First Day of 7th Grade

I'm sitting here enjoying a few minutes of relative quiet as Kevin, Josh and Ellie have gone to church. I've got SO MUCH late work to do that I should be doing that, but I know that in 20 years, my late work will be a distant memory, but capturing the memories of the first few days of Josh's 7th grade school year will be much more important. I'll try to explain that to my boss when she asks about my late work.

Monday was the first full day of school. I can't believe my "baby" is in 7th grade this year. Seventh grade is when I really begin to remember school. Middle school was a source of a LOT of fun for me and a LOT of emotional issues. It was a time where you really want to fit in, but often don't know how. It was a time when boys became important and the "right" clothes were important and having a pimple was the end of the world. I'm feeling pretty certain that times have not changed enough for those not to be universal for both boys and girls and to be things that are still issues now.

Josh got up right on time and was ready to go first thing on Monday. I can't say that trend has continued with quite so much enthusiasm the rest of the week, but, much like his mama, Josh is a night owl who would prefer to stay up until 2 a.m. and then sleep in the next day. School schedules were certainly not meant for us.

He reported that his homeroom teacher was "funny" and that he didn't have classes with many people he was good friends with. He did report that, "If you have to be in a class with someone all day, you'll GET to be friends with them." Good thinking.

He has a bottom locker. For a tall kid, that's a source of frustration, but he'll deal with it, I'm sure. They got their planners and I found that he had colored in the country of Kyrgyzstan in the back of his planner. Interesting.

Tuesday he started riding the bus in the afternoon. I was like a mama who sends her kid to kindergarten for the first day. I was a wreck all afternoon. He made it home fine -- not surprisingly -- and wanted to ride it again Wednesday. Reminds me of his mama who had lots of fun riding the bus (there wasn't a better place in the world to a middle school girl who liked to talk). We'll see if this trend continues. It's a blessing for me in that I get an extra hour - hour and fifteen minutes in the afternoon. It gives me time to get Ellie settled in, get her a snack, change diaper/have potty time, pick up the house a little and then make him a snack to have ready. It's amazing how much more calm the afternoons have been with that extra time.

And here are the "official" first day of school photos.





THIS is the impatient daddy waiting to drive him to school.



However, once he figured out I was taking HIS picture, he tried to be cool.