Returning to School

It was the first day of school for Naomi and Ethan. Dorothy (and Ryan) took the two to their first day of school. Being a mom and kids event seems to be the norm for many. This was Ethan's first day at the big kids' school (as opposed to the little kids' school - preschool). He was quite familiar with the routine having spent the past two years helping mom to walk Naomi to first kindergarten and then to first grade. There still were moments of uncertainty for him though - not wanting to be left alone because Dorothy had to walk Naomi to her room. "Ethan, you'll be okay in the playground." The kindergartners have their own cordoned off playground separate from the rest of the elementary grade kids.

Dorothy remembers having her mom take her to school. She remembers the apprehension that comes with being thrust into a new situation not knowing anyone. She remembers her mom telling her to sit next to some boy who was known to her family.

My memories of first school days in a small town in Alaska are quite different. The first day of school was just that. There was no apprehension about not knowing anyone, maybe just a little about what desk you would have or who would be your teacher. There were no parents - just all of us kids.

Summer Birthdays

It's known that having a birthday on or near a major holiday is a major downer (especially if you're still at the age where you're losing teeth and know that they will be replaced naturally). What is sometimes overlooked is that there is an entire season that mixes like oil and water with birthdays. Of course, we're talking about summer.

Naomi was a summer baby. Interestingly, her birthday is the same day as her cousin's. Also, Carson who was the ring bearer in our wedding increments his age on the same day. Her aunt's friend who was on duty as a nurse at the hospital about the time when Naomi was born also has the same birthday. There are at least two more people that we know who have July 29 as their birthday.

We've learned that July 29 is a good birthday for swim team purposes because the age cut-off is June 15. This means that Naomi will be swimming in the 7 and 8 year old division when she is almost 8 and almost 9. So a common response to hearing Naomi's birthday is, "oh, that's a great swim birthday!"

However, we get the impression that her league meet might be an annual occurence near the end of July. This year the meet was on her birthday and the day after. So instead of gorging herself on cake and ice cream, Naomi spent her birthday trying to stay cool, eating fruit and drinking water while waiting to swim for her team the Ygnacio Wood Seahorses. Perhaps going out to celebrate their 3rd place finish and her individual achievements after the meet was enough to offset any disappointment for not having a party on her birthday.

So this year her party with friends is scheduled for the second week of August. Based on the responses so far, we're beginning to think that perhaps a birthday party in July is not too bad after all. For next year, we're considering a swim party in June.