First Day of School

This is the carpool clan.

Zoe's first day of school outfit! (Animal print is IN so say the Pickett girls) - Todd is still wondering how many animals had to die to cover her fuzzy lunchbox with sparkly jewels on them. Can we say BLING!


Nichole - first day as a high school freshmen. Can you believe it?

Kristine after forcing her to smile because she was irritated with me for taking back to school pictures. I know so mean. But she does look very cute!!

So it's back to school today. There were many summer days I was longing for this time but now that it's here I am wanting to really put on the brakes - big time. I was fine until parent teacher open houses last week. You know the drill where where you meet the teacher, look at the classroom, get a feel for what the year will be like. So that was last week. We met Zoe's teacher for 3rd grade. She's nice with a great smile and a classroom warm and inviting. Next Kristine - first year of Junior High. We met her 6 teachers and I felt pretty good about all of them. Her social studies teacher has his room decorated in "cowboy" - I think that alone will make him the favorite teacher. We have done the junior high thing and know the drill so I am not as apprehensive as I was with Nichole.

So why I am I feeling like I just sent a new little kindergardener to school this morning??? Somehow I have stepped into a time machine that just sent my daughter to high school. Yes, I am now the mother of a high schooler - it really can't be!! Not only the fact of dealing with my age issues is the fact that I met her teachers last week. We started out all good until we got to science and English. I began having twinges of concern after leaving these two classrooms. The biology teacher appeared like he just woke up out of bed and put on his best wrinkly clothes. He seemed like he was having a hard time with the meeting the parents thing and then noticing the 15 holes in his ears didn't really put me at ease. I do give him credit for taking the earrings out of the ears while meeting parents but I am not sure how that rolls during the school year. Not sure what to make of him yet.

Second teacher of concern was her Eniglish teacher. I don't know maybe you could say it was all the alien, science fiction graphic posters lining her classroom wall that had me taken back a little. Nice enough lady but biggest concern there was what really are we teaching in this classroom. Time will tell but I told Nichole that if she starts learning that she was created by alien life forms she needed to let me know - just not the environment I would choose for my daughter. I had that uncomfortable, uneasy feeling and not sure quite what to do with it.

This leaves me with our last stop of Seminary. As soon as I walked in I felt a calm and peace. I saw the two seminary teachers in suits and ties, smiling, interacting with ease with students and parents. Expressing excitement over getting to learn the Book of Mormon this year. The classrooms had pictures of the Savior, BOM prophets and scriptures. There just was such a difference in the feeling and tone of the two rooms.

I am having to recognize that my daughters are not going to Shelley High and that their high school experience will be very different than my own. The first person you see in the office is a gal with black hair and pink stripes with tats on her arms - the goth style permeating. The second thing I see is the armed police officer and 4 security guards walking the campus outside. You just wonder what the heck am I sending my daughter into. They are in a big school with every element of the world within its walls. The question I have for myself is have I prepare her to face that world. In many respects I think we have done well as parents and in other areas I see ways we can improve. All these years you do everything to teach them and protect them and then one day before you know it you send them into an environment that will test every single thing you have taught over the past 13 years or so.

I am grateful for good teachers and for good schools. I am grateful that my daughters have the opportunities to learn and grow. I don't know what lies ahead but we are all stepping into a new adventure. Wish us well!!!