And They're Off....First Day of School

The alarm goes off at 6:30 AM and when I call the girl from the doorway of her room, she gently stirs. I know she wants to complain that it is "too early", yet she has that butterfly feeling of anticipation toward seeing all her friends again.

The boy rises first call...fully awake and ready. He is the only one in the house who can rise in a good mood. He runs to get his clothes and then comes to me to "spike" his hair. I don't think he calls it that, but I do, as it's the term we used in the 80s. He calls it "pointy" but doesn't like when I use the brush on it to make it stand up. Only girls use brushes.

I attempt to style the girl's hair, but the braid we fashioned the night before has left her hair still damp. She has her father's hair genes...which is a blessing, as my fine hair never holds any style for long. We blow dry it the rest of the way and she picks out a fancy headband. Next,a dabble of lip gloss and a spritz of perfume. Then we find the perfect necklace--angel wings!

The boy wants smelly goods too, so we search dad's bathroom cabinet. "Got any Axe?" he asks, and to my surprise, there is a can on the top shelf, although it's about empty. He lifts up his shirt and I give him a quick spray. He laughs. I wonder if they make a little boys line of care products. Maybe if I start him young he won't be a smelly teen. A mother can hope, can't she?

We go outside to take pictures. We used to take them by the same tree every year at the old house. I pick a new spot between two windows. To my surprise, they pose for me. They don't even roll their eyes. Well, that is until I tell them to stand close together. My son then pouts his lip, but I finally coax them both to smile. Only today, the first day.

I know the honeymoon stage of this "going back to school" moment will fade, but for today, I enjoy watching them walk down our drive to wait for the school bus. They are happy and smiling. Not pushing each other or bickering along the way.

I wonder if they can make it up the driveway at the end of the day in the same fashion...again, a mother can hope, can't she?

 

Posted in: *Life*,back to school