The Young and the Restless

First Day

Life was so busy, I didn't give the first day of school the proper attention it deserved. It's a ritual, a life event worthy of pancakes dripping in buttermilk syrup and a house filled with the smell of bacon. We had Cinnamon Toast Crunch instead. And honestly, they were lucky I even had time to buy them new back packs and a closet rack of polo shirts and khaki shorts. Next year, next year... A new school was built while we were gone, which was good news for two different reasons. I wasn't sure if I wanted to put them back in the school we were at before. It was a great school, academically speaking, but after spending two years using the world as their classroom and learning through hands on experiences, I didn't think the endless worksheets and hours of homework would be a good fit. The new school was the perfect answer, it's a good mix between traditional academics with a little more opportunity for creative expression. But most importantly, they have a bus. The kids weren't too excited about this, but the idea of not spending a single moment sitting in another carpool line made me want to do back flips. If I knew how to do back flips. So, here's to 5th grade with Ms Burns and 1st grade with Ms Brown. May your pencils stay sharpened, your Converse stay tied, your fresh cuts stay combed, and my you know that your mother loves you. Not enough to want to sit in a carpool line, but she loves you just the same. 

And Kylie is happy to no longer be dressed like Dorothy or a Scottish bagpiper, as she heads into 8th grade. Her last year at Junior High, and I'm still in denial that she's going to be in high school next year. I took her the first couple of days before we realized she was eligible for the bus too (we're not zoned for this school, but they are busing the 8th graders there one last year). Happy dance for me, lots of eye rolls and teenage angst from her. She's going to rock jr high, judging solely on the fact that she is clearly like 1000 times cooler than I was in jr high.

And then last, but most definitely not least, Ryder started his last year of preschool. He was all smiles when we went, but he ripped my heart out when I left. He was clinging to me like he would die without me by his side. His teachers (bless their hearts) had to peel him off me as he was kicking, screaming and clawing my shirt off. I knew he would be fine, I knew the best thing to do was just rip the band aid off, it was quick and painful and I fell apart the minute I shut the car door, but within five minutes I got a text that he was perfectly fine and happy. And he has loved it every single minute since. You're killin' me, Smalls!