>First Day of School Report: Success!

>Unlike last year, Emily managed not to scandalize the school with her choice of fashion. Rachel dropped off Emily and her buddy and then reported to me that all was well. She’d shown Emily the ropes, introduced her around, and bade her farewell, so she had a good start. Some mixup about who was to pick her up in the afternoon – was she riding a bus or was Rachel going to get her? – but that was worked out and she finally got home without further incident. She says she likes her classes, likes her new friends, and thinks this’ll be a good year. And, hey, as of today, she has straight A’s! Not a bad start to the new school year.

>First Day of School, 2010

>Like last year, this post’ll mark the occasion of the first day of school only this time it’s the first day of school for Emily alone. Not a lot to add other than to say things are the same yet different. No first-day for Rachel – she graduated and her plans won’t take her to college – and Emily had a friend over to spend the night, which, not to put a too-fine point on it, is craaazy. It’s just not done, old sport. But it was and is and that’s the way things’ll go today. Rachel has said she’ll taken ‘em in and so that’s how it’ll be played. My role? Make sure they get up in time so they’ll have maximum primping opportunity. First impressions are lasting impressions, you know. Then I’m to stand back and let it happen.

Well, okay, I will. I’ll just be over here sifting through these memories of all those other first days of school. They won’t remember them, not for a while, not until they have kids of their own, but I’ll have them available whenever they should ask. And won’t that be a fine time?

Good luck this year, Emily. And thanks, Rachel, for pitching in. You guys handle it from here. I know you can.

Frightful Weather

We’ve got a dome of polar cold air settling around here for the next few days; lows will be in the single digits and we won’t see above freezing temperatures again until probably Sunday. That seems about on par with what the rest of the country is going through. It’s cold, even as far south as Florida. But then it’s Winter so what do you expect?

So it’s cold. Record breaking cold? Not really. Sure, it’s been awhile since we’ve had something like this – I recall reading something the other day in the paper that the last time it was this cold, Clinton was President. We’ve been through this before. We’ll get through it. We’ll go through it again.

Surprisingly, some school districts are closing down. No, not because of any precipitation – there hasn’t been any – but because some students may not have the proper clothing to withstand walking to school or waiting outside for the bus. I just deleted a longish rant about the cowardice of the school districts but you know what? Never mind. This is just he kind of leadership you can expect from our government officials. When the going gets tough, they’ll fold like a cheap pup tent.

As of right now, the girls’ schools are still open so it’s up and at ‘em as usual.

School Days

The report from the front lines of the first day of school: things went fine.

Well, after the trouble Emily stirred up, things went fine. The cute skirt she took such care in finding, pestering Mom to buy, laying out the night before, carefully adjusting, and matching with leggings turned out to be too short for the nay-sayers at her school. Look, I’m all for a reasonable dress code and if Emily’s skirt was too short for the rules – hey, she was wearing leggings for crying out loud, showing no more leg than the other kids wearing Daisy Dukes or slashed jeans – then it shouldn’t be allowed. My gripe was this was the first day of school. Use some judgement. Kindly notify her of her violation and request she not do it again. Believe me, Emily’s a rule follower, not a rule breaker, though I have to admit I think she may have enjoyed playing the rebel for a bit. Halfway to work ,we got the call that she needed some jeans so we turned back around, stopped by home, stopped by school and gave ‘em to her. Then her day could commence.

We’re two days into now, in full compliance with the rules. Things remain. . . fine, or so that’s the report we’re getting. I’m sure things’ll stay that way.

First Day of School

Marking the day for future reference: first day of school for the 2009/2010 school year.

Rachel begins her last year – she’s a senior! Goodness, me. Insert the obligatory where-does-the-time-go? comment here but, really, where does the time go? Wasn’t it just a few years ago we were getting ready to take her to kindergarten?

Emily begins her year as an eighth grader and time hasn’t moved any more slowly for her. Faster, if I think too long about it so I won’t. Last year of junior high, too. A new high school opened last year, causing a re-allocation of students, and so now her school is transitioning to be a middle school.

I don’t know when it began but the first day of school ritual will, of course, be a far cry from what it had been in the past. No crisp new outfits, no pictures to be taken, no hands held as they’re walked to their new class. Just Rachel dashing out on her own and a dropping off of Emily, neither looking back.

That’s the way things are supposed to be, right? Right?

Sigh.

2nd Day of School

Much better today. Rachel got her schedule changed and she seems happy about it for the moment.

And Emily got first chair flute in band! Ha! All that practicing paid off, Clara and I pointed out. Actually, Emily said, she got first chair because she sat down first. Though she did admit, Mr. Ortega told her she had the best tone. No squeaks. So good on Emily.

Report On The First Day Of School

Overall, things went well. Emily only dislikes one teacher; the three AP classes caused Rachel to hit overload. Emily come home with lists and lists of materials needed and Clara took care of that last night. Rachel will re-arrange her schedule to drop two of the AP classes so that shouldn’t be a problem. So they’re poised to start their second day and then the weekend already. No a bad start.