After nearly 12 years and two children, I have officially kissed the “kiss-and-go” lane goodbye. Ready or not, our youngest is heading to middle school.

“Are you still planning to live with us, or will you be staying on campus next year?” I teased him as I tucked him into bed the other night. “Dad and I will come up to visit on parents' weekend. I think it's in October.”

I realize that, for people who have sent their kids off to college, going from elementary to middle school hardly seems like a giant leap. But for moms like me, who drag their feet on anything that involves their kids growing up, it is a big step.

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