more first days of school . . .

The kids are slowly making their way back to school. The boys have been in for three weeks and Bev went back on Monday. Last week she reported that she loves school and was ready to go back. Fifth grade, here she comes.

When the kids all piled in the van after school, I noticed that they had all chosen to wear their college t-shirts. As you can see, the lines have been drawn.

Today was Jessi's turn. Oh, man I have been worrying about her. Will she just sit and talk during lunchtime and not get any nutrition? Will she wander off the playground and get lost? Will she have a patient teacher? Will the full-day thing be too much for her?

Well, she was the first of the four up this morning. She had picked out her clothes the night before and was dressed and ready to go. She even set out everyone's backpacks.

The poor kids--every year I make them smile into the bright morning sun for these first-day-of-school pictures.

I volunteered at the school in the morning (convenient so I can do my traditional first-day-of-school stalking.) I got a little teary-eyed when I left the school, but no major breakdowns. And, good news--I'm not feeling the need to go get another cat to fill my empty arms.

The report from the girls' first day of school was that they loved it. They loved their teachers and they both had good first days. That makes them growing up a little easier to bear.