Another School Year

What's going on here, you may wonder?  Well . . .

. . . Suzanna was practicing the combination for her locker at the junior high school!  Yes, our oldest baby is no longer in elementary school.  Sheesh!  Suzanna registered for school yesterday, getting a list of her classes and taking a quick tour of the facility to make sure she knew how to find each classroom and could plan the best routes through the three-story building.  She was a bit overwhelmed yesterday, but today she kept looking at the clock and saying things like, "Dad, at this time next week, I'll be in geography"; so I think she's eager to get back to school!

The other two are, too.  Abigail and Hillary registered last week for school.  Abigail is moving to a new building, too, although it's from one elementary school (grades K-5) to another (grade 6).  She found out who her teacher will be and where her classroom and locker are.  She's already somewhat familiar with the building, though, because Suzanna went to school there last year, and Abigail was there with us for programs and conferences.  Hillary is in the same building as last year but with a different teacher, of course--so no need to tour the building.  What's important to her is finding out which of her friends are in which teacher's fourth-grade classroom (the school shuffles the kids each year as they advance to another grade).

The start of another school year is a little more real for me, too, after tonight.  It was the university president's annual start-of-the-school-year social in his backyard adjacent to campus.  Susan and I walked over and sat with our friends Chuck and Reba (who's an assistant professor) and Dave and Leslie (who's an adjunct instructor), enjoying adult beverages, a delicious buffet, and scrumptious desserts.  After a hot day, the weather was perfectly temperate this evening for milling about outdoors to visit and eat.  Tomorrow: "fall workshops" for me to attend (Susan's at her school start next Monday) followed by a few days to get my courses ready before classes start next week.

WHERE DID THE SUMMER GO?!