First Days

They are, finally, back to school. It has been a fun summer but I think everyone is ready for some routines again.

Andres is now in his fourth (!) year at Horace Mann. This means he is now closer to the end of his elementary school days than he is to the beginning. Let that sink in for a moment.

Celia, on the other hand, has just started Kindergarten, so Horace Mann must feel all shiny and new to her. She is excited. Very excited. Not only is she now at the same school as her brother, but she even has the same Kindergarten teacher as he did. She couldn't be happier.

Tuesday was the first day of school for Andres (Kindergarten is split into two groups the first two days, and Celia went back on Wednesday). It was basically business as usual for him--except for his outfit, which was the full Sligo Rovers soccer kit we had picked up for him in Ireland last month. Oh, and his buddy Shane was also wearing the exact same thing, a move they had plotted weeks ago.

Just a couple of superfans.

Tuesday was a bit of a madhouse. Tons of parents wanted to walk their kids into school, and I could tell that Celia didn't love the crowd or the noise. Andres didn't care. He walked in with his friends, thrilled to see them again, and headed through the hallways to his new classroom. It's funny; I never would have thought he would be a social kid, but he really does thrive on that. It took him a few minutes to find his new desk because he was so content to hang out by the cubbies and chat with his peers.

Thankfully Wednesday morning was a bit quieter. It was Celia's first day! (Surprise: she dressed up for the occasion.)

Sister and brother on Celia's first day.

With Lucia in tow, we walked into school and then up the stairs to the second floor. We made a pit stop in 5th grade to give Claudia (Ms. Hoover, an old friend) a quick hello; she gave Celia a hug and wished her good luck on her first day. Soon we were at the doorway of Kindergarten. There it was! The room was crowded with parents, but Celia didn't seem too intimidated--she walked in, said hi to her teacher, and then put her lunch and backpack away. She had been waiting a long time for this. I stayed for a few minutes, but when it became clear that she didn't need me to stay, I gave her a quick kiss and left.

Celia settles into Kindergarten. Lucia looks apprehensive.

With a few days now under our belt, things are going smoothly. Everybody likes their teachers and their classmates. There have been no tears yet. And mornings have been pretty easy, too, as Celia has been getting ready without much fuss. Let's hope it stays this way!