First day of school pictures

My cousin just sent a note to tell me about taking her daughter to her first day of first grade (yes, in her Catholic school uniform!). She said that they took pictures at the house, but also in front of the school – but she assured me she wasn’t the only one. LOTS of parents were “as crazy as her” taking pictures in front of the school. I must be getting into this parent role as that didn’t seem whatsoever crazy to me! She told me that my munchkin would be there in no time as the years flew, so I should enjoy every moment.

Talk about the years flying – I started thinking back to my own going to school pictures. My Mom would take a few of my brother and me in front of the fireplace and then stand us on the steps – our backpacks on and carrying our little (still metal then!) lunchboxes. (My first grade lunchbox was Holly Hobby. I thought it was the greatest thing! I was so excited to use that in kindergarten (which was half day), I convinced my Mom to pack my lunch in it at the kitchen counter so I could carry it over to the table in the box and open it up to eat it.) I don’t know how much earlier we had to get up that first day to get all the pictures taken! The ritual was then repeated on scout days when I could wear my brownie uniform (and my brother his cub scout one) to school instead of my regular uniform.

Those are great pictures. The oldest include my name tag which my Mom had sewn on a heart shaped piece of felt – it had my name, grade, classroom number and “walker” to indicate I didn’t take a bus or need a ride. (Can you imagine that now – letting your 5 year old walk to school without an adult?) The last ones go through high school - even college move in day (in that case, a wary look on my face as I'm stuffeed into the backseat with the car packed to the gills!)

I know that my own daughter will be posing for these pictures and going off to school before I know it because it seems like just yesterday that I was. I think I’m ready to start sniffling just thinking of it! Man, I’m going to be a mess!

One of my coworkers talked about her daughter’s first day of school. She was worried and her husband said – she’ll probably be nervous and may cry, but then she’ll get on the bus and go to school. Well, he had the symptoms right, just not the patient. He was nervous. She cried. And their daughter got on the bus with no fuss!