The girls went back to school last week. The elementary school started on Tuesday, and the junior high on Wednesday, which I initially thought was just plain whack. I was surprised to find that I actually quite enjoyed it. When I picked them up, they were each able to tell me about their first day of school without the other one interrupting to tell about her first day of school. Plus, I only had one set of emergency contact/no, we're still not migrant workers/yes, we're still Maine residents/field trip permission slip packets to fill out each evening. So, definite pluses to the staggered first days.
And why has it taken me nearly a week to post the first day of school pictures, with nary a blogged word all week? Well, in a word, it's been HOT around here. We had temperatures in the high nineties all last week in Maine.
Are you people in Arizona/California/The South done chuckling patronizingly yet? I realize that to some of you that's not really that hot. But I want you to bear this in mind: Mainers don't have air conditioning. When it's 97 degrees outside, it's 97 degrees inside - give or take a piddly degree.
I'm proud to identify as a Mainer in most circumstances, but on the topic of climate control, I stand firmly amongst the air-conditioned. After spending our first summer in a sweltering rental apartment while we house-hunted (that's a whole blog post in itself), I determined never to spend another summer without air conditioning. And although it's impossible to buy a house in Maine with central air conditioning (I know. I tried.), we have a BIG window unit in our living room and smaller ones in all the bedrooms. It does the job.
Unfortunately for the girls, the school system stands on the other side of the air conditioning topic. They spent their first week in 90 degree classrooms. I packed water bottles, grapes, Gatorade, pudding, and anything cool and refreshing I could think to stuff in their lunch boxes. Wednesday, I picked them up at school with an ice-chest full of Popsicles. Thursday, we headed straight to a friend's pool after school.
Bug, first day of school:
Bear, first day of school:
Friday night, the remnants of Hurricane Earl passed through and behind him came some beautifully cool and crisp fall air. Yesterday felt so downright autumnal that I baked pumpkin bread and dragged out my knitting. The beauty of Maine (for those of us with short attention spans) is that as soon as you get tired of one season, another one comes rolling along.
8 comments:
It was SOME hot. Happy for the Fall weather we have had recently. Kids have grown so much , beautiful girls!
Having experienced that Maine heat this summer, I understand your dismay in having to live through it again. It was the same down here, but at least everyone has AC, including the schools.
Great black and white shots and great choice for their first day of school outfits. GIRLS, you look awesome.
HOT, we know HOT, here in AZ, but by the weeks end, we should begin to cool down and feel Fall in the air. We can hardly wait:-)
We finally got a welcome break from the heat, too. Like you, I'm ready for fall weather and all the wonderful baking that goes along with it.
I don't know how the girls got through that first week of school with no A/C. :(
I grew up in CA and we did not have AC in our houses until I was in high school and my parents finally put it in. And there was none in our schools. AC everywhere is a fairly recent phenom. And the 90's is hot anywhere!
No air conditioning? I cannot compute.
We are having Hurricane Hermine rains right now and it is lending a fall feeling. Well, until it starts to flood. Then it will just suck.
Glad the hear the start of the school year is going well.
Yay for back to school! Sorry it was so flippin' hot! Too bad about the a/c thing. At least you kept them cool at home. And thank goodness you got hit with some fall weather. Who knows how long it'll last, but here's hoping the heat is over!
Dang, how did I NOT notice that you weren't in my Google Reader until today??? Sheesh!
Your daughters look amazing--that gorgeous dark hair.
And I do feel sorry for you--heat in Maine must be as harsh as freezing weather in Florida--it's not what you're used to!
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