Let's lighten it up a little, shall we?

Much better day today. Now that we got our little shoulders unburdened with our talk about back to school jitters, my oldest was sooooo much more relaxed and pleasant today. It did help, though, that she spent 3 hours this morning finishing The Black Stallion so that she could complete her summer goal of 33 chapter books before my parents arrived. Makes for a relaxing morning, AND she's being productive. LOVE IT! One of my favorite parts of back to school time is the nervousness that accompanies it. HA! Kidding! No, seriously, the back to school new pair of shoes! I loved it when I was a kid and I love putting my kids in them. They're shiny, new, bright and the new shoe pride is so darling, isn't it??? My little pumpkins wore theirs all day today, so happy and bouncy! We got them yesterday, and OK, maybe that part wasn't that fun because it was at the shoe store (Nordstrom) that the downhill slide began. But today, all smiles and giddiness over those shoes! And who can blame them - one pair is pink sequins and are TYING shoes (a first). One pair is hot pink - Nikes, a little too big, but my toddler can still run around like crazy in them so they must be ok. To me, the back to school new shoes represent hope. Hope for a new, fresh, exciting year, filled with new accomplishments, new friends, new learning and new developmental phases. They are so new themselves, that it is hard to imagine their newness will fade and become commonplace, sometimes even boring in the next few months - much like the routine of school. Come mid-late fall, when the weather starts cooling down and the mornings are still dark, the monotony of

1. get up
2. get dressed
3. eat breakfast
4. pack your stuff
5. get your coats and shoes
6. and be out the door by 8:20

EVERY day will start seeming a little stale and tiring. But it's hard to imagine that now, with brand new shoes and fresh, well rested minds just yearning for the excitement of a new school year, ripe with discoveries and possibilities. So thank you, new little shoes, for helping me and my girls get to YES over the looming FIRST DAY, even if the jitters come back between now and then.