Back-to-school 2009! Texas Legislature made sure that just about all of us started today with the exception of private schools. Most start today, but I heard about a couple starting later this week.

Ahh... it feels great to sit in my home office working away without hearing screeches from a video game or hollerin' from Cartoon Network. Sure, I could turn off my cochlear implant and experience complete silence, but it's deafening. When I turn it off, I couldn't listen for crying kids to let me know I need to referee or ringing doorbells.

Although my boys went to separate elementary schools beginning last May, it has greater impact today as my little guy ventures off to first grade alone and the 5th grader to a new school where he knows hardly a soul. By May, he was a pro in navigating the kindergarten halls. Besides, things slow down in May.

We've done our best to prepare them for their separate adventures. It'll be good for the little guy to step outside of big brother's shadow. Big brother will have great support from his new school. How's this for coincidence? Their schools share the principal intern -- whom we know from her earlier internship at the original school. That coinky-dinksecured my thinking that we did the right thing in moving the older guy to the new school.

Oh, yeah. We have a 10th grader, too. She's fine 'n dandy. An independent gal, to be sure. 

It's good to be back on a real schedule.