Anna Maria packed the little girls' backpacks with their school supplies a couple weeks ago, did their paperwork a week ago and, yesterday morning at 7:30 a.m., was packing lunches. All this advance preparation, but still there were a couple hitches. Eliza's shoes were no where to be found. And Magdalena did not want to wear her sneakers. "They hurt my feet!" she said. Instead she wanted to wear her much smaller water shoes. I tried to convince Magdalena that her feet were just not used to shoes, because she's been barefoot all summer. Like Magdalena, I didn't wear shoes during the summer as a little girls. So I told her that when I was a little, my shoe-shod feet on the first day of school always felt uncomfortable until I got accustomed to shoes again. But Magdalena was adament. She also wanted to wear this dress, the same one Eliza wore on her first day of school. Alas! a rip exposed what should not be seen. Compromises were made. Magdalena wore her water shoes, and she wore shorts under her skirt. And finally they were off with smiles on their faces scurrying down their lane with Momma holding their hands, and Daddy walking backwards ahead of them and snapping photos.
Here they await the arrival of the bus. Eliza Grace held her sister's hand even as they boarded the bus, and climbed the stairs that were way too steep for Magdalena's little legs. The bus driver had a big smile on her face as she greeted the girls, "Good morning!"
Later in the day I asked Magdalena how her first day of school went. Another little boy had gotten a yellow, orange and red card for poor choices. But Magdalena was proud to have none. And she was not one of the three kindergarteners who cried on the first day of school.
Anna Maria packed the little girls' backpacks with their school supplies a couple weeks ago, did their paperwork a week ago and, yesterday morning at 7:30 a.m., was packing lunches. All this advance preparation, but still there were a couple hitches. Eliza's shoes were no where to be found. And Magdalena did not want to wear her sneakers. "They hurt my feet!" she said. Instead she wanted to wear her much smaller water shoes. I tried to convince Magdalena that her feet were just not used to shoes, because she's been barefoot all summer. Like Magdalena, I didn't wear shoes during the summer as a little girls. So I told her that when I was a little, my shoe-shod feet on the first day of school always felt uncomfortable until I got accustomed to shoes again. But Magdalena was adament. She also wanted to wear this dress, the same one Eliza wore on her first day of school. Alas! a rip exposed what should not be seen. Compromises were made. Magdalena wore her water shoes, and she wore shorts under her skirt. And finally they were off with smiles on their faces scurrying down their lane with Momma holding their hands, and Daddy walking backwards ahead of them and snapping photos.
Here they await the arrival of the bus. Eliza Grace held her sister's hand even as they boarded the bus, and climbed the stairs that were way too steep for Magdalena's little legs. The bus driver had a big smile on her face as she greeted the girls, "Good morning!"
Later in the day I asked Magdalena how her first day of school went. Another little boy had gotten a yellow, orange and red card for poor choices. But Magdalena was proud to have none. And she was not one of the three kindergarteners who cried on the first day of school.
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