first day of school, and what is wrong with my camera?

This is Madgie-May.

She is in High School.

What?

How does this happen?

She is at my old high school,

and I am so proud of her.

She is taking harder classes than I ever did.

She is my hero. and she is stunning.

This is Tiny Bro-Bro.

She went off to junior high today.

She is blissfully content 99% of the time.

She has 9th graders in her math class, oh my!

She is stylish and full of spunk and moxie,

and her teachers already love her because she is the sister of Madgie-May.

Lucky girl!

and she is darling.



This is Smalls.
He is the tallest child in the 2nd grade.
(not even including his fauxhawk)
He is sort of a ladies' man.

His new school shoes were a little too tight today- help me.
Lunch is his favorite subject, and recess is never long enough.

I am certain he daydreamed about making duct tape wallets.
and he is adorable.



Here we are. The only two left at Knowlton.

I'm sure glad to still have a buddy at work.

I had the first-day jitters, too.

This is the lunch-maker.

He makes sure the lunches are in line with the food pyramid.

He walked Little to school today with some of the neighborhood kids.
He's a really good dad.



Yay for school and for the many things these three will learn this year!

good things come to those who wait

Thirty minutes of Jedi Academy Training, and then we leave Disneyland, right?

Not if you don't get chosen by the Jedi Master.

You wait for the next Jedi Academy Training that starts in exactly 45 minutes.

At least that's what Little says we do.

I say, "Buddy, what if we wait and you don't get picked to come up?"

Little says, "Please, Mom. I know he will choose me next time."

Could you ever say no to that?

I couldn't.

So we wait.

And his sweet big sisters wait.

And Daddy waits in the car in the parking lot.

And we all remain optimistic, because we know this means the absolute world to Little.

Jedi Master comes out for the second time, and Little raises his hand higher and more earnestly than any of the other little hopefuls.

It shows, and he is chosen.

This is the face of "I knew I could do it."

Training begins.

This is such serious business.

Totally in the groove, now.

Darth Vader emerges, through smoke. It is scary.

The young padawans are ready.

They will be selected to duel either Darth Vader,

or...

this really scary dude.

Henry took him on without even flinching.

Take that, Darth Maul.

Thank you Hillary for capturing all of these great photos.

It really might be the happiest place on earth.