Countdown

One more day.

One more day of summer vacation. I'm not counting the weekend; we'd be home anyway. Tomorrow the girls will be home, but Sunday night, it's to bed early. Monday morning, the girls will be on that school bus, leaving the house in peace and quiet.

This week has, thus, been all about back-to-school preparatons. Today was spent getting haircuts and at the Goodson Grizzlly Express. Loosely translated, it was a day of waiting in line. First we got the schedule, then bought the academic planner. Then I foolishly stood and watched while Maddie decorated her locker.

Foollishly because I should have been standing in line for her textbooks. I did not know we had changed the procedure and had to stand in a l-o-n-g queue in order to collect textbooks. Somone took your schedule, you waited, and then, in the midst of the din, your name was called to collect your books. If you didn't hear, they would take your books back in. It was loud and chaotic. I was tired, cranky, and totally frustrated.

(What was wrong with how we did it last year? When the teachers handed out books on the first day? What else are they doing on the first day? Do they not have an extra five minutes to distribute books?)

But even with 30 minutes of hellish waiting, the day had its entertainment. I got to see a collection of my favorite moms. And I got to see the tween girls. They all look the same: Same hair. Same clothes. Same shoes. (I'm sure we were the same, too, though we did have the punk/prep dialectic going on.)

Tomorrow is Meet the Teacher at the grade school. I already spent a grueling day at the high school, so after making nice with Sylvia's teacher in the portable classroom, then we're good to go.

Monday will come quickly. We will have a sophomore, a seventh-grader, and a third-grader. Life is changing. But that's nothing new, is it?