This morning, the alarm went off at 6:20. I roused the girls about 10 minutes later, they shuffled down for breakfast, then back up to get dressed. We cut tags off of new pairs of shorts, found skirts that fit correctly, and laced up new shoes so they were nice and tight. Snacks and lunches were packed, book bags loaded up, and obligatory pictures snapped.

The school year has begun.

M. wanted me to walk her to her class only, not inside. But when she ran into a classmate she had not seen since spring, she kind of took off and lost us in the crowd. [1] While heading to M.’s class, C. somehow slipped away to her class on her own. So I was left to help L. get to her room and get started slapping labels on her school supplies. Once she was occupied, I walked down to C.’s room to make sure she was doing ok. Before I could find her, one of her buddies, who I coached in soccer last year and has joined us at the lake each of the last two summers with his family, came over and gave me a big hug. Neither M. nor C. gave me a hug!

Anyway, it looked like all the girls started off their first morning just fine. Last year was a little emotional for me, with it being L.’s first year of full-time school. This year no emotion at all. In fact, with a short day today, and then the weekend right around the corner, it feels like it won’t really hit me that they’re back in school until next week. I even have a couple writing projects to work on in the next couple days, so that should make this short week fly by even faster.

So the 2015–16 school year has begun. Summer sure went fast.

Her friend was lugging a book bag and a grocery sack full of supplies. I laughed when she said, “I’d hug you, but my hands are full,” to M..  ↩