Back to School!

It was a big day in the Webster household. Frank and I had to report to duty for titillating sessions on tardiness versus truancy, calibration of short-skirtedness -- oh my, a thigh! -- and how to deal with said insubordination, the "love your students but don't LOVE your students" speech, and other such standards -- all accompanied by awesome powerpoint presentations. Handbooks and dirty looks were passed out to the teachers for immediate use in the classroom. Frank created bingo cards for his colleagues featuring acronyms of the trade: IFL, IPG, TEA, TEKS, IEP, ARD, PLC, TAKS, PBS, CAC, CIP and eveything else that helps us teachers take care of TCB. How many can you identify, dear reader?

The kiddos had a big day, too. Thankfully, they are both returning to the same classrooms and teachers they had last year, but we did have a new wake-up time, new clothes, and new lunchboxes. And new attitude -- have we mentioned that?

"Mister J," as his teacher calls him, slept on a mat. On the floor. With the big kids. Well, he slept during his morning naptime. Apparently he flirted with the staff during afternoon nap and played peekaboo instead of sleeping. When I went to pick him up from school, he was flopping around the floor like a grumpus and Miss Lillian told me he was "having himself a drop down." I love her.

Here's Jameson on his first day of toddler class, 2009:


Sophie has been super excited about school and went with me to pick out some new clothes and new shoes. Today she reported that her new shoes were too tight. (Bullcrap, and you're wearing them.) Yesterday she loved her new skirt. This morning she hated it. She proclaimed it "disgusting." I made her wear it anyway. Poor little bowlegged baby.

She did seem to like her new lunchbox. Score one measly point for mom.