Back to School 2011

We have survived the first two days of school and I am already counting down the days until summer vacation - only 178 days to go!

The first day of school was a big success.  All three kids were up and dressed early, the Converse laced up and ready to go.  Breakfast was eaten wearing backpacks and there was a definite excitement in the air.

Uncle Peter's "friend", Sarah, had graciously offered to come over and do Abby's hair for the first day of school.  Abby was thrilled to have her own personal hairdresser help her get ready for school - and I was thrilled to not have to try some fancy hair-do while making lunches and feeding four other kids breakfast.  Thank you, Sarah!!

When the kids were already, we took the mandatory photos and then went over to the neighborhood breakfast.

The neighborhood breakfast is such a fun tradition.  It's always great to see the kids greet their friends and it gives them a boost of confidence as they head off to the great unknown.  I just don't know how Abby and her friends have gone from this:

to this......

In what feels like the blink of an eye?

I still remember on the first day of first grade, Abby was so nervous she wouldn't eat any food at the neighborhood breakfast, and then chewed on her backpack straps all the way to school.  This year, she and her friends just strolled casually over to school without a care in the world.  

Isaac was excited for school to start and was excited to see his friends at the neighborhood party.  I can't believe he's starting third grade this year.  As Andrew looked at these pictures of Isaac he said, "He doesn't look like a little boy anymore."

Waaaahhhhh.  Andrew should know better than to say mean things like that to me on the first day of school.  Doesn't he know, Isaac will always be my little boy?

Henry has been so excited to start first grade.  I tried to convince him that another year of Kindergarten was a great idea, but Henry wouldn't hear of it.  So, despite my protests, on Monday morning, Henry strolled confidently and happily to first grade.  (There was a little meltdown because he didn't get a Sunny-D at the breakfast, but he recovered quickly.)

Okay, so maybe he doesn't look totally confident in that picture, but he actually did great.

So, the back-to-school transition has been pretty easy this year - at least for the kids at school.  Those of us at home are less than thrilled.  I spent the day on Monday feeling melancholy.  I wasn't ready for school to start.  I wasn't ready to say good-bye to summer or to my babies and I'm not ready to acknowledge that my kids are growing up much faster than I am comfortable with. 

Peter hasn't been very happy with school starting either.  On the first day of school, he asked at 11:00, how much longer until Henry got home.  And on the second day of school, he asked, "Can't you just go to the school and tell Abby, Isaac and Henry that they HAVE to come home now?" 

Lucy hasn't faired much better.  I think she's a little bored having all the big kids gone too.  On the second day of school, while I was ten feet from her cleaning the kitchen, Lucy found a pair of scissors and very quietly shredded the dress she was wearing.  Isn't that a cry for help from a girl who doesn't know what to do with herself?

Contemplating what she has done.

Anyway,  I'm glad the kids are doing so well.  I'm glad that at least they are adjusting to school and to the new routine.  I'm just still trying to get my bearings as I wonder where the time has gone and what happened to sleeping in until 9:00.