First Day of School!

Well, it has officially begun. The rushing pace of life after summer has swept us up and we are now being pulled along by the current. Or maybe I should say the kids are being pulled by the current, because I am sitting in a quiet house...typing on the computer...enjoying a warm cup of coffee.

This morning went flawlessly. Neither girl 'allowed' me to walk them in this year. Summer gave it some serious thought, but decided that she could find the gym all by herself (she was having to enter through a different door at the back of the school this year...so she gave it VERY serious consideration...we're talking a back-and-forth-many-many-times type of consideration). Kyla, on the other hand, quickly made up her mind that her mom was NOT to come in with her. A friend from church was a God-send...she was walking her son in and asked Kyla if she wanted to walk in with them...PERFECT! She walked in w/Cheryl no problem....so apparently it wasn't a no-mom rule...just a no-Mom rule. ha!

It is so quiet here because Luke spent the night with Granny & PopPop. They thought it might really help to ease some of the stress on the first day of school...especially since Luke doesn't really understand that he doesn't start school the 'exact' same day as his girlies. They were sooo right! It was downright peaceful this morning! What a blessing!

It took about 30 minutes to do the round trip driving from the house to the two schools this morning - it isn't a far distance...the elementary school is only about a 3 minute drive from the house...the intermediate school is about 2 miles away...but there are 4 school zones that you have to drive through to get from our house to both schools - CRAZY! And I saw the signs - NO cell phones in the school zones now, too - that's new! I guess I'll be staying off the phone...I'd have to hang up every few minutes - ha! I better get used to all of the driving around - this is only the first of many years when the kids will be at different schools.

Back to School Pedi-s

Well, my girls feel like they are super stars!! As a very sweet back-to-school surprise, their Granny and PopPop treated them to their very first pedicure.

They were sooo funny - Summer spent a lot of time giggling because it tickled when they exfoliated her feet. And the women who performed their pedicures were impressed with their manners and how kindly they talked about their parents, so they painted flowers on their toes for free!! I guess the girls will have to figure out what shoes they have that will show off their toes...and match their first day of school outfits.

School starts on Monday. I don't really care for that...it will make for one very LOOOONG first week back. I'm a firm believer that the first week of school should start on a Wednesday or Thursday. That way by the NEXT Monday, most of the glitches in schedules and classrooms are fixed and the real learnin' can begin! But they don't ask my opinion when figuring out the school calendar around here - imagine that!

Summer had a back-to-school night last night and we found out that she will have Mrs. Maryfield for 3rd grade. I'm very pleased - she was Kyla's 4th grade teacher last year...excellent teacher...sweet but firm.

Kyla won't meet her teachers until Monday - no meet-the-teacher/back-to-school night for her. It is a little odd to me, but I guess that will be the 'norm' for intermediate school. Intermediate school!?! That just doesn't seem possible. Some of my most vivid memories of school start in the 5th grade. I don't know if it is because that was the year that I went from private school to public (talk about a culture SHOCK!)...or just because of the age. They are going to post the teachers up at the school sometime this evening...and we'll drive by the school and see. It won't really do us any good - we don't know but a couple of teachers there anyways...and from what one of them has told me - she isn't in her class. But, at least she'll have names - a name is better than no name, I guess.

And then there is Luke. He is going to "preschool-school" two mornings a week this year. He won't let us just call it school...or preschool...it is only to be called "preschool-school" and he has decided that they will teach him how to drive. Wow! I hope that he won't be too disappointed. He could be talking about the tricycle track they have in the center courtyard -they will ride around it and learn 'traffic laws' - but I'm not so sure. You just don't know with that one - he could be talking about driving a car...a motorcycle...heavy equipment...you just don't know. He will have to wait until after Labor Day to start school. The 2 weeks between the girls going to school and his starting may be the looongest two weeks of his and my life...ha!