It’s close to the end of August in the middle of a heat wave and hurricanes are looming out in the Caribbean. Do you think any of that is bothering me?

Nope, not in the least.

Got the two oldest sent off to their respective places of residence.

Got the new puppy house-broken, the last of Holly’s gifts are packed up and the last of her thank you notes are ready for stamps to go in the mail this weekend.

Sounds great doesn’t it?

Then what is it that is driving me nuts and following me around.

My baby, my little Emmy-Boo, has gone to high-school!

And I can’t figure out what those people over at Cathedral School are thinking.

After all, she can’t be more than 8 or maybe 10 years old. I heard that she has been spreading an evil rumor that she is going to be 15 in November but that has to be a mistake.

I expected the older two to grow up. Even though there have been some tears shed on my part, secretly in my heart, I knew it was OK because there was Emily.

She has been my ace in the hole all this time — my talisman against the empty nest that so many people carry on about.

Go ahead and laugh at me. While you’re at it, laugh at her big brother and sister, too.

Evidently they have been stuck in the same time warp as I.

This is evidenced by the comments from them (especially brother) regarding the dance this Friday night.

Cathedral has “Meet the Green Wave” this Friday and then the high school back to school dance.

For some reason Emily expects to be allowed to go to this function. Her siblings and I aren’t so sure that is the case.

And not just Emily is suffering from the effects of our amnesia.

Unbeknownst to him, a certain sophomore at Cathedral walks around every day with his safety hanging in the balance.

To the outside world, friends, his family and my daughter he seems like a nice young man to my son he is the reason that Emily should be under house arrest and socially bound and gagged.

Poor boy, he has no idea how little provocation it would take for big brother to get in his car and drive home.

I haven’t minded so much, after all, he doesn’t have a driver’s license yet and with his football practice and her softball an cheerleading they only see each other at school.

Unfortunately for them, he gets his license in November. I told Emily that her siblings and I voted him off the island effective the end of October.

I have no idea why she keeps giving me that weird look and just walks off shaking her head.

Perhaps as I try to deal with this change it is best that brother and sister are off at school trying to live their lives.

This way Emily has to deal with only one crazy person at a time.

Christina Hall can be reached by e-mail at christina.hall@natchezdemocrat.com.