"I would send you a bouquet of sharpened pencils..."

It's that time of the year again...Teachers are hustling getting their classrooms ready. Parents are on the hunt for the poly-propelene folders and ziploc bags for their kids. High school freshman are nervous and sick, wondering where they'll fit in at that monstrosity of a place they call high school. High school seniors can't wait to be the coolest one's on campus, not realizing they are beginning the end of a journey and about to embark on a new one in just 10 months. College students are moving into dorm rooms, buying books and dreading having to park on campus - well, at least UTSA students are. Meanwhile, parents of these said college students are anxiously watching their bank accounts, waiting for that tuition check to clear. Merchants like Walmart, Target, HEB and others are busy stocking their shelves with notebooks and folders, crayons and markers, towels and bed sets, lamps and trash cans, and kleenex - for elementary kids and for mom's of first year kinder students. It's Back to School time...and it's one of my favorite times of the year!

As a student I always looked forward to this time. It meant buying new uniforms (uh, did we forget the dreaded brown plaid skirts and white oxford shirts I wore?), new shoes, a new haircut, the start of the new volleyball season and my favorite...new school supplies! There's just something about the smell of the inside of a new box of crayons, or the smell of a fresh roll of scotch tape that gets me all giddy. Yet, nothing beats the smell and feel of a newly sharpened, yellow, #2 pencil. The first stroke onto the brand new sheet of looseleaf paper...oohh, how I wish I were a student right now.

Now, as a parent to an elementary aged daughter, I look forward to shopping for her. Sure, I could choose to be wise and pre-order a box of supplies for her, and save myself the hassle of shopping and fighting the crowds...but where's the fun in that?!?! It's all about giving her the option to choose, to know she picked out those colors for her notebooks, those eraser tops for her pencils, that back pack and that lunch box. Plus, for a brief moment, I can remember what it was to be a student and reflect back on my time with my mother and shopping for my own things.

High schools are buzzing with excitement...awaiting the arrival of a new batch of fresh-fish! High school freshman are sitting nervously on the bus, wondering if they picked out the right outfit for their first day in high school. Should they have brought their lunch instead of gambling on what the cafeteria is selling? Is this skirt too short? Are my jeans too baggy? Do I still look like a junior high student? So many things going through their mind, so many fears and worries. The comforting thing about it is, they're not alone. Parents of these first time high-schoolers have just asked themselves these same exact questions...I should've packed his lunch...Her skirt WAS too short, I should've told her to wear the capris instead...Those were his dad's jeans!...My baby looks so young on that bus. But in four years, these same parents and students will look back and wonder how they got through this first day, how they survived the next four years and what will happen now.

This is not only an exciting time for elementary and high school teachers and students, but for those college students and their parents, it's the start of an entirely new chapter in their life. It's a time for parents to let go. To believe they've done everything they could to prepare their student for the world that awaits them, but to also know that no matter how well prepared they think their student is, heartache and life lessons are inevitable. No amount of preparation will make it any less painful. Mothers will leave their sons at their dorms, wishing he would have let her have her way with the room decor and bathroom setup. Fathers will leave their daughters at their dorm rooms, but not before doing a perimeter search, planting hidden cameras, and gathering fingerprints and background checks of roommates, suite mates and resident assistants.

College students will anxiously be waiting for their parents to leave so they can rearrange what mom did to the bathroom and remove the cameras dad planted...but more importantly, so that they don't have to see the tears of fear and worry they have in their eyes. They'll stress over whether or not their roommate likes the choice of TV or refrigerator they agreed to purchase, or that they'll even like their roommate! They'll worry about classes and professors, due dates and finals, and which student organization to join. New freshman will forget everything they were told at orientation and seniors will be happy just remembering to have applied for graduation! Financial aid offices will be swarming with students asking for emergency loans, just so that they can get that much anticipated refund check back. Admissions will argue with those students who claim they submitted all their paperwork by the deadline, only to learn mom was so busy color coordinating the dorm bathroom and bedroom, she forgot to mail in test scores. Advising centers will be flooded with new and returning students, some needing to register for the first time and others asking why they are on probation...uh, can you say minimum GPA?!

I feel privileged and blessed to know I have survived some of these milestones...I myself survived elementary and middle school. I got through high school and college, experiencing those inevitable heartaches and life lessons along the way. I've been the first time parent to the first year kinder student, and I had my own box of kleenex. While I have yet to experience any of the others I've talked about, I know some who are going through them now, and I'd like to take a moment to wish them well...

To my sister Loretta and my brother-in-law Lorenzo, Leslie is a smart, beautiful young girl. She has the ability to stand up for who she is and be proud of where she comes from. Southwest HS is lucky to have her on their campus, and they should be honored to have her as a Lady Dragon. You did good. She will be successful not only because of her natural abilities and talent, but because she has you as parents.

To my brother Joseph, you have the unique blessing of having had experienced first time freshman 3 years in a row, and now you'll experience 3 seniors in a row...Maggie will do her best and she will make you proud. Regardless of the past, this time is precious for her just as much as it is for you. Cherish it. Be there for her. It may take her some time, but eventually she will see what you did for her, what you sacrificed and how much you love her, till then, don't stop trying.

To my sister-in-law Cathy, Steve is an amazing kid. I can only imagine how hard today must have been for you, but he will be fine; and so will you. You've done the best you can, you've given him all you could, now it's time to just let go. He'll come home, eventually, maybe for the summer, on the weekends to visit, on the holiday break, or to come home and say he's found that special someone and is following her to New York. Whatever it may be, just know and believe you've done your very best. Steve is gonna be Steve. He's going to make mistakes. He'll be disappointed. He'll get hurt, drunk, fail a test, miss a class or, at the very least, show up late ;) Whatever he chooses, whatever he goes through, continue to be there for him and remember to let him know that no matter what happens you'll always love him.

Finally, to my mother, this was the time of year you looked forward to the most. The excitment of learning who was on your team, where your classroom was, and who the new teachers were so you could take them under your wing; but this year, it's very different for you. There is no campus to go to, no classroom to setup, no new teachers to guide. For now, all you have are the memories of August's past, but it should bring you great comfort and a smile to your face to know that somewhere, on some campus, in a classroom set up in it's one-of-a-kind way, sitting behind a desk, is a teacher looking at a picture with you in it, and thinking to herself, "Man, I miss her, but I'm so glad I knew her. I learned from one of the greatest teachers I've ever known, and I only wish everyone could've been as lucky as I was and had HER for a teacher." You changed so many lives mom; and while this isn't easy for you to go through, just remember the journey you took and all the stops along the way. I love you.

So, whether you're the student, the parent, a school official or university president, everyone is anxious about these first few days of school; and even though there will be a mixture of emotions everywhere, in the city of San Antonio, on a street called Dawn Trail, is a mother who is looking forward to her next milestones and the road ahead of her...and nothing will keep her from stopping to smell the pencils.

Till next time...

Not Even Dora Prepared Me for This Adventure!

Madelynn Grace Garcia...born August 20th, 2008. Two years ago I was blessed with my third daughter. A few days ago I categorized her as the completion to my "trifecta of divas", and indeed she is! We celebrated her birthday on Friday at took the trio of divas to McDonald's. As I sat there talking with Johnny, I found myself thinking back two years earlier, and what an adventure it was, and has been, since that day.

When I learned I was pregnant December of 2007, it never occurred to me that I would have another girl. I figured after two girls, I was due my boy. God obviously had a different plan and a somewhat distorted sense of humor. On our way to see the doctor, Johnny and I talked about what we would do if it was a boy or a girl, but we referred back to Faith Marie, and realized we just wanted the baby to be healthy. (Faith's story to come later.) But deep down, we both secretly knew what the other wanted, even if we didn't say it out loud. Once in the exam room, I laid there, nervously waiting for the doctor to come in - I was always nervous, at every visit...you'd think after 2 babies I'd be like, "Sup doc? Ready to do this?" but yeah, not so much.

Dr. Jones came in, said hello and asked how I was feeling. After my regular responses of feeling fatter, tired all the time, my backaches, etc., etc., he finally asked if we were ready to find out what we were having. The lights went down, the screen turned to me, Johnny by side and cold jelly on my belly...now all I needed was a tub of popcorn and an overhead voice reminding everyone to turn off their cell phones because silence was golden.

After a few minutes of trying to get the best angle, and listening to Dr. Jones mumble under his breath that the baby was being difficult, didn't want us to see, showing us the feet, the legs, the toes...I was like, "Doc, any longer and you're gonna have to prescribe ointment for the sono burn you're giving me with that thing!" But before I said anything, he said the 9 words I'd heard two times before..."Right there. You see those three little white lines?" Yes, the same 3 lines that sealed my fate with Mary Frances and Faith Marie. The same 3 lines that determined whether or not I would give Mary Frances' clothes away. The same 3 lines that now had Johnny and I in a silence neither of us could explain. After what seemed like an eternity of silence, but really was only about 5 secs, we both smiled and said, "Yes doctor, we know what THOSE 3 lines mean."

I accepted that, for whatever reason, God was blessing me with another girl. For His reasons, this was to be my life. A mother of three girls. I would be challenged with remembering their favorite colors to wear, of changing out closets every 3 months, of coming up with new ways to comb their hair and the endless debate of who was the cutest (my own personal debate of course). But the truth of the matter is that, my girls are each distinctly different, they are each their own person. I worried during Maddie's pregnancy whether or not I'd love her as much as I loved the other two. It was the same worry I had when I found out I was pregnant with Faith. It's amazing how you can love 3 different people with the same kind of passion, every day of your life. Maddie is my reminder that things aren't going to happen the way I want them to. She's here to remind me of what it is to be consistent, fair and just. To not forget about her, but to also not forget about her sisters. To show me that it's possible for me to love her as much as I do her sisters.

So, with Dora and Boots by our side, and on the cake, we celebrated Maddie's big day with family, friends and the South Texas heat! I watched with admiration at the young toddler she's become. Her smile. Her hair. Her eyes. Her antics. Her skinny leg jeans. She's as beautiful today as she was two years ago. She's her mother's daughter and her father's gem. Tonight, right now, as I watch her sleep on my bed, I wonder what it is I did to deserve such blessings in my life; and while I may never know the answer to that question, I do know that I'm on the adventure of a lifetime, and not even Dora knows how it will end!

So as Dora would say, "Hasta luego!"...Till next time...