The Dog-Poo Days of Summer

Now that September is here and kids are going back to school, it has been hot.  For the first time we've had several days in a row of high 80's and low 90's, which for here, qualifies as really hot.  Just in time for not feeling like going back to school.  But we have to anyway.

Tertia on her first day of 6th grade, with our "Chapman Yellow" house with "Courtyard" trim in the background.  All ready by 8:35 when the bus was supposed to come... but it didn't.  Not at 8:45 either, when I called and they said they were running late the first day of school.  Not at 8:55 when I called again and they said they were running at least half an hour late (Vancouver School District special services, someone else can call and pester them about it because they aren't answering my calls anymore).  That's when I loaded Tertia and "Little Joe" who's catching the bus at our house too into my van and drove them to school.  They were late the first day but it will be okay.  There are lots of people there to help them and encourage their peers to be kind to them.  I'm not anxious at all about how Tertia will do in her new middle school.  Not at all.

The second day of school, Little Joe came to our house about 8:15, kissed his mom goodbye, and we took him into the family room to watch channel 10, which he likes to do while waiting for the bus. Then I noticed what I assumed was cat puke on the carpet and went to clean it up (a fairly frequent occurrence in our house).  But no, sadly it was the titular dog-poo, left near our front walk by an inconsiderate neighbor and unwittingly stepped in by Little Joe.  So there were little malodorous dots of the canine substance from the front door to the back room, and of course a big glob on poor Little Joe's foot, too, all of which needed to be hastily cleaned up before the bus arrived, at 8:45 this time.

Quarta is bored because school has not started for her yet.  Patience dear!  Monday is D-Day for us Cedar Tree folk.  The teachers have been furiously lesson-planning and room-preparing in the heat, and yesterday evening was the school picnic.  Primigenitus is off on the Upper School beach trip today, and Secundus is even now running in his first cross-country meet.  I wrote my students' names in my grade book today, my copies have been made, and my room is as ready as I can make it.  Come Monday, we'll all test out the new Fall schedule.