First Day, First Grade

It's pretty anticlimactic to go back to school a scant 5 1/2 weeks after you got out. It was hot then and it's still hot now. But it pays back later when we have off-peak breaks in nice weather. we did our best to pack the summer full of fun, but it was also dappled with disappointments - cancelled swim lessons for rain, cancelled playdates for sickness, etc. Regular life stuff, which unfortunately my girls take pretty hard.

But we checked off over half of the stuff on my lengthy "Summer Fun" lists, so that's pretty good. The rest I'll just have to do with two girls because Hazel is back to school! And now she is a "grader", as the kindergarteners call the older kids. And Ed and I are taking that term to the bank. "Graders can shower without help. Graders can make their own lunch. Graders help more around the house." Et cetera.
This morning we sent her off in style - new jumper from Mini Boden. Backpack and shoes still good from last year. Ginger wore her new backpack (empty) in honor of the occasion. Hazel's missing two teeth currently, and growing her bangs out (hence the bangs-braid - there are also a lot of clips and headbands holding them back these days.) We didn't do a lick of math or reading practice over the summer (I'm defiant that way), but we did learn about art, swimming, space, Amelia Earhart, farm animals, root beer floats, fish, pizza, idioms, music and of course baking. Always baking. It was an awesome summer.
And although Hazel's back in school, summer's not really over for us. In August we have a family reunion, a beach trip, more Art Tuesdays, pool passes, and lots more fun adventures. We'll just have to work around the school schedule.