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First Day of School

It’s always bittersweet, the First Day of School. I love summertime. I love lazy mornings and afternoons at the pool. I love long days and waking up to daylight at 5:30 AM. But I also like the structure that the school year brings, and I’m more than ready to get back onto a predictable schedule.

However, I am NOT ready to give up the warmth of summer, and I can already feel a touch of fall in the air today.

It’s as if nature knew this was the first day of school. I woke up to a brisk breeze fluttering my bedroom curtains and threw on a sweatshirt before I went downstairs to greet the morning (and my Keurig.) The kids were groggy, unused to being roused before their bodies willed themselves awake. I insisted on showers all around, and they showed up at the breakfast table with wet heads and freshly scrubbed faces.

Still not quite in the school year rhythm, we rushed through breakfast, and I hurried them outside for the obligatory First Day of School photos before herding them off to the bus stop.

My five-year-old was left behind, as she is signed up for Afternoon Kindergarten and isn’t due at school until 12:15. She’s been wandering around aimlessly this morning, not sure what to do with herself with her regular playmates off at school, and has me re-thinking my plan to keep her home in the mornings. We may need to sign up for some classes or schedule some regular play dates. Or maybe she’ll adjust after a few days, and I’ll be able to work while she putters around.

Meanwhile, I am trying to get myself acclimated to a new schedule and figure out how I’m going to keep everyone organized.

I have a kindergartener, a third grader and a sixth grader this year. I’m not entirely sure how that happened. While I don’t exactly miss wiping bottoms and noses, I wouldn’t mind turning back the clock — just for a day or two. I’d probably be eager to return to these grade-school years if I got a reality check, but right now I’d do just about anything to nuzzle a downy newborn head and breathe in the sweet scent of baby just one more time.

I’m told these are the golden years, that I’ve got it good right now and I should enjoy every minute of it. I’m going to try to do just that. Starting with grabbing a 3rd cup of coffee and typing up a chore chart and homework checklist. Maybe if I keep pretending to be organized, someday it will actually take.

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20 Responses

  1. Aww, back to school time always seems both happy and heartwrenching. This is my son’s 2nd week of Kindergarten, and he was so excited that he is going full days, instead of half days like they did for Pre-K. However, he still doesn’t like the early mornings (he’s never been a morning person!)

  2. So jealous of your bit of fall. It was cloudy and cooler here this morning, meaning in the low 80s with a chance of rain (which did not produce any actual rain) but our high is 104. We do look good to stay in the 90s over the weekend, and we are absurdly happy at the prospect!

    I bet R will learn to love having the house to herself in the mornings, after a few days. Good luck to everyone adjusting!

  3. I’m a little jealous of the kids going back to school this week. We are in the Perkiomen Valley and start way after everyone else, the 6th. I’ll miss the lazy summers but can’t wait for a routine. Which won’t happen until after the 12th when my son starts preschool.

  4. Our first real day of school is next year – for Kindergarten. I am so scared. It just seems so hard for a 5 year old to stay in school for more than 6 hours.

    I was actually thinking how nice it would be if school started later after lunch, I could take my daughter to sports or gymnastics in the morning since she is not overly excited to do sports after school

  5. Your girls definitely take after you in the good fashion sense department!

    We’re homeschooling and did our first real morning of school work today. Wednesday my kindergartner (Ah! Can’t believe I have one of those!) will be attending a homeschool community day at a traditional school. Just packing her up for one day a week makes me feel a bit teary. I guess it’s more the growing up than the actual going someplace that’s the bittersweet part.

  6. I love the picture!! I have first day of school pictures for every year, but now my 8th grader is “too old” for that, and her older sister started her first day of college (2 hours away) last week! I didn’t get any pictures!:( I can’t believe my “babies” are that old! I don’t know either when it happened, but it seems that when they start school, the time just flies. I would love to go back a few years, too, but, on the other hand, it is fun to watch them grow up. Just not so fast!! I am a teacher, and I do not look forward to the start of school as it means the end of summer. Summer is way too short! Our school used a calamity day on the second day of school; we had a storm last week and it knocked the power out. Did you all survive Irene? Things must be OK, if school started.

  7. How awesome that you still have the option of half-day K! In Tennessee, it’s full day, and it was hard on my daugther (her older brother was fine with it though).

    I am with you on the weather. Our temps dropped below 90 this weekend, and I was sad. Everyone else thought I was crazy, but that just means the cold weather will be here before we know it!

  8. Ahh, the first day of school. We’ve had two of these so far (both pre-school years for my oldest). Next Tuesday will be his first day of Kindergarten. Because it is at his preschool, it won’t feel like such a jump. I will probably be ok, but I know he’s a little nervous. All this talk about “kindergarten” I think has his briefs in a bunch.

    Great photo!! I should practice and decide where I want to take mine this year, rather than decide on the fly as I usually do!!!

  9. Ooo! I’d love to see your chore chart! I’ve let my kids slack off on chores this summer and now that our school year is right around the corner I need to get them back on those dreaded chores!

    That way I can pretend to be just as organized as you!

    Sheri O.

  10. Time to stock up on tissues and hand sanitizer because, um, we’ve been back in school since mid-July and already with the dang germs! I hope you have better luck in that department.

  11. Ok maybe not organized, but more on the ball than me. Would you be willing to show us your chore chart and/or what chores your kids are expected to

  12. Today was my first day of having all 3 back to school – it is funny how quickly the routine of packed lunches, uniform and school runs falls back into place.

    After a lovely summer, the house is settling back into it’s natural routine and rythm.

    I was dreading it all, but actually today was kind of nice 🙂

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