first day of school

Here's me and Kelly B on the beach at 70.3 World Championships 2006. She's coming home this weekend!!! WOO HOO!

Today is the first day of school. For Luc. for me. During my ride this mid morning the streets will be quiet and the bus garage will be empty as they all sit in their new shiny clean desks and learn about .... whatever they learn about in them there buildings.

A visit to Luc's teacher and new classroom confirmed that yes..... second grade is for big boys. No longer are there tables, there are desks. No longer are there a lot of toys and cots to take naps on.....

Why do the little ones get to take naps in school? I can remember resisting naptime as a kindergartner and begging for a nap as a senior in high school! I mean I was swimming four hours a day! I was tired. NOT FAIR.

But I digress. I looked over the new classroom. The teacher showed me the agenda they would be using this year. The agenda is the weekly planner all the kids get. It's how we all communicate. It contains homework assignments and teacher comments and parent input.

I don't know if I like or don't like all this planning, writing, three card system of time out for bad behavior. Sister Virginia would rap us on the head if we got out of line. So we didn't.

For me, my school begins tonight. Three years to go, or four. I am not starting a new program I am merely continuing the grinding out of classes.

Health Policies. Can't wait. What's worse is that I looked over my syllabus. Group presentation. Oh great.

I don't mind group things. It just so happens that a million times a week not only am I in group things but I am in charge of that group.

My triathlon team.

My yoga classes.

My spinning class.

Often I am the charge nurse in Peds ED which puts me in charge of "the big show".

Various lectures I give around town.

So at any given moment I am in front of 30 people. I don't' mind it. I have been a group speaker forever. Or I am with a few people. I don't mind that either. I have no quams about communication. No shyness here.

I just wish my academic life would be solo. I want to go to class, sip coffee, learn about health policies (and barf on the rocks......) go home, write my papers and live happily ever after.

No go. Group projects. Awesome.

So yesterday was sad and exciting all at the same time. The back to school haircut. Swimming lesson sign up. We even signed up for a bowling league. What the heck? Bowling is a lifelong skill that clearly I grew up without even as a mother who kicks bowling butt.

As I paged through my planner and planned out my week, and the month..... I looked ahead. Two trips to warm places on the horizon. The second will be the great one because my only responsibility will be to play on the beach, enhance my tan and be the ultimate cheerleader.

I have a background as a cheerleader you know.

So on this first day of school I shall ride for two hours and swim with Kim...... and the time Luc being at school awards me is both good and bad. It means he's getting older. It means winter is coming. It means he's growing up. It means I get some time to do my thing.

We are closer to Austin. We are one day closer to that masters degree and we are closer to...... college. One day closer. 9 years and 364 days to go. I hope they pass slowly.

This evening as I sit in my class from 4-7:50pm forgive me if I am checking out my tan where my watch is, making sure the sun kissed me enough. Forgive me if my mind isn't on the policy of health. My eyes just might be out the window and there might be scribbles in my notes..... because my body might be in a classroom...... but my head and my heart will still be at the beach.