These three marched out the door yesterday with huge smiles stretched across their faces:

They set off at three different times to three different schools, and left me behind wondering how in the world that summer of crazy whirlwinds of magical things flew by so dang quick.

Yesterday was the first time in fourteen years I didn’t go to our elementary school to drop kids off.  Even the year we went to China we still started school here first.  Fourteen years of sweating in the sun with all the other moms I know and love, catching up across the playground, kissing our kids’ cheeks off, sneaking in to watch them through the classroom windows.

Lucy claimed she was just fine to go by herself and Dave asked me on a date to go work out together 🙂

And I was strangely ok with the whole deal.

Although I’m bugged that school keeps starting earlier and earlier, (August 3rd in the desert heat??…come on!), and I’m already missing those girls of mine, their excitement rules out all the lamenting about summer being over.  And I have to admit it felt pretty exhilarating to get so much done yesterday.  It was a good day.

We started with rainbow pancakes…

…which Lu will not let me forget.  Ever.

And then we sent these girls off, one by one.

Grace first off to her sophomore year of HIGH SCHOOL:

Claire off to her FIRST year of JUNIOR HIGH.

We wondered if she’d be nervous but I think that face below shows just how she felt:

(They are holding up fingers for 4th and 7th grade.)

I mean, how can you be nervous when you have this bike gang to head off to school with?

Had to take both angles, love those girls!

Then Lucy left on the tail end.

My last strong-hold in elementary school.

Let’s just make a note of that backpack and water bottle back there because she is SO excited about those things.

I mean, what could get better than a BLUE water bottle (her favorite color), and a BLUE backpack with butterflies on it to top it all off??  (finally convinced to dump the butterfly backpack with a completely broken zipper she insisted on using the last month of school).

Off on the bus, all smiles.

The first home were these girls who joined in our traditional first-day-of-school “Cookie Chat.”

 So great to hear about how high school went…and when you have a group you hear way more.

Right after I took that of those girls it started to POUR!!

And I mean really pour.  And it was right out of the blue right as Claire was supposed to be coming home on her bike.

Just as I was debating how the heck I could catch her to give her a ride, I caught this:

That girl was DRENCHED!

 Made for a good adventure in her book.

 Rain in the desert is the best, and it sure gave us a good show.

Last home was Lucy…the bus was super delayed because of the rain, but it came when it all calmed down.

One minute for our “cookie chat” all together before Grace had to leave again, but they all had a pretty happy first day.

That night over dinner we had a great little facetime talk with Elle who wanted to know all about it.

She asks the best questions and made her little sisters get a little extra jump in their step they were so excited to tell her all about it.
It’s almost time for that college girl of ours to have her second “first day” of college in Hawaii.  Crazy!
So far so good on the school thing.  This schedule dealio is going to take some work, but we’ll get there!  

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9 Comments

  1. OMG?!?!? School in August?!?!
    What is wrong with you people? This is the best part of summer!
    We still have one month off to go before school starts in Croatia.
    Love your blog,
    Anamaria
    P.S. you should put Croatia on your travel list:-)))

  2. We finish school very end of June and go back 1st week in September here in Alberta. I always get mad that my kids are still in school when AZ & TX are out but then I'm always glad when I see these posts that we have another month !
    So glad school went well they all looked so happy. That rain must have been super fun !

  3. We finish school very end of June and go back 1st week in September here in Alberta. I always get mad that my kids are still in school when AZ & TX are out but then I'm always glad when I see these posts that we have another month !
    So glad school went well they all looked so happy. That rain must have been super fun !

  4. I agree. Starting school at the beginning of August in Arizona is insane! Way too hot!! I live in Washington state now, and my kids don't start until September. I like the late start but we don't get out until mid to late June. Summers go way too fast. I hope your girls have a great school year. Lisa in WA

  5. It's all 180/181 days. Isn't it nice to have other days off so that places are less crowded during the rest of the year? if it's too hot there in August isn't it nice the kids have reliable access to air conditioning? They can't do too much outside anyway.

  6. Shawni,
    Can you please tell me where you got Lucy's sandals? I have a daughter with special needs and I've looked high and low for sandals similar to those. Love your blog as always.
    Blair

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