Almost Time...

This morning Emma had a Kindergarten Picnic. It was an opportunity for her to meet the kids that are going to be in her class. Except that she could care less about meeting new kids, she just wanted to play with the kids she already knew. But it was a great idea!! And with all the kids starting kindergarten on our street, kids from gymnastics, preschool, soccer and T-ball, even the baby playgroup we were in way back when, Emma isn't in a class with anyone she knows.

I do wonder though, if whoever thought up this outing was doing it for the kids or the moms. Because what an opportunity to size each other up. It was quite easy to pick out the overachieving moms, the moms who will complain about everything, the moms who will gossip, and the moms who will put their little girls in dresses everyday with a big hair bow. Makes me curious about what some of them might have labeled me. But as catty as that all sounds, I am a big believer that first impressions aren't always right, so I keep an open mind.

Oh and of course I have already picked out Emma's new best friend!

Then this afternoon it was Alli's turn. We went to pick up her schedule, buy her school supplies, put money in her lunch account, and stand in a very, very LONG line for her textbooks. Now I don't know what bonehead thought it would be a good idea for 1000 students to all get their textbooks. This was definitely NOT a smooth operation. I mean when I went to school, your teacher handed them out to you in your class on the first day. Was there really something wrong with that system? Hopefully they figured out this was not a good idea and we won't be repeating that fiasco again next year.

We found her locker and located her classrooms. And apparently I am not as together as I thought I was. It didn't occur to me to actually bring her locker shelf today. Or her magnetic accessories. Or scrapbook paper to completely cover the whole interior of her locker. Yes, obviously I am not the cool mom I thought I was. To not be standing there with scalloped scissors, stickers, and doo dads to make her locker pretty. Who knew?

Alli stopped to compare her schedules with everyone she knew. It is really a sight to see these girls get so excited about the fact that they have lunch together. The whole jumping up and down thing that girls do. Very fun to watch all the friends reconnect. I suppose I might have been that way. And I saw a friend too. No other than "Harry Potter" girl. And I did what you do in middle school. I hid my head in a locker until she walked by.

But the 7th grade is very scary to me. It's when I started my period, discovered a curling iron, starting becoming sassy, began tying up the phone line, and realized that my mom was not the center of my universe. Ooh, I don't think I'm ready for that!!

In fact as much as I am a little sad Emma is starting Kindergarten, proud of Abby for being the big fish in school this year, and completely out of mind about Kathryn leaving me twice a week, it's Alli I am having the biggest problem with.

The hormones are coming.

Better stock up on rum.