First Day of School Alone

As the final child at home, Tucker posed for his first day of school before driving away. He's a junior this  year.

I think the expression on his face conveys the excitement he feels about another year of high school.

First Day of School

Today was the first day of school for my boys. This is the 5th first day of school for Spencer since he started going to school in 8th grade. We homeschooled before that. Tucker started going later that same year, but technically this is only his 4th first day of school.
When we homeschooled, we'd have "not back to school" parties. Now I send them off before 8 a.m. and see them again after 3.
This year, our school is starting very early in the year. The goal is to finish the first semester before Christmas. That way, high school students can take their exams before Christmas break rather than coming back to school for a week and taking exams then. It makes perfect sense to me, and the kids get out of school in May rather than in June, so it all evens out.
The parents who are complaining about the early start are the parents of the younger students. They can't stand the changes in the Christmas holiday. It's hard to make them understand how quickly those years fly past. Before they know it, they will be looking at kids who tower above them try and try to eek out good grades to get into college.

Settling In

Thanks to everyone for their comforting words and thoughts as we adjust to life without Grace at home.
Just to follow up on the dread that we felt and Grace felt on the first day -- things were, of course, much better in the daylight.
I didn't get any panicked phone calls last night. Although she did say around 10:30 that she was exhausted and planned to go to bed.
"No! Don't go to bed!" I warned. "Do something else so you don't lie there and think about being homesick."
This morning, I found a text message that came in around 12:30 a.m.
"We just had a three room singalong. It's like college musical. You're right. I will be fine. Love forever."
Of course, she is in the performing arts dorm, so I imagine not every new college student is having midnight singalongs, but this is getting her through.
Now, I just have to try not to imagine that petrified look on Tucker's face as he left for his first day of high school today.
"Wait? What do we do for 15 minutes before homeroom?" he asked Spencer as they headed out the door.
"Well, the freshmen are real excited and they scream a lot," Spencer said.
I don't think his words were comforting.

Back to School

Last year when the kids went back to school, it was the first time all three of my children actually attended. My husband was still working a normal schedule so he left for work in the morning, and I wondered what mothers do when their kids are gone if they aren't working. I didn't have any classes that day, so I spent the hours cleaning the house. It seemed like a renewal kind of thing.
Yesterday, the kids headed back to school again. I'd spent hundreds of dollars on school supplies and clothes, and I got up at 5 to get to the grocery store to buy the requisite boxes of tissues for the teachers.
I had to teach a few hours and I took along my gym bag, planning to work out, but when I walked out of the building a little before noon, the sky was so blue and the air was crisp.
I called my husband, who is now on the crazy schedule with days off on Monday and Tuesday (?) and said, "Let's go for a bike ride."
So we did.
The bike trail is about a mile from our house and it winds along the Olentangy River. It has some definite flaws especially as it goes through Ohio State. It's under construction and the path goes up a hill right by the old student union where people are trying to walk.
But the air felt fresh, like the harbinger of fall. I loved the sound of the few crisp leave crunching under the tires, mixed with the steady chirp of the crickets. The buzz of cicadas in the trees seemed to herald the end of summer.
Along the river I saw an egret glide in for a landing, its white wings cocked above the greenish brown of the water. A great blue heron stood placidly in the water at another spot, ignoring the squawking of the geese.
My bike is smaller than my husband's and my legs are much shorter, so it seems like I pedal constantly but can't keep up with him. That was okay because I loved the whoosh of the wind in my ears.
We got home in time to take a nap before picking up the kids from school. And, although we had to ferry them to a nuber of places, like to the doctor to remove stitches, they were all enthusiastic about their first day, and about the milkshakes my husband had ready when they came in the door from that first day of school.