The Carefree Dog Days of Summer have been replaced

My precious one started junior high today. Junior. High. I am not sure if the youngest child should really be allowed to grow up. I think it's just too hard on the mama :) She is a little worried this year since she is starting in the fine arts program and 'ALL' (as she puts it) her friends are not. I am hoping that she'll come home and say, "Mom you'll never guess who's in my class!" and the proverbial "I love it!" instead of the dreaded, "I hate it and I don't know anybody!" She should be walking in the door any moment. Time will tell.

My big girl and my boy don't start until tomorrow. In our district, 7th graders and 9th graders go to school the first day, so they don't have to deal with the overcrowding until the second day. Hence, the older two had one more day of summer...Yesterday they went to the park...what does one do at the park? Talk on the phone of course! Pure togetherness isn't it?!? These girls crack me up cuz they are two peas in a pod. They've been bff's since first grade...9 years later, they are a little bit different, but so much alike. I love that my kids have fabulous friends that we have known forever. It sure makes the worry of having a teenager a little bit less.

So tomorrow...the big girl starts 10th grade and the boy 8th grade. Ugh! Steph's getting her hair cut and colored today and her eyebrows arched. The boy...well, we're gonna at least be sure he's had a shower and has clean clothes on...ya know? He's got a lot of pressure this year having his little sister at the same school with him. She has already noted many rules he has to follow (mostly hygiene related) and is receiving daily briefings on how he should behave when around her and her friends. Poor guy. Wait til he's in high school with his big and little sister there! That oughta be a good time!

So...the dog days are quickly passing...

*sigh