Although there isn't a hint of fall in the air, and even though I don't feel the urge to tackle new projects and start scratching items off of my to-do list, the new school year has arrived and there's no going back! It feels strange to be gearing up for fall activities and discussing homework and gym clothes in the month of August. I feel cheated somehow, knowing that if we were in Canada, we would still be enjoying the hot, sticky days of late summer. But...your day will come! And when it's early June, and we're finished school...whoo-hoo! (Or "boo-yaah", as Graeme would have me say!) So, it's back to stuffing backpacks full of healthy snacks and signed consent forms, back to rushing around in the morning with a toothbrush in one hand and a hairbrush in the other, back to raised voices saying, "Hurry up, Elise" and "Graeme, stop bugging Renee and go wait by the car"!We've started at a new school this year and we are heading into the city to get there. Our routines needed to be orchestrated like a battle plan so we could maximize the amount of sleep the kids could get in the morning and coordinate the pickup of three children at three different times each afternoon. I can't wait for our routines to fall into place and for the newness to wear off! The kids quite like the morning commute...digging their passes out of their bags...people-watching on the subway and bus...standing, bracing their legs as they sway in the crowd of commuters. The days are long, and they are happy to return home for a rest before the afterschool activities begin.
Graeme has started this year off in a quiet way. He hasn't made friends as quickly as he did at his old school. It seems that the other children are also quietly adjusting to the new school and new language for some. It's only a matter of time, I'm sure! For now, having two good friends in the neighbourhood is enough, he's not lacking for social time. Renee has begun to display an amazing confidence that has made this transition very smooth for her. She has approached this new situation head-on, and even having to wait by herself at the school for 90 minutes until her classes start wasn't daunting. Elise has found herself in a class full of bubbly, happy girls, just like herself. Her teacher looks like a surfer and rides to school on a skateboard, but we think he'll keep her on her toes. They're off to a great start!
So, while I'm tacking up schedules and labelling gym clothes, measuring last year's running shoes and rinsing out tupperware, hunting for pencil sharpeners and filling out forms, I'll be thinking of you back in Canada. Enjoy your last breath of summer and make the season last as long as you can!
