I had waxed eloquent before about first grade. The significance. Freedom. A turning point. Well the point turned a few weeks back. Grace went to first grade. We had bought her a special Kim Possible backpack and lunch box from the Disney Store in Chicago when we were there. And gave it to her the night before. She was excited. Mick got her clothes ready. 85 degrees and muggy for the first day. But what a special day it was. We had breakfast together and Mick wrote her a special note in her lunch.

Ready for action!

I dropped her off. Interestingly enough, I found it really hard. Actually, we’re three weeks in as of today, and it is still hard. But as she came over to my office after the first day, it was comical. She staggered in and went straight to my bistro table. I got her some water. She was red. Sweaty. Hair matted to her face. New shoes dirty from playing on the playground. She was looking worn out. I asked how the first day went and her reply was, “It was awesome dad! We had recess…….THREE TIMES!” Then she put her head on the table, asked if she could rest (for those of you who know her, you know how significant that was), and we headed home for a relaxing night. It was a wild day for both she and Micki, but we all seemed to make it through.