Now I Have TWO In School...The End Of Summer

It has been a busy, fun summer (as evidenced by my mountains of blog posts). But, like all summers, it must come to an end. And while the summer season may not be all finished yet, my kids' summer vacation is definitely over.

Before school started, we managed to squeeze in a couple of small activities, like going to the Reid Park Zoo for their annual "reading celebration" that they throw in conjunction with the Pima County Library's summer reading program.

They always love to ride the bronze baby elephant!

It was very hot that morning, and it was also very crowded...like, three times more crowded than this library event has ever been in years past. As you might expect, I got cranky right away and had to bite my tongue a lot on this trip. The heat wore the girls out a lot too, so when they begged to play in the zoo's splash pad for a little while before going home, I relented...

They claimed they were cold afterward. Silly kids, it's summer...you're never cold in the summer in Arizona!

We stopped for an Eegee's frozen drink on the way home, so everyone was happy and sugar-infused in no time, the heat and grouchiness forgotten.

Our last week of freedom was mostly spent inside, listening to the rain (we're still in the middle of monsoon season), having the occasional play date, and watching a lot of television. That will be a tough habit to break now that the school year's begun!

On our last Saturday before school resumed, our LDS ward decided to hold a "Pioneer Day" pancake breakfast. Pioneer clothes were encouraged; unfortunately, not being very "crafty" people, our family had none. However, there was also a bicycle parade that the girls were happy to participate in.

The girls enjoyed the parade, even if we didn't manage to decorate their bikes in patriotic colors. So sue me...I am not terribly "festive" in the summer. I save all my holiday craziness for the end of the year (Christmas woo hoo!).

A lot of people were more into the "pioneer spirit" than we were...

That last weekend, I felt like I was clinging to my family, and especially my two oldest girls. It was hard to believe the school year was already upon us!

Intellectually, I've known Celeste would be starting kindergarten this fall...emotionally, it has been hard to accept that. Despite our occasional conflicts, it has been so much fun having her as the "big girl" at home this last year. Celeste has grown and learned so much in the last several months (riding a bike, swimming, starting to read, doing first-grade-level math with ease); I know she is definitely ready for the next step in her growth. But I will still miss her!

With Lorelai, my feelings are a little more complicated. I suppose I am "used" to her leaving me every fall by now. However, since she had so many issues in second grade (especially loud, unruly, bullying classmates), I have been a little nervous about sending her back into the "jungle" of elementary school. Her new teacher is renowned at school as being a real tough cookie, who puts up with absolutely no nonsense. I am hopeful this year will be a more productive one emotionally and academically; but since Lorelai is a little sensitive to criticism, I think having a tough teacher will be a bit of an adjustment for her.

When the first day of school dawned, Lorelai and Celeste were so excited. They were up bright and early, dressed and with beds made. They even helped make their own lunches! I certainly hope that is a trend that continues...

I didn't shed any tears dropping them off...I was so proud of myself! Their enthusiasm helped me feel happier and more confident that everything would work out well. Lorelai immediately found her friends and started catching up on old times; she couldn't wait to get into the class. She had already forgotten I was there!

Celeste was even more excited, if that were possible. I had turned to talk to Lorelai for a few minutes, only to turn around and see that Celeste was nowhere to be seen! She'd walked through the main gate of the school, straight into her classroom. Once there, she hung up her backpack...

...sat down, and immediately began working on a project! She didn't even need a hug, or need to say goodbye! She even went right up to her teacher and said, "I'm ready to do some math. Where do you keep the math books?" Wow!

Things got a little weird when I headed home...and it was just Aurora and myself. Now we are down to two people every day; it's an odd feeling! We don't quite know what to do with ourselves yet during the day, but we'll have plenty of time to figure out. Our regular weekly schedule will still take some time to figure out (the girls' dance classes don't start until next week; my piano students are still figuring out when they want to come over). So I may have a little time to sit back and relax (and hopefully finish blogging about our summer!) for a few days.