First day of school for the munchkins... *sniffle*!

Hi all.

*super emotional*

Goodness, I knew it would be a tough morning. Needless to say, I didn't sleep very well last night. I was wide awake, staring at the ceiling, at 5:30 am, while Mike snoozed contentedly next to me. I felt nervous for both kids, and tons of emotion about them both going off on their new adventures.

Mike got up for his shower about 6 am, and I climbed out of bed about 6:25, bleary eyed and feeling a little sick to my stomach. We're still experiencing a heat wave over here, and thus it was too hot and humid to straighten my hair, which did nothing to improve my mood, I assure you. Mike came upstairs to wake Henry and check on me, and found me flitting from room to room, randomly organizing things. :0

I got myself dressed and ready, and went into Anne's room. She *leapt* out of bed:

"Mommy, I am SO EXCITED to go to my school!"

No lack of enthusiasm from THAT room.

"Mommy, I want to wear my blue Elsa shirt, and my silver sandals, and..."

She was rearing to go. I really didn't want her to wear shorts, but it is SO FREAKING HOT here right now, and the school is not air conditioned, so I relented.

I got her downstairs, and she immediately strapped on her backpack and queued up at the door.

"Anne, we're not leaving for 45 minutes, Honey."

"WHAT?"

This would be when the morning took a turn for the more challenging.

"Henry is leaving in a few minutes, but his school starts before yours. You still need to eat breakfast."

For this year, Anne is attending one of the public elementary schools, in the half day Universal Pre-K program. Next year, she'll go to Catholic school with Henry.

Well, she wasn't too happy about the delay. And she also wasn't too happy about posing for a First Day of School Photo:

Looks a bit like a hostage photo

...but alas. Henry headed off for 5th grade, seeming a bit nervous. And I pacified Anne so that we could both eat breakfast and get our lunches packed.

Around 8 am, we headed out for Anne's school. Usually, that's the time I leave for work, so drops offs are now going to make for a dicey parking situation for myself, but there's nothing I can really do about it. Except ask for St. Anthony to help me find a spot, which I do, frequently. ;-) At any rate, it was the first day, so both Mike and I went, and were all excited to be walking Anne all the way into her classroom. After today, we'll be dropping her at the door, which is what the teacher requests. The doors don't open until 8:15, so we waited with her outside for the big opening moment.

"You can go now. I can walk in by myself."

My daughter? She is independent. And extremely social. And SASSY.  She wanted to go socialize with the other little girls, and she didn't want her parents cramping her style. She seemed quite irritated that we did not obey her command.

Finally, the doors opened, and we all walked into the Pre-K classroom. Super cute. I showed Anne where her cubbie was and hung up her backpack. We found her spot at one of the little tables and popped her name tag around her neck. She seemed happy:

A glowing moment, memorialized with crayons

...but quickly devolved into a Facey-Face when she realized that there was assigned seating and she couldn't just go sit with another little girl. The seats were strategically arranged boy-girl-boy-girl, to cut down on talking and distractions, I'm thinking. :)

Mike agreed to wait with her for a few extra minutes so that I could jet off to work, which I gratefully did. I waved to them both as I left the classroom, feeling emotional. Mike smiled and waved back. Anne did not. :0

4 year olds. Nothing more needs to be said, really.

I got into my car quickly, set up my podcast listening, and headed to campus for work. I would be getting in about 15 minutes later than usual, and I hoped the parking wouldn't be too ugly. Sometimes, my friends, hopes are in vain.

I arrive on campus.

"Queen of the Most Holy Rosary, pray for us. Queen of Peace, pray for us. In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit. Amen. What the *&^!"

See? I had to go and ruin the end of a lovely rosary recitation with my temper. But one wouldn't think that 15 mere minutes would mean that all the staff parking lots were full, as well as the nearest 2 student lots, WOULD ONE?!

I had to park down one lot level, and over another one, in yet another student lot, and I was lucky to even find a spot in that lot at that point. I sat in the car stewing (and sweating, as if to add insult to injury) for a few minutes, writing a salty text message to Mike, so that he could share in my misery. He wrote back sympathetically, which buoyed my sagging spirits a bit. I gathered my stuff, and I almost forgot my travel coffee mug, and if THAT had happened, well...the expletives would have been *flying*, let me tell you. But luckily I remembered it BEFORE stomping off on the 10 minute voyage to the library.

#offeringitup

*halo!*

Then I got in and porkily started up my computer. The other offices were still empty (the occupants likely still looking for parking spaces) so I seized the opportunity to record a video for Thursday. Though only after taming my hair for a few minutes, because I want you all to think that I NEVER have bad hair days.

#somuchsubterfuge

And now here I am, typing away during quiet moments on the reference desk. Those were my morning adventures. How was YOUR morning, dear reader? :)