First School Night

Summer vacation officially ends tonight with the girls going to bed on a “school night” schedule. The summer flew by and I look back and think, “We did nothing.” We didn’t take any trips or go anyplace new. Instead, we hung out by the pool, played with friends and let the girls spend lots of time with their grandmothers. A part of me feels guilty, summer vacation should include a grand trip somewhere. Then I remember our fun trip to Myrtle Beach in April and the new house we are moving to and my guilt is lessened.

We have bought new clothes, shoes, backpacks and lunch boxes. The back packs are filled with a few supplies (no supply list yet!) and the endless forms I filled out. How come I can’t just copy one set of forms and turn in for both? I grocery shopped today and bought piles of snacks, a nice mix of the school-approved healthy snacks and the kid-approved sweets. They will have a difficult time deciding what they want to bring tomorrow.

We went yesterday for fresh haircuts and spent tonight getting beautiful for tomorrow: a bath with bubbles and manicures and pedicures for both. They headed off to bed on schedule and settled in after reading a bit. I’m not so sure either one is sleeping, the excitement was palatable.

It is a year of big changes… Sugar in middle school and Spice in kindergarten. For the first time ever, Sugar will get report cards with real grades, no more “At Grade Level” marks with comments about how good and sweet she is. I worry about how she will do. I know she has to work hard and doesn’t like to. She’ll only push herself if she’s got a mama behind her forcing her to do her best. I don’t know if either of us is up for it. I nagged all summer for her to take part in the challenge to read ten books. Only a few days ago, after hearing about a field trip for the kids that participated, has she decided to start reading. I guess that’s how it will have to be with her… rewards for effort put forth.

Spice walks into a new place tomorrow after leaving the daycare where she started when she was six months old. She’s never been the new girl, she’s never worked to fit in. Instead, she was with a group of kids that she’d been with since they were babies. I wonder if she will miss them and I wonder if she will try to fit in. She’s marched to her own beat for her whole life, part of me hopes she keeps her individuality, but certainly not to the point where she has trouble making friends. If all else fails, the kid that dropped trou and peed on her at daycare will be in her kindergarten class.  I still haven’t told her and I am not afraid to admit that I’m scared of her reaction.

I’m anxious and excited to see how tomorrow goes. I hope they will love their teachers and find some old friends and make some new ones. I say a silent prayer that they look back on this school year and proclaim it to be the “Best Year Ever.” Then again, that’s my hope every single school year.

xoxo

Ice Princess