School started today and while we've been doing this back to school thing for the past six Septembers, this is the first time that I have come home from drop-off alone. All four of my kids are in school this year and it's kind of lonely, as in weeping in the car lonely.
I know it'll get better and I know that I won't be bored, I start working part time as their school's art teacher next week but for now, today, I'm kind of sad. Not bad sad at all, just bittersweet sad.
I didn't have any little chatterboxes with me in Target this morning and I didn't have anyone begging for chocolate at the checkout line in the supermarket. What I did have though, was time. Because, man, I am so much faster in Target when I'm alone - I just didn't know it was possible to be in and out in ten minutes and still get everything I need. If we're ever in and out of somewhere in ten minutes it's most likely because we were not behaving and so we left a full shopping cart in the middle of the store and came home to take a nap.
Anyway, while I was in Target, I picked up a few things to make a (very) small first-day-of-school dinner party.
We now have balloons hung in the kitchen, a small wrapped toy on each bed and a plate of cookies on the table, along with a new book for each kid. I love new books. And the kids love meatballs, which is what we're having for dinner so win-win for everyone.
The whole party took 15 minutes to throw together (and that included wrapping toys) and now we have a new tradition for the first day of school for years to come.