Is it possible . . . I have a 3rd grader?!?

My baby who is not a baby anymore began 3rd grade today. All summer long, my sleeping beauty slept until at least 9:00. That probably had something to do with the fact that bedtime curfew goes out the window in the summer. Life is too short not to stay up to ride bikes at dusk and to catch fireflies in glass jars. This morning, however, I heard the pitter-patter of her feet coming down the steps at 7:00. She was so excited about her first day of 3rd grade that she just couldn't sleep.

We talked for a while and then woke up her sleepy sister (who was tested for Kindergarten today -- she passed, but that is another story for another blog). We had a nice, calm morning together eating breakfast and talking about what the day might hold.

As is tradition on our block, all the kids gather on my neighbor's front step for a picture. We waited . . . and waited . . . and waited for the bus to arrive -- with each minute that passed making the children all the more anxious for school. It finally arrived and off the children went without so much of a look behind at their tearful parents.

I think I watched the clock the entire day. A school day has never felt so long to me. I think partially because she is in a teacher's class that is new to the district, so all day long I was wondering how she liked the new teacher. This teacher has a lot to live up to because last year's teacher was just fabulous. As is typical on the first day of school, the afternoon bus was very late. The picture below is my precious child literally running off the bus yelling "mommy!" Maybe she isn't as grown up as I think. And that is just wonderful.