Back to School Already

Rachel was so excited to go to Middle School the first day that she wouldn't get out of the car for the traditional first day of school picture.
The boys fell in love with this t-shirt when they spotted it at Old Navy. Steve was disappointed that they didn't have it in adult sizes.

This is the first year in six years that R&N are not going to the same school. Rachel's day starts at 7:45 and ends at 3:25. The early start is due to band. Her plan is to switch to the flute this year. Her excitement has helped ease the transition for me, but I still felt sick to my stomach all day yesterday. That may also be due to the fact that I agonized all summer over where to put Nathan this year--back at wonderful Plainfield with its amazing teachers or at the the new science and technology charter school in Knight's Landing founded by one of Plainfield's most fabulous teachers. We finally decided that it would be in the family's best interest for Nathan to stay at Plainfield, but he still really wanted to go to school at Sci-tech with laptop computers, microscopes, etc. Last Friday we found out that a bus would be available in the mornings to take the kids to the charter school. So, after several more days of deliberation, we went to the open house last Wednesday all ready to sign up and felt really great about it--just to find out that they were full and he would be on a waiting list. Then we went to the Plainfield ice cream social on Monday and there had been a clerical error and Nathan was listed in the wrong class there. We got that straightened out and he had a great first day in Mrs. Best's class, but he was still asking about Sci-tech this morning. It will all work out. I feel great about both places, so its a win-win either way.

And, yes, starting school this early is just plain disgusting. Its even worse than I thought it would be. I feel like we've been on an extended spring break or something and never really had a summer break. Oh, well. And, no, we don't get out any earlier. In fact, we don't get out until June 9th. Simply disgusting. It took us two weeks last year to recover from our 3 week Christmas break. (And, yes, it was great to have Monterey practically to ourselves that last week, but it's still not worth it--Give me my summer back, please!) Two weeks at spring break will probably throw us for a loop, too. Alas.