Orientations

Jake was home the next day to rest and recoup.  But started orientation on Tuesday, to become familiar with the new computer systems.  Owen started band camp Monday and Tuesday evenings at Lewis & Clark High School.  It was a little odd getting a text from Jake saying he had dropped Owen off at the high school.  But not as jarring as when I dropped him off for "Freshman Orientation" that Tuesday morning.

I parked the car across the street from the high school, so Owen would just have to cross one street to get in the building.  I'm not sure why, but when he got to the corner he stood facing AWAY from the building.  I started yelling at him to cross the other street.  Allie, sitting next to me, started defending him saying, "He's watching for cars, mom!"  But when another freshman walked up and began crossing the street and Owen took a few steps in the wrong direction, BOTH Allie and I started yelling at him to cross the RIGHT street.  A few seconds later, he figured it out and began walking towards the front steps.  The seniors were lined along the steps cheering and welcoming all the freshman.  This of course embarrassed Owen, and he RAN up the steps and into the building.

As I started to drive away, I got a little emotional.  Allie reached over and patted my hand saying, "You still have me, mom."  She's right, but there was something about seeing him walk into the foreign building that even I hadn't been in that made me nervous and sad and very proud of him at the same time.