just in the nick of time

First day back to school today, half days for the rest of the week, but after the scramble that I made out of day care for the kids this summer, what a relief to have them all in one spot, for a predetermined and consistent amount of time (I signed the little kids up for a dance camp that was over at 1:50 pm every day for a week. Just plain unadorned stupidity. I guess I forgot I had this job thing happening every day past 1:50 pm that week and every week until I drop in the harness). They are safe, happy and encouraged to complete their homework in aftercare. And if you could be a fly on the wall watching me eat my own liver while I try to help Nora, memory like a colander girl, with her homework, you would know why just that one aspect of having them in extended care if worth the price of admission.

So I have a sixth grader (and I pitched a fake fit with wailing and cries of deeply felt heartache over my "baby" being a sixth grader in front of her friends, I think she felt special), a third grader and two second graders. So there is Mimi, standing first in line, in her new first day of school clothes, ready to make a good impression. And then there is Nora, in regular old clothes, didn't want to wear the new stuff, so excited about the first day but lacking the ability to communicate her feelings in words or appropriate behavior, so she just mugged for the camera like crazy and that's the best she can do, so it could be worse, I'm grateful for small improvements, really, I am.

But then there is YuYu, just calmly occupying her space in the world, what a kid. But for that matter, what great kids, every last one of my little treasures. Each one fed and dressed herself, had her book bag* completely packed and ready without needing my help, nary a cross word or hint of bickering, laughed and sang on the walk to school, what great kids. So now I'll start the weeping and wailing for real, these pictures make me a a little weepy for real, my babies, look how they're all grown up, wah, who pushed the fast forward button when I wasn't looking? My babies.







* And the little leopard print book bags were such a steal. I never find bargains, I just don't, but last winter, a mom who does find bargains, great bargains, posted the link to a clearance sale and these cute bags were like $3 and free shipping, so whoa, load me up. But I almost lost the good bargain mojo and turned them into not quite a steal. Last week the girls were with g'ma and I called to ask my mom to take the girls out shopping for new book bags. Fortunate, Ellie, my other brain, called me back to remind me that they already had new book bags stashed away in a downstairs closet, which had completely slipped my mind. So even though the bags were only $3, when you buy two bags for each girl because you are so addle brained that you forget what you already purchased and duplicate things, then that kind of bone-headedness cancels out the bargain. It's like a law of physics or something.