����vlog

SHARING FIRST DAY PHOTOS OF THEIR KIDS HEADING BACK TO SCHOOL. BUT ����vlog ERIK HANSEN DIDN’T STOP THERE. HE FOLLOWED SOME STUDENTS INTO CLASS AGAIN WHILE IT WAS ALL SINKING IN FOR THEIR MOMS, WHO DROPPED THEM OFF 20 MINUTES BEFORE THE NEW YEAR’S FIRST BELL. VAN METER SOPHOMORES HAVE THEIR WATER BOTTLES TOPPED OFF READY FOR THEIR NEXT CHAPTER. IT’S NOT, LIKE, TOO MUCH DIFFERENT THAN MY FRESHMAN YEAR, JUST LIKE A LOT HARDER CLASSES OVERALL. AND THE MOMS THEY JUST LEFT BEHIND IN THE PARKING LOT. I CANNOT BELIEVE THAT WE BLINKED AND WERE HERE. I FEEL LIKE THEY JUST DROPPED THEM OFF FOR KINDERGARTEN. I REMEMBER WHAT HE WAS WEARING. I REMEMBER THE PICTURES. I REMEMBER MEETING THE TEACHER, THINKING THAT SHE WAS PERFECT FOR HIM. WHEN THAT SAME MOM KISSED THAT SAME BOY GOODBYE TEN YEARS AGO. EXCITEMENT. HE SAID HE HAD A LITTLE BIT OF A BUTTERFLY IN HIS TUMMY THIS MORNING, BUT THEN HE GOT ON THE SCHOOL BUS AND HE DID IT. AND THEN I DROVE HERE TO MAKE SURE HE WAS OKAY. HE DOESN’T NEED ME THAT DAY. BEN’S MOM ADMITTED, I HAVE BUTTERFLIES, BUT I’M EXCITED FOR HIM. THIS WEEK, AS HE CLIMBED THE SAME SCHOOL STAIRS TO FIRST PERIOD BAND. IT’S SINKING IN. EVERYONE SAYS THE DAYS ARE LONG, BUT THE YEARS ARE SHORT, AND I FEEL THAT DEFINITELY I MEASURE BECAUSE IT SEEMS LIKE JUST YESTERDAY. THOMAS’S SIBLINGS WERE GIVING HIM KINDERGARTEN ADVICE. I SAID THAT IT’S FUN STUFF AND YOU GET NAPS, TAKE NAPS. SO OKAY. ALL RIGHT. HUG AND KISS. MY. AND I GOTTA GO. OKAY. HUG. KISS. YOU’LL LOVE MRS. LAMAR. WE’LL SEE YA. AND HIS MOM WAS KEEPING A STIFF UPPER LIP. THIS IS HARD. I’M ACTUALLY KEEPING IT ALL IN MY EMOTIONS RIGHT NOW. I’LL PROBABLY GO OUTSIDE AND CRY NOW. TEN YEARS HAVE PASSED. I JUST FIND IT KIND OF WEIRD THAT, LIKE, MY SIBLINGS AREN’T IN SCHOOL ANYMORE. AND AS THOMAS HEADS TO HIS FIRST PERIOD CLASS IN THE HALLWAY. I HAVE HISTORY. FOR FIRST HOUR IN THE MORNING, IT’S SINKING IN FOR HIS MOM OUTSIDE, TOO. I JUST WANT THIS THESE LAST THREE YEARS TO KIND OF GO VERY SLOW. SAME FOR OLIVE’S MOM. THIS HAS BEEN THE FIRST YEAR THAT I REALLY HAVE BEEN LIKE, HOLY COW, WE ONLY HAVE A COUPLE YEARS LEFT. TEN YEARS AGO, SHE WAS THE SHOULDER TO LEAN ON THAT MORNING WHEN SOME OF OLIVE’S CLASSMATES COULDN’T HOLD IT IN. OH, OKAY. BUT KINDERGARTEN SPELLING U S T PLANTED THE SEEDS FOR THIS YEAR’S NOVELS AND NEW CELL PHONE RULES. WHAT THAT MEANS IS THAT YOU CAN’T HAVE THEM IN THE CLASSROOM AND LAPTOP LOGINS. IT’S NOT LOADING. IT NEEDED A LITTLE HELP. LET’S TURN IT BACK ON AND SEE IF THAT WORKS IN VAN METER. SOPHOMORE CLASS OF 86 STUDENTS. EVERYONE KNOWS EVERYONE. IT’S COMFORTABLE. IT’S NOT NEARLY AS SCARY COMING TO SCHOOL EVERY YEAR, BUT IN THIS LIFE CHAPTER, WHEN EXTRACURRICULARS KEEP TEENAGERS BUSY, IT IS SINKING IN. EVERY NIGHT IS SOMETHING AND THAT JUST MAKES IT FLY BY EVEN MORE. AND BEFORE WE KNOW IT, IT’S GOING TO BE SENIOR YEAR. WE’RE AT A DIFFERENT STAGE OF LIFE, AND EVERY TIME WE GET TO A NEW STAGE, I’M ALWAYS ANXIOUS AND NERVOUS. BUT THEN I’M LIKE, EVERY TIME I FEEL LIKE, OH MY GOSH, THIS IS THE BEST ONE YET. BECAUSE THE ELMER’S BOTTLES AND SCISSORS WERE SWEET TEN YEARS AGO, TODAY, I WAS GOING TO BE ON. HAPPY DAY ELLA. NICE JOB, GOOD JOB BEN. BUT THAT CHAPTER’S PAST AND EVERYONE KNOWS THIS CHAPTER DOESN’T LAST FOREVER EITHER. IT DOESN’T. AND I ALWAYS HEAR, OH, WHAT ARE YOU GOING TO DO AFTER SCHOOL? I DON’T KNOW, THAT’S ALWAYS BEEN MY ANSWER. I CAN’T WAIT TO SEE, YOU KNOW, HOW HE DOES AND WHAT HE BECOMES. ERIC HANSO