Perspectives on The First Day of School

Today was Eliza's First Day of German School. And she was UP FOR IT....very, very eager. She was a total team-player today....very, very positive attitude. I think it's not an exaggeration to write that she loved every minute of her First Day of Going to School.

Which is a very big, formal deal here, with Dad's in SUITS. Almost like a graduation.

- I spent a great deal of time making sure that I had all the school supplies on the list, and that I had followed the instructions precisely for labeling all the supplies with her name.

- I made sure that Eliza's new clothes from Nana were washed and dried, so that they were soft and wonderful.

- I made sure that I had the raincoats and umbrellas set aside (for it rained.....all day).

- I made sure that I got enough SLEEP, even after the late-night final touches on the School Cone and German Backpack, so that everything would be ready.

- I arranged for Lars & Ian so they had friends houses/things to do while we were gone.

- I did everything I could to avoid chaos for the Big Saturday Morning.

Somewhere in my mind, when I planned out what I would wear (my uniform of simple black skirt and pale pink turtleneck sweater), it seems I must have been remembering from ANOTHER MOVE that I knew where to find my nylons. Or tights. Or, even trouser socks, really.

No.

It turns out that box is somewhere else (unknown) and that the only pair of socks I could find were in white cotton, with a small graphic of a Viking Ship on the ankle.

I humbly confess to you that I asked both Alistair and Ian if they had black socks. Only Alistair came up an option for me, five minutes before leaving: pinstriped men's socks.....which came up to 4" above my ankle. And, faced with time running through the hourglass, I wore them.....in the rain and 50 degree weather, I couldn't get away with the alternative of open-toed black sandals.

I'm preferring to believe that I sported a Bohemian Look today -- & since I didn't actually view myself in any mirrors, I am going with that image in my mind. My skirt was long enough to maybe - maybe - have camoflauged the clunky combination.

However my appearance, I went forward without any time to recover. I eventually stopped obsessing about the socks, for there were too many other things for me to fret over:

Alistair: What did the Rector just say?

Tanya: I don't know....I couldn't really hear. Something about the first day of school....

And, then I met little Carolin :-) ...... and I loved her. I got her to smile - even in my crazy German. It was something about ketchup -- I don't even remember now what I said. All that mattered to me at the moment is that she smiled.

In fact, I met (and re-met) a lot of people today who were really very nice.....maybe the nicest people don't notice socks all that much; or maybe they just didn't care. ;-) Either way, it turned out okay for the foreign woman wearing men's socks with her black skirt, (although, she needed some wine tonight....)

And it definately turned out okay for the First Grade Girl who lives at our house. On to Monday!