First day of school

Everyone woke up with stomachaches – first day of school butterflies.

Ely with her new Hello Kitty backpack, off to 3rd grade. Excited and Nervous. No bus this year. I have joined a carpool with two other moms. I actually prefer this. Now I can keep my pulse on Ely’s morning start. New classrooms. No bathrooms yet. Only in Israel.

NED feeling nauseous with her new purse over her shoulder, walking out the door on her way to 11th grade. The hardest year of all. Ari and I will be cheerleaders all year long. That’s all she needs: positive reinforcement and cheerleading. I am up to the challenge. I hope she is too!

MB is my senior.

I remember my first day of senior year. Corralled into the auditorium to give us the “what we expect from you as seniors” talk. And to give us the year calendar. I can still remember the moment the principal announced graduation day and Matt Pedersen announced I wouldn’t be graduating because it said “Shavuoth” on the calendar. He knew it had something to do with being Jewish. I panicked. I cried. I walked in the door after school and quickly demanded my mother do something about it. After 10 years in school with my friends, I was not NOT going to graduate with them. After meetings with principals and superintendents, the school agreed to switch graduation night with Linganore High school, where there were no (observant) Jews. My graduation was now going to be on Motzei Shavuot (the night the holiday ended). I was 2nd to last to graduate. I walked to school as the holiday was ending, snuck in the back stage door and took my seat – missing the processional. I had left my cap and gown backstage before the holiday so I could slip it over my dress and take my seat. I waited my turn. Walked across the stage, waited for them to announce my name and then to my mother’s horror, raised my hands in the air and yelled, ”I did it!!” I walked the rest of the way across the stage, shook the principals hand, said thank you and went to my seat. After the recessional and celebration in the lobby, I went home, made havdalah and continued on to my graduation party….

Yeah, I remember that first day of 12th grade!!

MB’s 12th grade will be MUCH different than mine. I won’t even understand most of what she is going through. But I will listen and asks questions. Her stomach was in knots. Her back was already starting to hurt.

And as I looked at her this morning, I couldn't believe this was my little chubby baby, screaming, laughing and snuggling. She is going to be something great - all my kids will be. (BEH) I just know it.

Oh yeah, DB went off last night to Mechinah. 6 months more of learning before the army. He’s an old pro already. I’m not allowed to ask about how he got there, his sleeping arrangements or what he’s doing. He’s happy and that is all that matters!

I should add, that Ari started a new job today, too. It was his first day of sorts. It hasn’t been made official yet, as in no official announcement from the Powers That Be, but Ari will be running Yeshiva University in Israel. What that means exactly, we don’t know yet. But I am very proud of him and most importantly, he will be traveling less!

So what, you are wondering, am I gonna do on my first day ”Back to school?”

I’m gong to the pottery place to paint!! Yay Mommy!

Have a good one.