Ariel's enrolled in High School

The same week that we enrolled Kavanna in preschool, we attended a meeting for parents of 8th graders who are going into high school. Parents and kids filled the gym for the presentation. It went on for about an hour but I must have dissociated because I only remember a few things:

The head of the sports program told us, "We welcome your student athletes at this school. I want to stress that we call them student athletes for a reason. They are expected to keep up an academic standard. If they fall below that standard they will not be allowed to compete. We expect them to maintain a 2.0 grade point average to stay in the sports progrm."

Huh? 2.0? These students are expected to be average??? As my grandmother would doubtless have said, with a shake of her head"Oy."

The college admissions person spoke. Yes, the college admissions person. Yes. College. She said, "It's never too early to start planning for college."

College? Ariel is still in freaking eight grade!

Last, the principal spoke about the homework requirements for Honors classes, which was that students should anticipate studying a minimum of two hours per class for each honors class. Ariel will be in two honors classes. What are we going to do when we go to China?

I'm praying that a miracle happens and we get our referral in June, which means travel in August, so we can get Kavanna and be back before Ariel starts chool. Normally I'd shudder at the thought of China in August. First, it'll be smack in the middle of the Olympics, which means no trip to Beijing. Second, it's China in August, as in it's probably hotter and more humid than is bearable by humans currently residing in Southern California (and therefore spoiled).

But apparently it's never too early to plan for college and I don't want our trip to China to derail her studies. The sad thing is, I'm only being half-facetious.

So there it is. One child will be in high school in the Fall. The other will be in preschool.

There's a sitcom in there, somewhere.