The most important thing about Elyse

Tonight we went to Curriculum Night at Elyse's new school. This early-in-the-year writing assignment (along with those created by all her classmates) was on the wall outside of her classroom:

This is what she wrote (with a few spelling corrections):

The most important thing about Elyse is she has a sister. She loves her family and she loves her cat Tessie. She loves squishies. And she loves to collect cardinals. She loves birds and cats. But the most important thing about Elyse is she has a sister.

First Day of School!

Today is the first day of the 2018-2019 school year!

It's also the girls' first day at their new schools since we moved, Jessica's first day of middle school, and Elyse's first day riding the bus. Many firsts for us today!

I didn't get good pictures of Jessica--she's not so into that--but here are some pictures of Elyse leaving the house, waiting at the bus stop, and getting on the bus:

(She didn't take her cell phone to school, she just wanted to get a picture of the bus.)

She was very excited about the first day of school (which of course is great, but a little surprising, since she hasn't always liked school in the past), and VERY excited to be riding the bus.

I think Jessica was excited too, in her own way, but she expresses it differently, and also the pre-teen nonchalance and blase attitude sometimes show themselves at times like this.