Back to school

We start school early here...very early. This year we started Aug 7th...I remember growing up, we always started the day after Labor Day, so this is different, but I like it. Honestly, when it comes to school getting out in the summer, everyone, kids and parents can't wait for them to get sprung, but come time for them to head back, and it can't happen soon enough! Seriously, I have felt like I was desperate, waiting for school to start. It isn't that the kids have been bad, or that I dislike having them around, but I was getting so tired of the picking on each other! Now they can still do it, but I don't have to hear about it:-)

They both wanted to take the bus, but I wanted to drive them to school this year...you know, get the pictures of them walking into the building, at their classrooms...all that good stuff. It didn't even occur to me to do it when Nicholas started Kindergarten, and I feel bad about that, now. So, I thought I would make up for it this year, and do the whole shebang. It went well...we were running a little late, so we kind of rushed through, but I got to drop my babies off at school, and take few pictures to boot.
Here is Nicholas and Rory, getting ready to go into school...

Nicholas on his way into First grade...he is staying with the same teacher this year, and most of the same classmates.

Rory on her way into Kindergarten. Her teacher's name is Ms. Boggess, and so far, Rory really seems to like her. Rory was so excited to be starting school...I don't think she even noticed when I left!

So, that was that. We came home, went to the grocery store...all day Elliot asked if we were ready to go pick Rory up. It is cute, really, Elliot is now under the impression that if she eats all of her food, she will grow bigger, sooner, and be able to join the other two in school-land:-)

The kids took the bus home; I couldn't be there (had a doctor's appointment) when they got off the bus, so Mark was home. I am sorry I missed it though. Them getting off the bus...not the bus driver. We have the same driver as last year, and I mean it when I tell you that this man is a cross between Crankshaft and the crazy mail man from Funny Farm. Last year, he blew right by us whle we waited for the bus, and forgot to drop Nicholas off two afternoons in a row. Thank goodness we don't have to deal with that this year, right? Yeah, whatever. Yesterday he picked up (I stood at the end of the drive and waited for him, in order to find out when he would be by) at 7:07; this morning we were out at 7:01 and we never saw him. We waited until 7:30, then I drove them...Rory was pretty crestfallen, she really wanted to ride the bus. Fast forward to this afternoon, and I am on the porch waiting for them...only to watch the bus zip past the house! At least he realized it this year, and I didn't have to chase him down in the van. Last year, I actually had to chase him, catch him and get out in the road and hop up and down in the middle of the road yelling for him to give me my baby back...but I digress...
He had the gall to holler out the window at me, that he can't see them and didn't know they were on the bus (seriously, you didn't see them get on? C'mon), so I need to tell them to stand up and come to the front when he approaches their house. 1) kids aren't supposed to stand up pn the bus. 2) They are 5 and 6, they don't know when the bus is approaching their house. 3) They can't see out the windows. 4) DO YOUR JOB AND TAKE CARE OF MY KIDS! Ugh! I had really hoped we would have a different driver this year....

All that said, it is the weekend, and we have had a good first "week" at school:-)