End of Summer. Goodbye, Baby Boy!

School starts tomorrow. I woke the groggy kids up early today to get them ready for tomorrow's even earlier schedule.

For dinner tonight I prepared a cool, no-cook summer meal. Although summer vacation is ending, summer temperatures will persist here for at least another month. We dined on another huge Insalata Caprese (it was a really good tomato year), pepper salad (also from the garden), crusty bread, prosciutto and its beefy cousin, bresaola. We toasted a great summer - swimming lessons, trip to Europe, then lots of partying and good times with friends once we returned.

Below is Colin's "homework" that he needs to bring the first day of school. We are pleased that he got the same kindergarten teacher as Anna, and she had similar homework. The assignment was for him to put his name on the gingerbread man, then to write a good manner that he says he uses. Then he can decorate it.

You may have noticed he chose to decorate it with a Dos Equis bottle cap. Hopefully the other kindergarteners will not notice this. That plus some random pom poms and a scrap from Anna's sewing box, and it is complete.

We are so looking forward to having both kids in the same school until 3 every day. Colin is very happy to go. I am only a little sad to see my baby go off and officially become a big boy. "Why didn't Peter Pan want to grow up?" he asked me tonight, after I teased him that he could still stay home tomorrow and stay my baby boy. I understand -- as a kid I couldn't wait to get to the next stage. Funny how that feeling subsided after I got into my 20s.

So tonight, lunchboxes are packed, backpacks are ready, and first-day-off-school outfits are laid out. We are ready to launch!