They're going baaaaAAAAaaack!!!

Yesterday was the first day of school around these parts (well, for those of us that didn't lose power because of Irene - there are a lot of schools south and east of us that have had to delay their first day and still aren't up and running as of this morning).

Ms. Liv started sixth grade and now has to get up at 6:00 to get ready and catch her bus at 7:10 - which seems so early to me for middle school....

The great part about this is that Daddy is now on Liv duty.  He has to leave for work at the same time she has to catch the bus.  So, he gets her up and oversees her getting ready. 

So far it's going well.  He thinks it's a piece of cake. 

(Wait until he has to deal with an overly tired, hormonal, bad tempered pre-teen who is NOT a morning person.  At all.  Fun times.)

The night before school started, no one slept well.  

The girls were up and down, up and down, and I just flat out didn't sleep.

Maybe anxiety?  For all of us?

Look at that face :)  You'd never know the night before we had a disagreement *coughscreamingmatchcough* that culminated in me removing her bedroom door from the hinges with a screw driver and hammer so that I didn't have to listen to it SLAM for the 20th time, would you?

Oh yes, I am so looking forward to the teenage years....

Olivia's looking forward to getting her door back.

Unfortunately for her, we have solid wood six panel doors (have I mentioned how LOUD they are when slammed?).  And I'm not really motivated to put it back on.

That bitch was heavy.

(And totally ruined my "I'll show you who's boss by taking this door off" moment when I had to grunt and groan to get it down and could only move it 3 feet to the hallway while she snickered in her room at my red, sweaty face.)  

But, even though she's a little diva with a HUGE attitude, I love her dearly and she sure is beautiful....

Since Liv leaves an hour earlier than Sydney, our mornings are much quieter.  There's no more sibling bickering, slamming doors (heh - heh), stomping around, and rolling eyes.
Sydney gets up after Liv leaves, gets ready and off we go to meet her bus. 

Whereas Liv was enthusiastic about the first day of school, Sydney was.....not. 

She perked up after she had her coffee.

I'm kidding....

My little cutie patootie loves school even if she doesn't think it's "cool" to say so.  

And so, we start a new chapter.

Sap that I am, I looked at all the old first day of school pics of the girls last night and got all misty eyed.....my babies are growing up.

I know the next few years will go by so fast and soon they'll be off to college and the house will be too quiet. 

I'll miss the bickering and the attitudes and the general chaos.

And I'll probably go slam some doors - for old time's sake.