The Back to School Blues - I'm singing them

Today was the first day of school for the city school kids here. While I feel for the kids having to get up early again and their moms and dads hustling to get them out the door, it was kind of nice to hear the buses running through the neighborhood bright and early. Who can forget the stiff squeakiness of new Ked's sneakers and new skirts and dresses. In our school district, girls weren't allowed to wear slacks until I was in the sixth grade, and I think my mom made me wait until the following school year to wear them! Jeans were allowed the next year and my elephant bells and I were all over that! The pic of the lunchbox above? Looks exactly like the one I carried all through elementary school - and I still have it! I never had the thermos though, always paid my .04 for a carton of chocolate milk. I don't think my mom trusted me not to break the glass insulated liners that thermos bottles had back then.

I miss the days of taking the girls shopping for school clothes and supplies and while lamenting this to them a week or so ago, was assured that I could take them shopping for new clothes and supplies any old time I wanted. The little smart asses. We still have one daughter in college, but it's just not the same getting her ready to move into an apartment as it was buying new pencils, crayons and glue sticks - and lunch boxes! I think the girls had new ones every single year because the nylon ones get especially gross by the end of the year.

Do you miss your school days? Have fond memories of the first day of school? Do any of you still have younger ones at home to share the excitement and promise of a new school year? My mom used to take pictures of us every single year on the first day of school, a tradition I continued with my girls. I have their first day of school photos through their senior year and trust me, by then they're much less willing to stand on the front porch to get their picture taken!

I would point out that I haven't heard from Heidi yet. If I don't hear from her by 9:00 or so this evening, I'll be drawing a new winner for the Maya Banks books.

Laurie