Ugh. I did it again. Twice.
Yesterday was the first day of school. My daughter started 7th grade, which in Athens, means going to the middle school. My boys are in 5th and 1st, still at the elementary.
Two schools means two separate drop off times. Two chances to get back-to-school pictures of at least one of my kids.
Or not.
Jordan had shut the minivan door and was long gone by the time I realized my mistake. Here’s Jordan’s First Day of School photo:
Less than an hour later, I was in the elementary school drop-off lane with my boys when I saw a lovely family get out of the car. Mom, dad, and three gorgeous blond headed boys. I thought to myself, “Wow. Those are really good parents. The kids’ all have their hair combed and they’re walking into school as a family. Nice!”
And then I realized, they weren’t walking into the school, they were walking over to the school sign. What are they doing?
All of a sudden the clouds in my sleepy brain parted as rays of understanding came streaming in… pictures. They’re taking pictures.
Not to be outdone, I quickly grabbed my phone and snapped a delightful reminder of this educational milestone:
So, maybe I should tell you, I forgot to take First Day of School pictures last year, too. But that time I had a super great excuse. Saul and I were on our way to The James Cancer Center for a post-surgery update. The first day of school in 2015 was also the day I found out the breast cancer was gone and I wouldn’t need chemo. I felt badly for forgetting the photos, but we all had a lot on our minds. I was certain this year I would totally redeem myself.
Have you ever noticed that friends have a way of making our failures a little less painful? I was sharing this story with one of my besties when she quickly pulled out her phone.
Here’s her back to school picture of her daughter:
So we all win some and lose some. Frankly I’m not sure it even matters what you get right and what you get wrong as long as you’re there when they need you.
Thank goodness for the invention of ice cream. I’m pretty sure it was created so families like mine could take after school pictures.
By the way, how much longer do you think she’ll voluntarily sit on her daddy’s lap?