school - childhood is exchanged for adolescence. It's awkward and cruel, but sometimes exciting and fun. How do I help her navigate such unpredictable waters?
It seems like I just brought her home from the hospital as a newborn. I remember so vividly the first day Daniel went back to work and I was left alone with this tiny person. I was so scared. What if I did "it" wrong? What did I know about being a parent? Where was the instruction manual/lesson plan? She and I made it through that first day and the over 4000 days since then. I've not always gotten "it" right, but I've always acted with love. That's really all a parent can do. And, that's exactly how we're going to survive middle school.