My Baby's Coming Home!

I used to get into trouble every time I called teen 3 "My Baby", but now she just shrugs her shoulders and smiles.  She is now happy for me to call heer my baby since she long ago passed both her older sisters in height and at 5'10" thinks it is funny to be called a baby.  Yep she is a giant and is proud of it.

Anyway...

Teen 3 has been boarding on the other side of town in order to attend her new school and coming home on the weekends.  This Sunday night we didn't have to take her back for the first time.  She caught the train from home to school.  The express train will get her to the station in an hour ten with a ten minute walk up hill to the school from the station.  The stopping-all-stations train takes 90 minutes to get home in the afternoon.  She gets home about 5pm - yep two hours of travel. 

When she was offered a plaace at the school it was strongly suggested that we opt to board her closer to hte school as the two main rasons that students drop outt are the huge addition accademic leap andthe pressure that goes with it and the strain of travelling long didstance.  We are on the border of what they consider an acceptable daily commute, so were encouraged to board her.

She has been boarding with a lovely family.  BUT she just wants to be at home.  So we are trialling the commute option. 

Last night was our first school night with her at home.  It was lovely.   She sat at the dinner table chatting, eating and generally being her happy, noisy self.  It was wonderful.  It has been remarkable how quiet the house has been without her.  That girl certainly has a presence.  And she makes it felt. 

I am so delighted.  I hope it works.