First day of school

Today was the first day of school for the Middle Schoolers in the San Dieguito School District of San Diego, CA.
Such a change from last year, when my 7th grader was new to California. Now she's beginning 8th grade, her last year in middle school.

Today
-- She not only set her alarm, but SHE GOT UP. (granted, it was after the second alarm -- she sets four alarms -- but she did get up.)
-- She had set out her clothing the night before and, although she couldn't find her favorite cardigan sweater, it was a great outfit. Her hair looked good, too.
-- Ate breakfast and took her vitamins.
-- Yelled at me to get going because she wanted to be there by 7:45.  (Actually, school begins at 8:30, but she was planning to meet friends and pick up their registration materials together and...)
-- So we took off for school.
-- Naturally being this early, the traffic up the school hill flowed nicely and we were able to find a parking place.  I needed to take her inhaler plus permissions to take medicine in school to the nurse, so we got out of the car, together.
-- Which was the last time we did anything together.  Although we could see her group of friends waiting in front of the school, she kissed me good-bye and took off in another direction, reaching the sidewalk in front of the school about 20 feet from her friends so that their heads were turned toward her as she came up and greeted them, and NOT toward me.  Ah.  This independent soul was making sure that there was no way she would be embarrassed by a parent walking her to school. Much squealing and screaming as they hugged and greeted each other. (as if they hadn't seen each other all summer, instead of the actual fact that they'd been together all last week and weekend.)
--They were completely oblivious as I passed behind them and entered the school office.

First Day of School off to a successful start.