Full Circle

Hello, Blog! I have missed you!  I haven't written since the night before my birthday, which seems like a million years ago.  I will say it was a really great birthday, with pancakes for breakfast (by Kev and Daphne), lots of great gifts, phone calls from friends, lunch out with my mom and dad (lobster bisque!), Batman with Kev, and even a Birthday Tree (pictured above, hand-made by Daphne).  I might be the only person to ever have a Birthday Tree to put my gifts under.  I'm a lucky girl.

Fast forward through a week of Girl Scout camp:

and a week at the lake:

and that brings us to yesterday, otherwise known as The First Day of First Grade:

We started the morning with green eggs and ham.  It looked pretty gross, but Daphne was excited about it.

Then, the traditional First Day of School Front Door Picture:

And then it was off to meet the bus:

Only we waited...and waited...and waited, but the bus never came.   Finally a bus went by, but it was the WRONG bus, and its driver hollered out the window at us, "Your bus broke down...I'll be back to get you later."  Since it was 12 minutes to the tardy bell, we decided to take the car.  So I didn't get my traditional First Day of School Getting on the Bus picture.

But I did get a Crazy Face Getting OFF the Bus picture:

Somebody loved first grade.  Hooray!

Meanwhile, I spent the morning with some awesome friends, celebrating the first day of school (aka Sweet Freedom - thanks, Emily), and - and this was a surprise to me - also celebrating the birthdays of me and three other people. There was red velvet cake from my friend Jill, and these beautiful flowers from my friend Ann:

So, it was back to my almost forgotten birthday all over again. 

Daphne's first day of school was really great.  She has a lot of friends in her class, she really likes her teacher, and she is excited to go to art, music, and PE this year.  I can't believe I have a first grader, and I might have even cried a little yesterday if there hadn't been all that craziness with the bus.  I am really proud of my cool little kid, and I hope she has a great year.

Tales from the lake and summer camp coming soon!