They Went Back To School

The kids went back to school on Tuesday.

It meant it was back to waking up early.

I am not a morning person.

I don't like coffee, so I'm basically out of it until I have my Diet Coke with my lunch at 11.

My alarm goes off at 640. It startles me each time. My brain can't comprehend why a noise would be going off before there is daylight.

I stumbled into Tommy's room and shook his arm. "S'times to get up," I mumbled. My words don't always sound right first thing.

Tommy was balled under his covers and was like, "Huh?"

"School," I said and shuffled away.

I COULD let Tommy wake up on his own. I mean, he's 12. But he tends to get distracted. He'd lose track of time, miss his bus, and then I'd have to drive him. I don't want to drive him.

I did not make any special breakfasts. I stuck two cereal choices on the counter. Tommy went with frosted mini wheats. No milk, because he doesn't like milk. I sat on the couch in a bit of a daze.

"Is it normal to feel nervous?" Tommy asked, crunching his cereal.

"Trees?" I responded. As I said, my brain doesn't comprehend what's going on before daylight.

"No. Is it normal to feel nervous?" Tommy looked confused. He was probably having a flashback to when he was in DARE classes and they explained what people were like while on drugs. I probably fit the description at that moment. I was out of it. My hair was unkempt. My eyes were probably bloodshot.

"It's nervous. I mean it's normal. You'll do great." I went to pat his hand, but I ended up patting his elbow instead. It's because I shut my eyes. Oops.

I managed to take some photos of Tommy before he went to his bus stop:

He was off to 7th grade.

Then I had to get Natalie up. Natalie can be difficult in the mornings. I managed to get her out of bed and when I went to get her cereal, she was like this:

Look, I wanted to do the same. But we couldn't. So I said she had to get up and eat.

"It's too early to do that!" she snapped.

Maybe she takes after me.

She likes to sleep in.

I had to lift her under her armpits and basically drag her to the table.

"I was SLEEPING!" she hissed as I sat her in the chair.

She managed to eat--Cinnamon Toast Crunch perked her up for a few--and then I helped her get dressed because she was staring blankly at the wall with one sock dangling off her feet. In her underwear.

I told her it was time for photos.

"It's just too early for any of this!"

Tom was like, "What are you doing?"

Naturally. She smiles for him. (To see more photos of her in this outfit, I did a fashion show here.)

Tom and I walked her to school and to her classroom. She didn't hesitate to go in. She knows the drill. She asked her teacher, "Where do I put this?" while holding up her lunchbox. "I don't know where it goes. I don't know where anything goes!" The teacher said it was okay and that she'd show her where everything went.

And then Tom and I skipped home and had a party and enjoyed the quiet.

Kidding.

Sort of.

We did enjoy a kid free lunch. And I did enjoy the quiet. But I do find I miss the kids after a couple of hours.

They both had a good day at school. Tommy was glad he didn't get lost.

And now it's back to signing things and making sure homework is done.

Here's to another school year.