He's done already?

All good things must come to an end, it is said. The kids are back home from spending the weekend at Grandma's house. Having the house to ourselves for three days and actually missing the kids by the time we got to pick them up was a good thing, and now it has ended. Right about the same time they started arguing in the car on the way home is when I think that ended.
For the last seven years, I have homeschooled all three of my children. On one particularly frustrating day in February, I shouted "That's it! You're all going to school next year!" in exasperation. This is a standard empty threat, in heavy rotation with "I'm running away when your father gets home and never coming back" and "Clean up this room or I'll clean it with a trash bag and a shovel." Son #2 and The Princess issued the standard cries of "No, no! We'll do our work, we promise!" This promise is as empty as my threat. Son #1, however, looked thoughtful and said "I guess I could do that."
What's a mother to do? So, without meaning to, in that moment of frustration, I changed the course of our lives. Son #1 will be going to school next year, starting in the 7th grade. He's registered, the vaccine exemption letter is on file with the school nurse, and the only thing left was for the school to give him a placement test. This was scheduled for June 24th, 8:30 am. The day loomed large on the calendar and in our minds. I felt very much like it was a test of me, of all I had done all these years. Had I taught him well, had he learned, had I let him down and let him fall behind. The principal had said it was a three hour test, half math and half what you may know as English but is now called literacy. We reminded him he must do his best and try hard to do well. Finally, the day came.
It came as the hottest day of the year; it was already 90 degrees when we set out at 8 am to walk the mile or so to school for the test. Once we arrived and met with the principal, he gave us a tour of the school while he worked out some logon problems with the test (all on computers now, apparently). With Son #1 settled, I wished him luck one last time and before setting off for home asked the principal "Do you think it will take the whole three hours?" No, he said, more like two, and that he'd call me when he was almost done. Off we went toward home, playing a game as we went; walking quickly through the sunny spots and lingering in the shade. Once we were home, had our shoes off and had a nice cold drink, we were ready to relax...
Which is when the phone rang. It was the principal, chirping merrily "He's done. We'll let him chat with our counselor till you get here." He's done? Already? It's only been forty five minutes! It was supposed to take two hours! Ack! Shoes back on, let's go get him.
In case you're wondering, he and I did well on the test. I can't believe how quickly it's gone. I hope when we all look back on it, we will think it was the opposite of the walk home, that we lingered in the sunny spots and went quickly through the shadowy ones. The true test left for me now is how well I do in September when it's time to let him go, for me to let go of the way I've done things for the last seven years, to accept that when it comes to being homeschooled, he's done already.