So tomorrow is it. Back to school is tomorrow. Sigh. No more sleeping in, eating leisurely breakfasts with the kids, planning lazy days, oh my. I always am such a mushy sort when summer ends and school starts, but sue enough I get into the swing of it again and all is good.
My daughter is so excited and ready (almost!) that I am almost jealous. We did the back to school clothes shopping yesterday, and today will be the shoes. Then we will visit the school later to check out the highly anticipated yet strangely dreaded class lists(!). I swear, as soon as you start walking up to the lists your heart starts pounding. You can instantly tell from faces as parents and kids turn away from the lists those that are sighing great big sighs of relief, and those of panicky parents and disappointed kids.
Tonight we will make the lunch and get the new backpack ready. My daughter will make the most important of all decisions thus far in her life-- which new outfit to wear tomorrow morning! I know she has it narrowed down to two, but the final chosen outfit has not yet been determined. Ah, the suspense. I can understand. So had to pick one outfit when everything and anything you put on looks so darn cute. The sweet perks of youth.
Tonight there will be a battle I am priming myself for. I want to to put labels on some of her stuff with my dymo labeler. And I know she will be against it. She thinks it's a sign of being a 'baby'. I think it's simply a way to hopefully retrieve lost items. Too many sweaters to count, a very cute backpack and an almost brand new lunch pack were lost never to be found last year. I know labels may not solve the disappearance of things, but it certainly can't hurt. And besides, I love creating labels. I have labels on everything I can in the house from File folders to storage containers. I often imagine how much easier life might be if I could label every toy in the house with a corresponding label for the place it belongs. Maybe my kids would help pick up more. Nah. Anyway,we will see how the label debate will go later tonight.
Then it will be off to bed. My daughter will probably find it hard to sleep from all the anticipation and excitement she'll be feeling. And me..I will probably toss and turn most of the night as I remember previous school years, a sweet little girl holding my hand oh so tightly, and waving a thousand good byes to me as she slowly made her way into the classroom. I'll remember my anxiety hoping all would go well for that little girl on her first big day, and wiping away a tear or two or fifty. And I'll think about tomorrow morning and the girl dressed in her final selection, proudly hopping out of the car, waving excitedly to friends she has missed during the summer days, and barely remembering to stop and wave goodbye to me, as I sit in my car and wipe away a tear or two or fifty.
