School is coming!

I'm just glad we don't live in California because school has already begun there. I'm barely going to be ready on August 23. Analee is going into 9th grade. She is up for the challenge. One little accessory to help her cope is the new cell phone she now owns. She has been texting quite a few of her friends, even as far away as Hawaii. We went to pick up her schedule at the high school and got a tour from one of the cheerleaders, who also happens to be in our ward at church. I don't know who was in charge of the layout of the school but it's a good thing that Analee is the one who has to learn to navigate the hallways. She is also the proud owner of a "ghost" locker. All that means is that the school is short on lockers because of all the new freshmen this year so they had to install new lockers and they aren't ready yet. She is taking all the required classes and her two electives are volleyball and American Sign Language. She also begins Seminary this year. It starts at 6:00 a.m, is over at 7:00 a.m, she has to be at the bus stop by 8:13 a.m, and school begins at 9:00. School gets out at 4:15. Long day. I think her responsibility level has gone up several levels in just the last few days.
Jacob begins 7th grade this year and I hope this year is much better for him than last year. His band class/teacher just made it miserable. Don't get me wrong. Jacob participated in the mutually bad feelings but I'm glad this is a new year with new activities and opportunities. He is signed up for Boys' Athletics which means he will be participating in several different sports the school has to offer, including football, basketball and track. Picking up his schedule was not a pleasant experience. If anyone was hoping to just pick up the schedule and leave then they were in for a rude awakening. Walking in the door you were met with a very long line of people waiting to see the nurse so she could check if immunizations were up to date. The wait in the line was an hour long and you were not allowed to even access the rest of the school before you saw the nurse. Terribly handled. What a way to greet the parents and students. It's a good thing I had the time to stand in line for an hour. Jacob likes his schedule and is really excited about the Athletics.
Sam will be in 5th grade this year. I don't know how he will do this year but he needs to improve quite a bit with his acedemics and coping with change and challenges in order for me to be comfortable with him attending middle school. I have some options I need to look into more but I will admit that I am quite anxious on his behalf.
I am going to be the elementary school crossing guard again. I am excited about that. I really enjoyed it last year and got to know the kids and some of the parents well. I am also the 1st Vice President for the elementary PTA which has given me a sleepless night or two. This responsibility is so far outside my comfort zone that sometimes I look at myself and wonder who said yes to doing this. The bright side is that after this year, I am done with elementary school and can hand over the responsibility to someone else. I just have to get through this year, preferably with flying colors. However I look at it though, school is just coming too fast. Even after the hot and sometimes boring days of summer, a part of me, a big part, would just like summer to last a little longer.