First day of school

It's THAT morning.

I just unloaded the anxiety-ridden eighth grader at the front door where she immediately fluffed her hair, checked herself in the reflection of the minivan window and waltzed into school with the biggest grin I've seen from her in months.

Got a first grader who is uber excited about going to 'real' school where she is there all day. She's not quite as worried about being pretty, she's just excited about being in a new school with a load of new friends.

Then we have the kindergartner. Bouncing off the walls with anticipation. Just a total spazz.

We;ve got the school supply headaches, the last minute carpool arrangements, the clothes, the hair, the groundrules, etc. etc. etc.

that is all. No real point to the post. Just rambling about the minutia in the tater-tot household.

 

Is Uma still hot, Dooley taking the first day of school well?

 

Uma took Emily off to 1st grade. they left about 10 minutes early so they could walk in together, find her desk in the classroom and say hello to the teacher.

I get the other three kids -- 3-year-old Sam starts preschool next week.

It's weird. We've got four kids going to four different schools this year. Emily got pulled out of her kindergarten class last year and was 'identified' -- that's the term they use -- as gifted. So she was tested and then placed in a special magnet program at a different school in our district. We're hoping Melissa goes there, too.

I used to think parenting was tough when all or most of the kids were home with me during the day. Now I've got all sorts of schedules, homework, after-school activities, etc. to keep track of.

Wouldn't trade it for anything, though.

 

Idaho, you have the life my friend.

 

It's Opening Day here in Central Florida as well.

The one thing I noticed driving by the neighborhood middle and elementary schools: Doesn't anyone take the bus any more? The lane to turn into the middle school lot had to be a quarter of a mile. I saw one bus.

Now I know what road(s) to avoid.

 

We're too close to ride the bus. But even when we did live in the bus range, I didn't let my daughter ride it. The bus stop was on a very busy road and because we were so far from her school and the bell rang so early, she had to go out to the corner and wait in the dark while construction workers zipped by at 55 mph.

so the parents on our block did the morning carpool to get the kids to school. We'd let them ride the bus home in the afternoon when it was warmer, lighter and safer.

but I've noticed the same thing. I walked or rode my bike to school pretty much every day of my life as a kid. I don't see that as much anymore. I think parents are soft on kids, and some of us are scared of predators, too. there are four houses with registered sex offenders living within three blocks of our elementary school. Just knowing that will freak a lot of moms and dads out.

 

So when did pitchers and catchers report?

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Loved riding the bus in elementary school. When you got to be a 5th grader, you maintained control over the back of the bus. We ruled, baby.

 

My eldest just headed out with his buddy for their 2,000 (1200 miles) kilometre drive to Nova Scotia for his third year of university.

His younger brother is flying out tomorrow to attend the same school.

It's almost as tough as when I dropped them off for their first day of kindergarten.

 

You mean gifted as in "bright and intelligent" not as in Ralph Wiggum-short bus gifted, right?

 

I bent my wookie.

 

I'm special.

 

I can't WAIT for the first day of school here.

My teacher roommate will be gone by 6:45 each morning, not yapping REALLY loudly on her phone all morning roughly five feet from my bedroom door.