L. has less than two weeks of school left. Less than two weeks of ELEMENTARY school left. The end-of-grade tests are more or less behind us, and I'm sure no new material will be introduced in the classes this week or next. As I drove L. to school on Monday I thought out loud about what they would be doing this week. We've found it helpful to verbally structure L.'s day for him ahead of time, even if loosely--much the way I like to verbalize (mentally) my own day to myself when I'm in the shower.

"I wonder what you'll be doing this week," I said, as we pulled into the parking lot.  L. He didn't know. We hypothesized some things, and then I walked him to the door. When I picked him up at 3:00 later that day I walked into the school building to check on some things and noticed that the atmosphere in the hallways seemed unusually loud and animated. Groups of 5th grade boys were laughing and whispering, and the girls seemed to be walking around with their heads held high, and a mysterious, slightly uncomfortable air about them.

"Let's get OUT of here," was the first thing L. said to me, as he tore out of the classroom, backpack flapping open. He couldn't get out of the building fast enough. That was when I remembered what the kids will be working on this week: Human Growth and Development.

I was a pretty late bloomer. At the time, I felt kind of weird about it, like I was missing out on something. Now I know. The earlier you bloom, the longer you have to deal with all that... girl stuff.