Back to School

This might be the first time in MANY, MANY years that I was actually anxious to start a new school year.  After having a difficult year last year with students, and parents (we must never forget the parents), I was ready for a new batch of kids and to start fresh again.  And what a delight they are.  I love my class. They are all such sweet, nice kids.  It was like someone knew last year was rough and wrapped this class up for me with a big red bow and a card that said, "Enjoy, you've earned it!"  

With the beginning of the new school year, it marked the beginning of middle school for Matthew. We had the first day of school all mapped out.  I would take Ryan in the morning, and Rich would take Matthew.  The night before the first day, Matthew came to me and said he wanted to talk.  He asked if it was okay to be nervous, and just a little bit scared.  I immediately said yes, and that it was completely normal to feel that way and that I too was nervous, and a little be scared for him. He didn't understand that I had been living in this huge security blanket called Reese School for the past seven years, having him no more than seven classrooms away from me at any given time, and now I knew nothing about his school or about his new teachers and I was anxious about everything.  Immediately after we talked, I went to my bedroom, patted myself on the back for not crying in front of him, and emailed my principal to tell him I was going to be late on the first day of school because I was going be with Rich when he took him.  And because my principal is very supportive, and really considers family first in all situations, he said that was absolutely no problem.  Which was good, because I was going with or without his permission.  I just felt like I needed to be there and that was the end of it.

So patient with me and letting me take his picture.  Because NO ONE else was taking pictures at the sign and he made sure to tell me that several times.

In all of my anxiousness for him, it never really hit me that he really wouldn't have a lot of friends there.  I was so worried about school and the stress of this school's reputation for being so hard, I had completely forgotten that he really knew hardly anyone walking on campus that first day.  We only knew of one other friend from Reese who was going, and her little face was like a ray of sunshine that morning.... for me, not for Matt.  He seemed fine.  I apparently needed Maggie more than he did.  I walked up and gave her a huge hug and told her I was so happy that they had each other.  Truth be told, I needed Maggie more than Matt did that day. And because he is a boy,  Rich was like..."Dude, lay off.  Back up and give him space.  They'll be fine."  And they were.

And to celebrate surviving the first week of school, we booked a girls trip to Tahoe to unwind and sing our hearts out to Elton John.  Why Elton John?  Simple.  I grew up listening to his music thanks to my parents. There wasn't a song he performed that I didn't know all the words to (well, at least the ones I could understand). I feel the same way about Neil Diamond,  Barbra Streisand, Air Supply (who I saw in concert and they were AMAZING), etc. When you have no control of the car radio growing up, you don't fight it, you join in and sing.  And sing to Elton is what we did all night!

Lunch at Reva's Grill.  We were only there for the Wet Willie.

Meet Wet Willie.  One was more than enough.  This place turned into a "must return to next time in Tahoe" very quickly.

This is what day drinking looks like.  Good times.

Look who scored a ticket at the door!!!!  I was SO HAPPY she successfully tracked down the guy, who looked like he came straight out of an 80's time capsule, scalping tickets in the parking garage.

And soccer season has finally started back up!!!  YAY!!!!!

Number 11.  Fierce.  Competitive.  And extremely confident.  

And here he is after scoring.  I told him if he does a round-off  (that's right, a cartwheel) at mid field, he would lose his electronics for a week.  He decided to just run back.  Smart boy.

And finally.  The countdown has started.  Wait, who am I kidding...the countdown started three years ago.  But we are in low double digits people...this is huge!  I spent Sunday working on our itinerary, because I don't go on a vacation without one--it's my thing.  I feel like I have overbooked us again, but it's okay we can do what we did last time...just cancel the day of and run up a bar tab.

I am in that panic mode where I am fearful that something is going to happen or come up, like the boys getting hurt or something and we can't go.  I already told them we would leave them home if that is the case.  I am only partially kidding.  I am so ready for this vacation and yet I won't let myself get too excited about it yet.  Remember when I said I was crazy excited for school to start?  That's because the quicker the year started, the quicker break would get here.

Itchy fingers across the keyboard.