School Pictures

The Boy's Junior year school picture.  His face shows his excitement, when picture day is the VERY first day of school.  Oh well.  At least he took it.  And there wasn't anything obnoxious on his shirt.

First Day of School--The Boy

The Boy went back to school yesterday, without me.  He's a Junior this year. I am a Help-from-home parent volunteer, and a nearly full time worker.  Darn it.  He's off to a great start...

 YES, you have to take the First Day of school photo!  What kind of mom would I be if I forgot, again?!?

 Smooth outfit...must be a golfer!

 Just not the same without the sister there...

Too cool for school...but he's going anyway!

Back to School

Here you go. The traditional first day of school photo of the kids:

Yes.  It IS that hard to do what your mother asked you to do at 7:30 in the morning of the first day of school when you are that cool...at least for The Boy.

It is sort of his standard issue expression, from the looks of it.  This was just before his Blue/White scrimmage game last weekend.  I have a feeling that he will NOT be excited about having me take his photo before every game he plays....even if his first real high school game is this Thursday.

I guess I should just be grateful he lets me take his picture at all.  He is a 15 year old sophomore boy, after all.

Tradition: First Day of School Photo

The Boy and The Girl are headed to school this morning, with an awkward amount of "togetherness".  Or maybe The Girl was just rubbing it in that she got to drive to school today, and The Boy would be walking.

And the dubious pair, at the traditional location for these shots.  The Boy was asking to put this shot off until his cool new shoes came.  He ordered a new pair of wildly bright crazy Nikes, and they were due to arrive via UPS today.  Still, not in enough time for school.  Perhaps another post.

The Shopping Blur

I missed writing yesterday because the day was packed with Back To School preparations.  Haircuts for all, and the dreaded school clothes shopping.

I say "dreaded" here only because that is how it has been in the past.  This year was actually pretty nice.  The Boy brought his iTouch and was plugged in through much of the trying on segment.  That helped!  The Girl is growing but still petite enough to fit into most everything she saw, making the decisions the only hard part.

The Boy, looked at a lot, but opted to go with Genius Golfer because, and I quote here, "Dad really gets me".  What?!?!  I am chopped liver, I suppose.  Oh well.  I did enough shopping to last a year at least, so I guess his choice is better.

The haircuts--trims, really--were even painless.  If only my wallet could say that for the day's work.

Back To School

It is the first day of school today. And that, in and of itself, is a pretty good day for me. But there are reasons beyond the typical "Happy Dance" of getting kids out of the house that make it a happy day.

* ROUTINE Man, I love the back to school time because we finally get everyone back to a regular schedule. Getting to bed on time, getting up earlier, getting back to having dinner together--this still usually has to wait until football practice is over, but it gets better when school starts.

* GOOD COP, BAD COP I am a big supporter of teachers, especially when they have my kids in their classes. My kids know that I will back up teachers 100% in what they require, ask, and assign. I love to have another "baddie" working on the kids. It is exhausting being the only one all summer.

* EXERCISE Last year, I'd walk with the kids to get them across a very busy street in town where the junior high school is located. Not that needed my help, but it eased my worry. Now, The Boy and his buddies are walking to school together and I get to leave him at the corner with the group. Then I get to take off for about 45-60 minutes of walking with my iPod. I love having that time first thing in the morning to exercise, and check it off my list. Plus the iPod is a fantastic tool. I have "podcasts" loaded that I listen to while I walk. These are like radio shows, interviews, or behind the scenes stories. Sure, I have music too, but the time to listen to an adult conversation--as in content, not hte rating--is pretty nice.

* BOUQUETS OF SHARPENED PENCILS Remember that line from You've Got Mail? I do enjoy the back to school supplies on sale. Sometimes I stock up on crayons just to smell them later while I back Family Home Evening visual aids.

* LUNCH For me, not the kids. On the first day back to school, several friends and I meet at our favorite burger joint to celebrate keeping our kids alive all summer to allow them back to school. The best tradition of them all.

Let it Begin, Already!

I am more than ready for PTA to begin. But I guess, that would mean school would have to start too. Dangit. I am not ready for that.

This has been a nice summer for lounging, being busy, having fun, and hanging out with my kids. It has also been a long summer of PTA drama, high and low, that I am totally ready to be done with. Sadly, my PTA life is one more year from being over--at least in a managerial position. I am more than happy to go back to being a worker bee.

As a Council president, I am the first line of defense, training, question answering, and hand-holding. This time last year, there was more soothing ofnerves, and building up of confidences. This year, I have more preventative maintenance to do to get these local schools on track for a positive, and non-legal threatening years.

It is almost enough to make me want to get a job, just to avoid this stuff. But I don't have time for a real job. I am too busy doing PTA junk. Back to school sounds like the only solution.

GO!!!

First Day of School for The Boy...

Looking at him today, it must be hard to be so cool. Crazy kid. Junior High School here we are!

It's the Most Wonderful Time of the Year...

It's BACK TO SCHOOL time.

This was The Girl on the porch, like every year since she was in kindergarten, on the first day of school. She's in eighth grade this year. Where have the years gone? She loves school and is ready to go back. She misses her friends and the interaction with her teachers. Plus her mean old mom would just have more jobs for her to do if she stayed home. Off with you now.

The Boy is in sixth grade this year. While he is telling me (over my shoulder as I write) that HE is NOT excited about school to begin, I know the real truth. He likes his friends and they are looking forward to being the "big kids" of the elementary school this year. Like that hair? He did it himself. Not that any other mom would need THAT explanation. Also, he insists on wearing his hoodie. It will be 90 degrees today, but he bought it with his own money--too rich for my blood--and he really likes it. "Better to look good than to feel good, my dahling." He is looking cool and feeling cool too. What better way to start the new year of school?! Now, let's get you on the road too.

Then I'll come back and eat my bon-bons and put my feet up to watch a couple of soap operas and drink my diet coke. Well, the diet coke part is true enough. Happy first day of school, you punks! I love you.