Yesterday was Paul's first day of school. This year, he is going three days a week from 9-12. Last year proved to be very beneficial for him not only on the talking front but also with stability through moving, new baby, and daddy leaving. We were very excited about school starting this year and it was GREAT!
First of all, I feel the need to explain the backpack for school. In my frugal, practical, and
brilliant overly-simple mind, I had planned to buy Paul a L.L.Bean junior backpack that would not only last for a few years but could then be passed down for future use by his sibilings. Well, upon hearing about my plan, multiple people quickly told me that my plan was TERRIBLE and I needed to let the poor, deprived child pick out his own. So, I took him on a date to buy a backpack. When we got to the store, he found the three 'Cars' backpacks and started searching through them. After realizing that cars didn't actually come INSIDE of the backpacks, he headed for the door and said he didn't want one! HA! So, while they were in Atlanta, I searched all over Charlottesville to find the last of the 'Cars' backpacks and he was thrilled when he came home to it, complete with cars inside! So, without further ado...
PAUL'S BACKPACK!
Oh, sweet Catherine...no clue!
The most dramatic part of the day was Paul saying goodbye to Catherine, as she did not want her "brutha" to leave. Thankfully, my mom stayed home with the girls and they painted nails so it wasn't TOO bad.
Sorry for the lopsided picture
To make her feel better, Paul made sure to yell out the car window "Bye, Sis! I love you!" He is so sweet to her!
Paul was so incredibly excited to get to school. He told me where to turn, stop, etc, the WHOLE way. Once we got there and got out of the car, he walked in like he'd done it all of his life. He hung up his backpack and waited for the door to open. He was excited to see that a lot of his friends from last year were in his class this year and that he remembered his teachers. When they opened the door, I thought he would just RUN right in. I was so touched, when he grabbed my hand and said, "Come on, mom". We got up to the door and he ran in. No drama, as expected.
Paul's first day went great. He came running out, into his sisters arms, with his first piece of artwork for the year. He had a great day and is excited to go back tomorrow!
Today holds a very dear place in most American's lives. Ten years ago, the country that we love went under fire. When I woke up this morning, the meaning of the day was heavy on my heart as I knew there were many people mourning the loss of loved ones and many remembering the fear that took hold on that day. The other aspect that hit me today was that my kids have absolutely no idea what 9/11 means. For something that is still so vivid in my mind, they were not even a thought in my mind. Heck, I was in 10th grade...they better not have been a thought in my mind! That realization made me contemplate how I was going to teach them about that day, especially given how much time their dad has spent deployed. 
