Second grade, sixth grade

For the first time since Cooper started kindergarten, he is not wearing a collared shirt on the first day of school. I gave him a choice, and he chose a T-shirt, and I didn't argue. See what a fun mom I am?!

Katie declared at breakfast this morning: "I have a feeling this is going to be the most exciting year yet."

Katie begins her third year at Bledsoe. Cooper begins his first year at Pioneer Heritage Middle School. They won't share a campus again, unless Cooper agrees to Katie's big plan: He must attend graduate school at the same university she chooses for her undergraduate degree. 

My children have learned to humor my photo traditions, including endless poses in the front yard.

Uncle Jim flew in from Washington, D.C., for back-to-school weekend. He arrived at our house (in a vintage Bledsoe shirt) from Dallas at 6:30 a.m., with breakfast treats from Grandma and Papa. 

Katie, me and Cooper just before Uncle Jim and I walked Katie to Bledsoe (start time 7:50 a.m.)
Cooper stayed behind, waiting for me to drive him to Pioneer (start time 8:25 a.m.).

There is no better principal than Beverly Woodson. 

Mrs. Barnes, Katie and Noe pose before getting down to serious second-grade business. (In the background is my good friend Kristin, whose son, Will, is in Katie's class for the third year in a row. He's the kindest second-grade boy around.) 

Katie was eager to get started on her work. (There are no photos of Cooper at Pioneer. I dropped him off at the front door but didn't get out of the minivan. That would have been "the kiss of death," according to Liz Smith.)

Stay tuned for this week's Briefing column, 
in which I describe my terrible parenting decision en route to Pioneer!