It's 4 a.m.

Gosh, it's early, though I know I could pick up the phone and call my friend Mama Teacher and she'd be getting ready for work. I am too, in my own way, I guess. Today is visiting day at school, just another step towards starting school--and leaving them there--next week. We have new haircuts, new shoes, new backpacks. Not really any new clothes yet as none of the stores are carrying short sleeves and at 87F today it's still a little warm for long sleeves. But they'll have new (and new-to-them) clothes soon. I have a list of things I want to do before Tuesday, including the schultuten I'm planning, a felt heart "hug and kiss" to carry, notes for their snackboxes, a poster wishing them a great day at school (also to be used to date first day pictures), labeling everything they own, and cleaning off the porch. Okay, that last one is odd but I realized--as many people have noted ("I finally get them out of your house and then it starts all over again with the toys on the porch!)--all the toys on the front porch really slow down our departures and I want them out of there (yes, sometimes the obvious escapes me). That might take awhile. But we're supposed to have the remnants of Hurricane Hanna this weekend so we won't go anywhere really anyway.

I was really impressed at orientation tonight. I love the school, I love the teachers. I'm excited about all the activities. I was reassured by the attitudes and philosophies of the teachers, who really seem to work as a team. I'm looking forward to joining the parent committee and helping out on activity days. It's a little intimidating to meet all these new parents, as I have been so comfortable in my own little playgroup and church niche. But we already know two of the families, though the kids probably don't remember one of them. And I guess it's just a taste of the nerves the kids will feel. But I loved school and am comfortable in that environment--especially because there are no midterms, SATS, or orals for me (yes, yes, I'm sure it's going to be tougher watching them go through all of the academic and social hurdles, but I'm trying really hard to embrace the happy here; the worries come easily enough).

I remember preschool. It was surrounded by really tall pine trees, with a circular drive, and had long, low buildings. I remember one of my classrooms, where a boy I would go to school with through senior year, once tried to dramatically embrace me and ended up dropping me on my head on the linoleum floor (see, that NEVER worked). I remember that we put on a "3 Little Bears" play, complete with costumes. I remember the day we sampled crackers with butter, peanut butter, and jelly, or any combo of the three--I tried them all together--mercy, you wouldn't do that today. I remember dyeing blown out eggs but having one of my beautifully-colored creations roll out of my basket under the car on departure. These are real memories my mom couldn't have told me, some of the earliest things I remember absolutely on my own. I wonder what memories the kiddos will create without me?

And isn't that why I'm up at 4 a.m.?