Back to school!

Lawd a' mercy, the day has come. The children returned to school.

I prepped them well last night with a delicious meal of gumbo, fruit salad, and blackberry pie. Then stories and snuggles and an early lights out. 

This morning saw the rest of the pie for breakfast and an early start to bring the boys to two different campuses as Jack is now officially in middle school. I am telling y'all what. That precious kid, armed with a backpack and a binder so big it comes with a shoulder strap, hopped out this morning at a different spot than he has for the past six years, said "I love you, Mom" and "I'll figure it out" when I asked if he was sure he knew where he was going, and scampered off with nary a backwards glance.

My heart positively burst with pride and love. What confidence, what appropriate independence. And when I picked him this afternoon? "Mom, that was the best first day ever. I LOVE SCHOOL!"

It simply doesn't get better.

Meanwhile, Oliver was still happy to hold my hand as we walked into the lower school together, and I am not even kidding, the reunions for both of us were as happy and marvelous as could be. It was so good to see so many people. You think these two were jazzed?

I went to a meeting and then came home to a quiet home and a few hours to organize and snuggle with Nutmeg, and by god did it feel good to take off the Mom hat for a few. 

Both boys already love their teachers and are beside themselves excited for the year ahead. I'll leave you with this footnote from Oliver, which I treasure.

Several hours after I'd picked him up...

"Mom, second grade feels different from first."

"Oh really, Ol? How?"

"We have quiet time after every recess and lunch."

"What's that?"

"We pick a spot and sit and think. You can't use a pillow even if you're in a spot where there are pillows, like our classroom library which has LOTS of pillows. And you can't talk, and you don't draw or do anything. You just think and be still, and I really like it."

Is that not such a gift? The weaving into full and busy and exciting days moments of stillness and quiet and thought. That such time is valued so much by teachers and school that each day allots space just for it. 

We're off to another wonderful year. What good fortune we have.

Happiness

First day of 1st and 4th- I wish all kids could go to such wonderful schools and be as excited to do so! #dreams

First day of first and fourth grades  

Oliver: "Today was one of my favorite days EVER!" 

Jack: "My day was awesome. Because I'm in 4th grade, I now get to check out four books from the library each week!  This is going to be a great year!"

I feel SO lucky. And, as an aside, the adrenaline I felt after walking the boys to class and seeing and laughing with so many wonderful friends was epic- comparable to the way I felt after giving birth. #nothyperbole

I ran, marketed, organized, made cakes, showered! And even had leftover energy to take the kids out to celebrate and then to a local park to play pitch and catch for a good, hot hour.  

School rocks. 

The first two

OMGY'all thepasttwodayshavebeensuchawhirlwind. Really, they have been nuts. Happy but full-on bonkers.

The kids reported each having a fabulous, "awesome" first day of school. Afterwards, hell-bent on treats from Baked & Wired, we schlepped from Bethesda to Georgetown, a trip I must never before have made either ever or during the post-school hour. I do not recommend that you do this. We weren't yet at Glover Park when the kids started in on the "what is taking so long? Are we just around the corner?" We were not.

However, the ginormous brownie (Ol) and chocolate chip cookie-vanilla ice cream sandwich (J) made up for the drive. Sated and happy, we decided on a stroll by the canal. 96 degrees does not make a leisurely stroll fun in the least, so we spent approximately 8 minutes studying the locks, the ducks and the dirty water before hightailing it back to our car.

I was determined to cook a great dinner for the boys and for T and me so once home set J up with his homework, plunked Ol down with a Halloween costume catalog I received yesterday and on which he immediately became fixated - "Mom, I cannot decide between Boba Fett and Jango Fett. How will I decide? One has two guns but no holsters. The other has a missile launcher on his arm but only one gun. One is green but too dark of green. One is blue. Maybe that one." - and made sliders for J and salmon for O while also making... wait for it... a plum tart.

I love how T is always like, "Oh, Lady, you're making another plum tart" before diving in for a wedge the size of Texas. What is a girl to do? I mean, plum season doesn't last forever, yo. So I make 'em until I can't anymore.

Later, because my dear tomato friend is still rolling in tomatoes and, thus, so am I (read it with the gratitude that's there y'all, but really, there are only so many ways to eat tomatoes), I made a new tomato dish: stewed in my Lodge with olive oil, garlic and fresh oregano; topped with smoked mozzarella, breadcrumbs and pecorino and then broiled until melty and crispy. Quite good, BUT, not the sort of yummy-slop that photographs well. Just go with it.

Today I spent the morning at school taking pictures of all the kids. What a darling bunch of children, and boy do some love the camera. Little girls can really strike a pose! I'm heading back there soon. Hope that everyone who is "back to school" in some way has had a great start.