The Time Has Come - For 1st Grade!!

Yesterday was the first day back to school.  I officially have a 1st grader!!  And since I have not been allowed to call Jocelyn a 1st grader all summer, it really is official!!
We've had a really fun summer and I'm going to miss my little shadow, but she's so ready to get back to school!

Jocelyn has a tendency to bring up important subjects right before she's supposed to go to sleep.  I am sometimes torn between not wanting to shut down something that is really important for me to address, and my desire for her to just go to sleep!!!  

This week I knew she was stressing a bit about school because for a number of nights she would bring up this new school year and her worries -- Will I see my friends?  Will I like the teacher?  How will I know how to find my classroom? -- So much of her worry was about the unknowns of the first day.

But Friday we went in to the open house so she could meet her teacher and see her classroom and desk, and yesterday morning when she got off the bus, her teacher was there to greet her.  

Her school has a really fun routine for the first day.  Parents put their kids on the bus and race to the school to be there when they get off.  Hundreds of parents cheer on the kids and follow them to class to help them start the day.   I love this event.  Last year it was so hard not to cry!!  This year, I knew it meant security to her.  She thrives on routine and predictability and this was the start of that for her.

By the time we said our goodbyes, 45 minutes later, I knew she was ready to go.

Being the helicopter parent that I am, I've already had a number of emails sent back and forth with her new teacher.  I am thrilled that she welcomes parent volunteers (Happy Dance!!) and she is so receptive to my ramblings about Jocelyn's belly issues, and my need to be overprotective.  I'm sure she's seen it before...  

With Mrs. Rutan Jocelyn's 1st grade teacher

At the end of the day, I couldn't wait to get down to the bus stop to see her again and hear about her day.  At 4:05 she bounded off the bus and declared "I HAD A GREAT DAY!!"  I could not have asked for better than that.  So as much as I would like to stop my baby girl from growing another day older, I am one proud Mommy today.  My sweet girl is a 1st grader -- off to new adventures, out to solve new mysteries, and ready to take on the world.  I love you my girl.

Remembering 9/11

Earlier this week, I had the chance to go to NYC to see the 9/11 Memorial and Museum.  I have now been to all three memorials of the events of that tragic day, September 11, 2001.

Shanksville PA

Pentagon Memorial Washington DC

As emotional as those two locations were, by far, I was struck the most by NYC.  I expected that I really didn't have any concept of how big the area of Ground Zero was, but I was so overwhelmed by my feelings when I got there.  We got off the subway and walked around the corner, and there was the new World Trade Center 1 building.  It is HUGE!!  I love this photo with the reflection in the World Trade Center 3 Building.















It took my breath away just to be there, but as we walked closer and closer, I was overwhelmed by the emotions I felt being at the memorial and being surrounded by what I had been seeing only on TV all these years.  The pools are spectacular, and the PERFECT, serene memorial to those that were lost that day.

The 9/11 Museum is underground, under the pools, which is amazing.  You actually get to see the footprints, indicated by bases of the sheared off pillars that used to be the tridents around the towers.

Here is what's left of a fire truck, one of two in the museum.

One of the things that I was looking most forward to seeing was the Last Column.  I have read a lot about it and was very interested in seeing it for myself.  The column has an interesting story.  It was buried under so much rubble that when they originally went to remove it they had no idea how deep it went.  As layers were removed, photos, signatures, and memories were written on, or attached to the column.  Ultimately it was the last thing to be removed from Ground Zero, and was preserved with the expectation that it would one day hold this important place in the museum.

The Vesey Street stairs were the route 100s took that day to escape.

This piece is called Impact Steel.  It is the area of the North Tower where the Flight 11 plane hit the building.

As heartrending and emotional as these items were, there was a much stronger experience in a huge area under the North Tower pool, that we were not allowed to take photos in.  This area contained all the personal effects, photos, videos, and  memories that demanded respect -- and brought such overwhelming sadness.  

Being an amateur quilter, I could really appreciate this amazing quilt.  This is only about 1/4 of the entire thing and there is a photo of EVERY victim on this quilt.

The museum and memorial were incredible, overwhelming, and emotional.  But they were also beautiful, strong, and completely fitting, to remember such a difficult day.

No Day Shall Erase You From the Memory of Time