The school delayed opening for a week due to Hurricane Irene. So when school finally started this morning we were all SO happy and excited! (Especially me.)
Gavin is in first grade with Mrs. Morvan, who is entering her 40th (yes, 40th) year of teaching first grade. I think we are in pretty good hands there. 
Lucy is in fourth grade with Mr. Appleton. She heard he likes to give jellybeans to kids who do well in math. Motivation by candy-bribe works well for Lucy, so she thinks it will be a good year.
Lucy and Gavin both had a fabulous first day of school. They were hardly off the bus before they launched into stories about how great their class is and how fun the day was. They got louder and louder as we walked because they were trying to be heard over each other, so I made them take turns, which meant they switched from loud to fast in order to get as many words in as possible before it was the other's turn. We were all the way home before they ran out of stories.
Me, I was a little bleary-eyed today. Maybe it was because, for the second year in a row, I stayed up all night making personalized birthday cookies for Gavin's class, covering each one with perfect little icing dots, putting them in individual bags and tying them with bows? When I could have brought a box of Oreos and the kids would probably have been just as happy? Someday I will learn. Until then, I'll probably continue to work out my emotions by going overboard on birthday cookies the night before school starts.