The Woes and Excitement of Back to School

Yes, I still make my almost 17 and 13 year-old pose for a first day of school picture. Riley is NEVER excited for the first day of school. This tradition started for him in first grade. Each year as I drove him to school with his new clothes, shoes, lunch box, etc...he'd beg me to home school him. Other than Kindergarten I never remember him actually being excited about school. So today was like so many other first days and other than the usual I hate school comments. I also got a "when is our first day off" which was his first comment of the day while still laying in bed. Then it was "if we do any work today I'm going to be so mad" and "if I call you don't answer because I'm at the nurse and if I'm really sick I'll call you 3 times." And then there's Bailey. She doesn't like the idea of school starting or having to get to bed at a decent time or the dreaded waking up at 7 am, but she is excited about today. Today is fun and new. She's excited to see the friends she hasn't seen all summer, she's looking forward to lunch, is ready to wear her new tennis shoes to athletics, eat out of her new Vera Bradley lunch box, and is even excited about the after school rush to Target to get the rest of her school supplies. All in all I think it was a good start to a new school year. Thinking of next year's first day already makes me cry...a senior and a freshman! I feel flashbacks of the Kindergarten depression may be rearing its ugly head again.