First Day: The Update

How great do these girls look? Fresh-faced and smiling through the nerves....both of them about to embark on a new year in new schools. They must have been excited because our history with first day of school pictures has been pretty sad and usually end up with them looking extremely annoyed at each other and me.

Needless to say, I didn't sleep at all the night before our big first day. Not a bit. That just catpulted my emotions into overdrive. Drop off for Savanna was fine, knowing 3rd grade isn't all that different from 2nd grade, I didn't even feel guilty just dropping her off in the car rider lane as we passed a lot of other parents personally escorting their children in. Besides, any excercise in independence will do that child a world of good.

Next to drop off was my Claire. With her brave face, and her map strategically positioned where she could sneak a peak if necessary, my little girl started high school. She had graciously played Barbies with Savanna the day before. Today, she would sit next to an 18 year old boy (a football player with a lot of facial hair, she informs me) in an art class and kindly lie to him about how his drawing wasn't all that bad.

Though I hadn't slept, I decided to do myself a favor and meet up with some other moms so I wouldn't have to sit alone at home and wonder if she was wandering the halls or sitting alone in the cafeteria. It would serve me best to drink vodka (yes, we did, at 8:30 am) with them and seek comfort in knowing that my extreme annoyance of my husband wanting to tag along for the grand finale of the big drop off after I had done every ounce of preparation to get us there was indeed, a common feeling amongst us.

Then I went home and took a nap. In Claire's bed.

Picking up Savanna first, she announces that her day was just like any other day, but in a nicer school. My phone started ringing and I swear she got at least 10 phone calls before dinner from some of her new friends.

Picking up Claire, I was just as nervous as drop off. But there she was waiting for me. Standing in the sun, not at all wilted, in those fabulous cowboy boots. She had survived. She didn't get lost. She had helped out a new student who was obviously distraught at the new school. There was no boy who had captured her heart and stolen her away from me. It was ok.

Its all ok.

And today she did it all over again. In flourescent pink Vans.


~xoxoAJ~