First Day of First Grade

Despite all the talking and talking and talking we did about how long we had left in the summer and when the first day of school would be and what the new year was going to be like...I think it still took us by surprise when we had to show up and send Nathan off for another year of school this morning.

Here's the big kid and the little wannabe, wearing his backpack from last year:


Here we are in front of the house.


Here are the boys at school, in a blissfully shady spot.


Nathan and his sweet buddy, Abe. They were in kindergarten together and now they're in first grade together. Plus, he lives around the corner!

Another friend, Sarah, who was in kindergarten with Nathan and who's in his class this year, as well. He may or may not have said, at some brief point in the past, that he was going to marry her. You didn't hear it from me.

More friends from last year, although not in his class this time around.

His new teacher was nice enough to stay outside in the million-degree heat on the asphalt and take an individual picture with each kid. She may have done this to make us all so miserable that we were happy to leave our kids and go, but this shutterbug appreciated it. Even though we were...er...the absolute very last class to be out on the playground!

So, with the oppressive August heat comes the school routine once again! Now Nathan gets to be with all the "grades" for recess and lunch, and I no longer have to walk him to the kindergarten playground in the morning. Actually, that would be frowned upon since he's in first grade. I'll be dropping him off at the side gate. I might even slow down and even stop the car. We'll see.

Fingers crossed for a great year! So far, so good! And so hot. Phew.