First Day of School

Ah yes, Time for Gram's favorite commercial - the office supply store one where the dad zooms around on the shopping cart singing, "It's the Most Wonderful Time of the Year" and the kids have the long faces.... That was us here yesterday. I did manage to coax a few smiles out of the kids for the traditional "first day" photos. I was expecting "attitude" but instead was pleasantly surprised to find smiles! Perhaps they figured they should just get it over with and move on. Some setting was wrong on the camera, so the photos have a funky quality to them. But you'll get the idea.

Pushing the boundaries of the uniform requirements: pants slung low, collar unbuttoned. But he did succumb to a haircut. And darned if he isn't still the most handsome boy I know!

"Me and my dog"

"No no no I belong to both of them"

"Yeah right, we all know she's my dog"

And SH pushes the boundaries of her uniform: shirt untucked, skirt dangerously short. At least she's wearing "regulation socks" for the first day. Those will soon go out the window for patterns or short socks. I've warned her to keep a regulation pair in the locker in case she gets snagged - we do not have time for detention!

AU came home pretty jazzed about school - shocker of shockers. He spent the entire day before the first day telling me how horrible school would be and how his life was ending. But he got some great teachers - most notably a fab chemistry teacher and said his religion class passed quickest - welcome changes from last year. His test in AP US History - yes on the first day of school - went very well. He didn't finish, but no one did. He thinks they'll have another chance today. All in all, he seemed pretty positive about the year. excellent

Sh was not quite so jazzed about school. She acknowledged that she's in a bit over her head - all AP and honors classes. I told her she could drop one H class and still be in the Scholar's program, but she said no, she'd suck it up. We will be looking for a tutor in Chem and Alegbra II, per her request (actually she's found her own tutor for math - no not a boy...). Her AP US history test didn't go as well and she doesn't have the same teacher as AU and doesn't think she'll get another crack at it. Apparently, she feels he got the better English teacher. They're in Chem together (the only class this year - and sh says "Thank Goodness"). He also got the "nicer" Spanish teacher, although she got the better one in experience. It's total emersion spanish this year - spanish 4. She, who loves spanish and wants to be a spanish teacher, said, "My brain was so fried after Spanish that I forgot to bring my summer project in to Religion to turn in!" All teachers have a Zero Tolerance rule for late or forgotten projects - but she found sympathy in her religion teacher on the first day of school (if not religion, where?!) All lay teachers this year - both expressed a little sadness at not having Brother Martin, the killer english teacher of freshman year.

All in all shaping up to be a tough but good year. Sh had her first soccer game for the high school Tuesday, the day before school started. We had 5 girls sleep over Monday night then took them all to school at noon for the long 2 hour bus ride to the game. They didn't get back home til after 10, but they WON! Sh was surprised by that - she's a little afraid the JV team isn't going to do so well this year. Today is the BIG game - the big rival game against a much closer (geographically) school. It's home. K, Au and I will all be there to cheer them on.

Au started his piano lessons again - last night. Nothing like loading up the first day of school, mom!! Not sure how it went - the teacher showed up early, which threw off Au's schedule. Meaning he procrastinated on starting his homework yet another hour....oh some things will not change this year, or so it appears.