Back to school!

Lawd a' mercy, the day has come. The children returned to school.

I prepped them well last night with a delicious meal of gumbo, fruit salad, and blackberry pie. Then stories and snuggles and an early lights out. 

This morning saw the rest of the pie for breakfast and an early start to bring the boys to two different campuses as Jack is now officially in middle school. I am telling y'all what. That precious kid, armed with a backpack and a binder so big it comes with a shoulder strap, hopped out this morning at a different spot than he has for the past six years, said "I love you, Mom" and "I'll figure it out" when I asked if he was sure he knew where he was going, and scampered off with nary a backwards glance.

My heart positively burst with pride and love. What confidence, what appropriate independence. And when I picked him this afternoon? "Mom, that was the best first day ever. I LOVE SCHOOL!"

It simply doesn't get better.

Meanwhile, Oliver was still happy to hold my hand as we walked into the lower school together, and I am not even kidding, the reunions for both of us were as happy and marvelous as could be. It was so good to see so many people. You think these two were jazzed?

I went to a meeting and then came home to a quiet home and a few hours to organize and snuggle with Nutmeg, and by god did it feel good to take off the Mom hat for a few. 

Both boys already love their teachers and are beside themselves excited for the year ahead. I'll leave you with this footnote from Oliver, which I treasure.

Several hours after I'd picked him up...

"Mom, second grade feels different from first."

"Oh really, Ol? How?"

"We have quiet time after every recess and lunch."

"What's that?"

"We pick a spot and sit and think. You can't use a pillow even if you're in a spot where there are pillows, like our classroom library which has LOTS of pillows. And you can't talk, and you don't draw or do anything. You just think and be still, and I really like it."

Is that not such a gift? The weaving into full and busy and exciting days moments of stillness and quiet and thought. That such time is valued so much by teachers and school that each day allots space just for it. 

We're off to another wonderful year. What good fortune we have.