The alarm went off at 6:20. Ten minutes later I was up and rousing the girls. They stumbled downstairs, shoveled some breakfast in, and made their lunch requests. We brushed teeth, put on uniforms, and fixed hair. We loaded backpacks and grabbed bags of school supplies. And then we were off.

The 2012-13 school year has begun.

The morning went surprisingly well. C. was quick to get out of bed, which is often a problem for her, and seemed full of energy and excited. M. was busy telling C. everything she knew about everything that happens at St. P’s.

“ISTEP is a test you won’t take until third grade, but if you don’t pass it, you won’t get to go to fourth grade.”

Timely information there, M..

The school allows parents to walk kids in the first day, so amidst the crowded, boisterous hallways, we escorted both girls to their rooms and helped C. get situated in hers. She was a little quiet when we left her, but I think it had more to do with being in a loud room full of kids she doesn’t know yet. She’s never had a problem with school, so I’m sure she warmed up quickly once things calmed down. I’m eager to hear her talk about the boy that was sitting next to her, who was African-American. She loves to tell us about people who were “born with brown skin.”

The school dismisses at 1:05 today, instead of the usual 3:05, so we’ll see if everyone is as fresh and energetic then as they were when we dropped them off.

So our Best Summer Ever has come to its symbolic end. We still have a few summer activities scheduled for the next month, but the big sisters are back in school and have their first soccer games this Saturday. It sure went quick.
L. doesn’t start her 3’s class until after Labor Day. Since she was the odd one out this morning, and did a great job waking up and going to St. P’s with us, she got a trip to Dunkin’ Donuts. I think she sees that as a pretty fair trade.