1st Day of Middle School

We had our first day of middle school today, and thus ends a pretty crammed summer full of fun.  But school looks to be fun for Madison who was “nervous and excited,” and resolute in the face of a new challenge.  She faced it full on!

It helped to get to sleep in a bit.  About these middle school hours:  we love how they start.  We arrive about a half hour early, which means at 8:30 am.  Which is amazing!  We don’t have to wake up until somewhere after 7am, and that’s just something beautiful to rejoice about.  It used to be for elementary school that we had these farmer’s hours.  

The other side of it is the late hour that she arrives home.  Of course, the bus drivers are getting used to things, and oh – it was pouring rain today.  Madison got off the bus at about 5:15 pm today, around a half hour later than scheduled. Similarly, the bus was a half-hour late this morning.  I remember driving Madison out of the neighborhood, and passing by these waiting middle schoolers, standing in the rain.  And when I got home after dropping Madison off, they were still there, waiting in the rain.  

As for how things went, Madison enjoyed school today.  It’s cleaner for one:  she said the bathrooms are much nicer.  And she didn’t have any problems with her locker either.  Also, she met a friend from elementary school that she previously thought would be at another school this year.  So there were a lot of wins.  One older friend came by to visit at lunch, a girl from church who was kind enough to drop by and say hello.

The teachers were nice, and there seemed to be a lot of talk about conduct, rules, grades and so forth. In gym, Madison will get her own locker, another locker in addition to the one she has in the hallway.  She’s already hit her head on the locker door above her, but not too hard.  She was warned by us and everyone else, but the thing is, it happens to all of us in school with those lower lockers.  And yes, she needs a lower locker.  And she’s fine with that, although she might get some decorations to add to it a little later on.  Daddy will help her with that.  Maybe a big KidPak cat or something.

This morning we said our prayers, took our pictures and had our breakfast.  We got all packed up, and were out the door early, full of vim and vigor, whatever “vim” is.  Madison was still excited when we got home.

Daddy had to work, and was getting things ready for this weekend somewhat, along with next weekend.  Daddy spent a good deal of time designing bookmarks with the KidPak logo on them.  These will be nice on Sunday when we give them out for the Student Prayer Service. 

Tonight we were reading from “The Hostile Hospital” some more, nearly there in wrapping up this story. We’re on book #8 of #13, I think. Almost done with these unfortunate events, but Mommy and Madison really have been enjoying the adventures of Klaus, Violet and Sunny Baudelaire each night.  Even when on vacation, we had the books with us.  It’s a dark humor, one that Madison notices and appreciates. Uh-oh!  

So the first day of middle school has come and gone, just like the first day of elementary school so long ago.  Or maybe it was just a few years ago.  Regardless, cling as tightly as you can to these moments, but they still pass by and we record them here, only to look back upon wistfully a few years later.  Don’t be sad it is over, but be glad it happened at all.  Okay, we are glad.  And really, when you put it all together, it’s a wonderful little story, isn’t it? We’re having a wonderful life, and we’re really quite grateful that we’ve been given!