Back-to-School - Another "First"

Back to school preparation can be exhausting. There are so many things to tend to, plan for, and remember to do -- especially when your kids are starting a new school district! I'm lucky that I have three co-parents to help plan and make arrangements.  Trish is especially helpful with scheduling and planning in a thorough way that I am not able to be. She keeps us all on track and it's much appreciated.

The last few back to school discussions and emails between the two of us have made it abundantly clear that we are prepping to send two kids back to school, not three. In prior years we had to move heaven and earth to figure out who would be home to put Willy on the bus and who would get him off the bus.  Our schedules revolved around Willy and his needs. 

This year our back to school planning has been what most would call "normal". Buying clothes and school supplies and getting haircuts.  Wait. There's no bus staff to train how to suction and seizure watch? I don't have to drive a van load of supplies to Willy's school? I don't have to have the neurologist fill out a ream of paperwork? 

No. Our back to school planning this year has been much simpler. It feels weird. It feels like there's something missing. Or, more appropriately, someone. Willy. 

I love seeing the back to school photos of all the kids. But each one is a reminder that we have one less kid to get ready this year. It's another "first" to get over. 

I'm not looking forward to the one-year anniversary of Willy's passing on November 5th. But in a way, I am.  Only in the sense that there will be no more firsts to get over. I really need the "firsts" to be over.