First Day of School

Another first day of school has come. Actually I got to see three different ones today. When I was out jogging this morning, I saw the elementary school kids waiting for the bus while their parents stood around drinking coffee. The elementary school kids looked so small compared to their backpacks. On the way back from my run, I saw the middle school kids. They did not need parents to wait for the bus with them. However, you could really see why they call it middle school. Some of the kids looked like they should be going to first grade rather than sixth grade, while one of the guys I saw looked like he could start for the Dallas Cowboys.

Finally it was time to take Stephanie for her first day of high school. She had spent the morning texting friends to make sure she knew where to go. We also gathered up her schedule and bus information. Stephanie was a bit jittery because she didn't know what to expect from the seniors. Kristen spent all summer telling her about what they did to "fish" on the first day of school.

Kristen spent the night at a friend's house so that she could get to school by 7:30. In order to discourage the seniors from engaging in mayhem, the school throws a party for them on the first day of school. Starting at 7:30, they could get senior shirts and breakfast tacos. They also gave them a junked car to smash (or at least I hope that's what happened). It will no doubt be the last day that Kristen makes it to school so early.



As we approached Austin High School, there was a traffic jam which could probably be seen from space. It did not help Stephanie's nerves to see cars with "Die Fish" soaped on the windows as well as an ambulance parked by the school. I agreed to drive her around to the front of the school so she could avoid the seniors congregated at the back, even though that meant a longer drive. I had to cut through the student parking in order to get close enough for Stephanie to be able to see the theater where the freshman were to meet. She summoned up her courage, smiled and was off to start high school.