The First Day Of School

All I could think the night before as I lay there with no sleep is, "I am not getting old, I don't feel this old, do I look like I have a kid in the 5th grade, Oh my gosh I have a kid in the 5th grade 2nd grade and 3 still at home!"
I remember how my mom looked when I was in the 5th grade, she already had gray hair, drove a P.O.S, and was not "up on the fashion". Was that me? Could that become me? Even if I don't think I am like that do my kids and there friends think that?
5th Grade that's a pivotal year, you discover your body and how its changing. The boys start noticing you and this is the time where you start trying to figure out what "click" you belong to. I remember it as being one of the hardest years besides high school I had. I got glasses that year, started my period, got hair in those "places" you get hair, and started shaving.
My teacher humiliated me in front of the whole class which ruined me for the rest of the year. She thought she was doing something good but really it killed me. She made me and another student stand up in front of the class against the wall, she showed off "what great posture you have Holly, you see how Holly's back is flush with the wall and 'the other student' back is not" I towered over him like the statue of liberty. Well there came the name "Holly green giant"! Man I thought I would never shake that name lol. Kids can be so cruel.
One thing I am happy for, my kids don't have to ride a bus here. I hated the bus! From what I see on the news and you tube its only worse than what it was back then.

Along with most other military kids our kids will be changing schools this year. I can not imagine how hard that is. I never had to do that as a child, I went to the same school with the same kids from kindergarten all the way to graduation. I guess that can be just as hard, never being able to shake the 5th grade nick names lol. At least our kids get a chance to make a fresh start every 3 years. A total reinvention of them selves if thats what they choose to do.  

So, how did the morning of the first day of 2nd and 5th grade for our 2 oldest girls start?
Jeff and I had it all planned out, we were going to get up and both cook breakfast for the girls while they got ready, then together walk them to school (its across the street). The alarm goes off at 6am...the next thing I know its 10 mins after 7 and Jeff has already cooked breakfast, gotten the kids up, had a shower and was getting his uniform on. He had let me sleep in knowing I didn't sleep well. I got out of bed walked into the kitchen and sure enough the kids had not even touched the big breakfast he had gotten up early to fix, and 2 of their friends were already standing inside the door waiting to walk to school with them. I felt bad for daddy, he is not home very often for these precious moments and when he is he trys really hard to be a part of it.
He and the girls set off at 5 till 8, he comes to me and says "do I walk them all the way to their class or just to the school?" I said "just ask the girls what ever they want you to do." A few minutes later he comes back and had the biggest smile on his face. He leaves for work, comes home for lunch at noon and has the cutest little pink sparkly back pack filled with a Dora coloring book, pink and purple notebook, pack of crayons, markers, clue sticks, scissors, and a huge pack of construction paper and tells Ramie that he wants to see her homework when he gets home tonight. She was so excited, we sat in the floor after he left and colored, cut, pasted, and stickered. Jeff made sure that all of us had a good first day of school today despite all of our fears.   Its those things that are the reason why I am doing this blog.