Back to School

No, I'm not talking about Back to School sales or getting ready for Back to School or even the Rodney Dangerfield movie, Back to School...this morning, the girls are officially Back IN School. WOOHOO!

Their school district functions on more of a year-round schedule, which I think makes sense here in Southern AZ. Who needs a 12 week summer vacation in 104 degree heat? The girls enjoy a six week summer vacation, then three weeks in early October, two weeks at Christmas, and three weeks in the spring. Vacation time is spread throughout the year and it's nice to be free to take take some vacation time outside of summer.

So this morning we (and by "we" I mean Diane) shook the girls awake a little after 6:00 to begin the morning routine. Kailey and Kyra love school, so today wasn't much of a problem getting them motivated. They were excited about their new classes, new teachers, and reuniting with old friends. Kyra cracked me up with a happy little High School Musical-esque ditty she made up: "I can't believe I'm going to school today..." They put on their new school clothes, packed their new backpacks, posed for the obligatory first-day-of-school photo op, and then we were on our way.

The first day of school is a madhouse. EVERY parent feels the need to accompany their child INTO school. The parking lot is overflowing as are the streets, so we decided to walk the girls to school to avoid the clutter. This year was no different and we were glad we abandoned the cars at home. We walked Kailey to her section of the school and I was fully prepared to drop her off at the gate when we noticed parents walking their 8, 9, 10, and 11 year-olds into the playground. So we followed suit. Kailey was fine on her own, though, as I knew she would be, and she soon left us behind. We waved goodbye, then twisted our way through the maddening crowd of harried parents and children toward Kyra's classroom.

I was surprised to see that the side of the school that housed the younger grade classrooms seemed to have fewer parents and less craziness than the older side. Perhaps that was because everyone was standing around waiting for the bell to ring. Anyway, we met Kyra's teacher (who was Kailey's first grade teacher), talked to her for a moment, gave Kyra a hug goodbye, and skipped our way off of the school grounds. FREEDOM!!

So what did we do with our newfound freedom? Diane and I went on a brisk walk around the neighborhood, came home, flipped on Regis & Kelly and promptly fell asleep. Oh well, we have the rest of the school year to be productive.