Hello August!

Well, here we are at the end of another summer.  I have plenty of sad and sappy going-back-to-work posts, but today I'll just focus on the positive, lest I leave some of you in tears.  I've been dying to get back into my classroom all summer and today was the day!  They finally finished cleaning on the third floor and we had the go-ahead to start working, so off I went at 8:30 am, after a run through Starbucks, of course, and I left Sylvia in the loving care of her fabulous father. 

I knew I could be gone all day and I wouldn't have to worry one bit.  There was plenty of baby milk in the refrigerator and Sylvain knows exactly what do with her and when, so I was able to enjoy my drive to school.  I started to get REALLY excited about this school year.  I feel like I've been away forever!  I arrived and met the newest member of our fourth grade team, then spent a good five hours unpacking boxes and rearranging furniture. 

My hidden designer genes really get to shine when I put a classroom together.  In fact, I would go so far as to say that the two weeks before school starts are my favorite time of year!  Everything is organized and clean and new, the anticipation of another school year just builds and builds while I come up with the most scathingly brilliant ideas I've ever had.  The bulletin boards get covered with fresh paper and fabric, the desks get labelled and arragned in neat little tables, my desk is immaculate with everything in its place, pencils get sharpened, windows get cleaned, and everyone is just atwitter with back-to-school excitement.  Then somewhere around October I look at my classroom and think, "Geez, what a dump.  How did this MESS get here?"  The good news is, it's usually a productive, learning-filled mess.  Things aren't quite as new and glossy come October, but it's worth it.

While I was gone today, Sylvain took some video of the Nugget in her new jumperoo that Grammy gave to her this weekend.  She loves jumping in it, but often gets distracted by the cow, for some reason.  She'll play with all of the toys and laugh at the music, but when she catches a glimpse of the cow hanging from the barn attachment, she gets quiet and stares at it with her unblinking eyes.  She does it here at the end of this short video and I think it's adorable.

Here's my favorite picture from our trip to the Aquarium with Laura and Pete.  Sylvia loved looking at the water at the top of the tanks, I think because it was where a lot of light was reflected.  I think this is a picture of her actually looking at a fish, but I can't remember which one.

So, I get to go back to school tomorrow and Thursday while Sylvain stays with my baby girl.  Then next week....ooooh, next week.  I cringe, I shudder, I cry when I think about next week.  I'll take her to day care three days next week, and the first two are only half-days.  Next Friday will be her first full day there, then the week after that, she goes full time.  Sometimes I'm totally fine with it and other times I'm a freaking mess over the whole thing.  I think it's going to be a lot like waiting for the day Sylvain went back to work - I'll be really sad and anxious up until it actually happens, then once we get started and I realize that everyone is able to survive, I'll be fine.