SCHOOL TOMORROW!

Today is the last day before school starts. Total chaos is upon the house. Shoes to be bought, supplies to be purchased, hair to be cut.

Okay, they don’t have to have haircuts before the first day but… it would be nice.

Ben had is first ‘orientation’ at the middle school. Met his homeroom teacher and found his way around.

I loved see all the parents again after the long summer. What was very different is the kids I have known since kindergarten, all actually answered my questions and conversed with me.

I guess sixth grade means it’s okay to talk to adults.

It was great to see all the kids so excited but claiming to not really be ready for school. One boy I asked if he was excited about school said, Nah… with the biggest grin on his face.

Ben, who I thought was going to need a straight jacket the last week before school started, was calm as could be. Excited, but some of his nervous habits were non-existant.

He’s going to be fine.

On the way back, he was chatting on and on… a song came on by Christina Aguilera.

Oh my god, Ben said, I love this song.

He turned up the radio.

She is so hot. She has an hourglass figure and she smells good.

I almost ran into the car in front of me.

How do you know?

I don’t know. Just a guess. She’s famous so… she must smell good. Probably wears strawberry perfume.

Did you read that in People magazine?

No… I just know she would. She’s blonde so… she’d wear strawberry perfume.

How this boy’s mind works is a mystery to me. I smiled and stayed focused on the road.

When we got back to the house, friends from the neighborhood started stopping by. Ben’s friends, Zachary’s friends… all wandering around, asking who has what teacher, showing off new sneakers and grinning from ear to ear, happy to see each other.

I love this time of year. For me, it’s the New Year. Forget about January first, that means nothing. The beginning of school marks a new cycle for me. I have to measure my kids to find out how much they really did grow- when they are wearing shorts, you can’t tell but put them in last years jeans? Whoa.

Tomorrow? They will all go off to school. Jake and Zachary to the elementary school up the road. Ben will climb on a bus and go off to middle school.

And I will be alone.

All alone.

With no one asking me where the baseball they had in their glove three weeks ago is or what there is to eat in the house or if I finished washing the single pair of shorts they would wear all summer.

Nope.

Just me and my dog.

I can’t wait.