The First Day of SCHOOL!!

When I think of all the new school years I started in my life, I can remember that inexplicable feeling of change in the air.  The turning of the leaves, that unmistakeable fall scent that lingers in the air, the anticipation of a new teacher, a new group of classmates, the sports and extracurricular activities that would be starting up again.  The colder nights, the earlier sunsets - all of it led to a palpable feeling of change.

So on a blazing August morning this year, it just didn't feel right to be waiting for the school bus!  But I remind myself that this early start (and a conspicuously absent February vacation) leads to a release date of JUNE SECOND!  To think of having all of June to ourselves is beyond my wildest dreams!

But I'm getting ahead of myself.  WAY ahead.  Back to August 24th - the first day of THIRD GRADE for Jack.  He is not thrilled to be back to rules and schedules, but he's undeniably curious about his new school and his new teacher, Mrs. Sellers. 

We started the day with some stick to your ribs belgian waffles, with our favorite Christmas Tree Shop maple syrup and a few of summer's last delicious berries (which Jack flicked off his plate at the first opportunity)

I'll be honest - this was a picture taken after he got OFF the bus, because he wouldn't let me take one BEFORE the bus.  He's worn this same shirt on the first day of school for the last FOUR years. 

Preschool, kindergarten, first and second grade. It was HUGE on him at age four, and this is probably the last year he'll fit into it.  I promised him I'd get him a new one for next year.  The same Land's End, kelly green polo with JACK embroidered on the chest.  So that no matter who he sees that day, they'll all know his name.  Even though, let's be honest, Jack is not the kind of kid you forget.

Molly had just woken up - her bus ride doesn't come until tomorrow, so I let her sleep in and see Jack off with bedhead and pajamas.

Jack, Ethan, Connor and Drew all ready to go!

Loaded down with all his school supplies and his cool new messenger bag that was painstakingly selected the weekend before with Auntie Trecie.

Bye Jack!  You're going to do GREAT!

And away he goes!

Then it was Molly's turn.  She and Mommy got to go to orientation at her kindergarten class.  She wore a special dress that Auntie Trecie had brought from Rugged Bear, a children's clothing boutique near our old house.  Her backpack was a little heavy for her with all her school supplies inside, but we snapped a few pictures for posterity.

Ah, this is the face I'm going to miss!  Wasn't it just yesterday that she had her "cockatoo" hairdo and could barely keep a bow in?  And now here she is all long-haired and long-legged and ready to take on the world!  I can almost year Sunrise, Sunset  from Fiddler on the roof playing.  But I've shed my tears, and Marc and I have made our decision, that going to Spring Brook with her big brother alongside her is the best start we can give her in her new hometown.  She'll be learning the ropes right along with all the other kindergarteners, and will be able to start making friends she can keep for many years to come.  Mrs. Verdun is SO LUCKY to have this girl in her class - she's going to brighten the place up with her sunshine smile every day!

I loved getting a sneak peek into the workings of her classroom.  We waited outside with other parents and students, while we checked out the class list.  Molly is incredibly curious about all the unique names and skin tones that she's seeing around her that she never experienced in Pembroke.  We've talked about polite ways to ask about people's differences without making them self-conscious.  She was mostly trying to discern who is "American" and who is "foreign" because she was worried that she'd try to talk to someone and they wouldn't speak English.  I told her the best way to find out if someone speaks English is to say "Hi!  My name is Molly, what's yours?" 

I should probably tell them there's a missing 'T' there, huh?  Seems no one ever likes that poor T! 

Practicing coming and going.

Fun decorations!

 The children got to color apples while Mrs. Verdun talked to the parents.  Then it was story time.  She read Mrs Bindergarten Gets Ready For Kindergarten by Joseph Slate.  When Jack was getting ready to start kindergarten, our neighbor, Sue, told us about the book and I ran out and bought it right away.  Molly and I had been reading it over the last few weeks of summer to start getting both of us ready for the transition.  In fact, I'd read it to her that very morning, and she was thrilled to see it in her classroom!

We were only there an hour and then headed back home to see Ben, who had been getting spoiled by his Aunties while we were gone.  Then we put Ben down for a nap and got our aprons on - it was time to put our spiffy new double ovens to the test!

My sous chef, in all her baking cuteness!

Molly wanted to try the camera, so I put it on sports mode.  She took about 75 pictures in four seconds, so I knew at least one had to turn out well!  It was such a wonderful last afternoon with just the two of us, like 'old times'.  Six dozen chocolate chip cookies later and the day ended on a very SWEET note.