First Day of School

Today was monumental for us. It was the first day of school, I mean real school, for our first child. Catherine started kindergarten and has to wear a pseudo-uniform. She has to wear a solid shirt (white, blue or navy) and a khaki or dark blue skirt, pants or dress. She looks like such a schoolgirl:

We all went to the bus stop this morning. We got there a good ten minutes early and the bus was running late because it was the first day. So, the girls had time to argue. This is how the conversation went:

Catherine: We are waiting for my bus.
Sabrina: My bus.
Catherine: Not your bus, my bus.
Sabrina: My bus.
Catherine: You can't go to kindergarten. You are only two. It is not your bus.
Sabrina: Yes. My bus.
Catherine: You have to turn three. Then you can be four. Then you can be five. Then you can go to kindergarten.
Sabrina: My bus.
Catherine: MOMMY!! Sabrina says it is her bus. She is wrong. It is my bus.

I love listening to these arguments. I feel so wise when I am able to resolve these arguments by stating the obvious: "The bus does not belong to either one of you. It belongs to Cobb County Schools. Catherine will ride the bus this year. Sabrina will ride the bus in two years."

Of course (in keeping with her policy of not listening to me) Sabrina climbed onto the bus right after her sister. I took Sabrina by the hand and tried to turn her around, while she was standing on the steps of the bus. Sabrina turned her head towards me, her lips started to quiver and I could tell she was about to have a huge meltdown (they are quick, loud and dramatic). I did not want to have a scene at the bus stop in front of our neighbors, so I whispered to her "Sabrina, let's go home and have a cookie." That promise immediately squashed the fit. I then hoped that she would forget my promise by the time we got home, but she said "cookie" the second we stepped back into the kitchen.


I was so proud that Catherine was able to get up the steps of the bus by herself:

Her bus driver makes all the kindergarteners sit in the front seats, girls on one side and boys on the other.