First Day! Finally!

     All the chips were in place this morning. Whole wheat banana pancakes with coconut butter for breakfast. All of the laundry clean and put away. Backpacks filled with binders, pencils and erasers. Matching shoes set by the front door. Clean floors (my personal favorite, but only because it doesn't happen often enough that I take it for granted. Hush.)
     I was feeling so good about today! Then, I sent a Zooligan out to care for the chickens before taking off of the morning. She was doing a great job, then the water bucket fell. In her haste to pick it up, one of the chickens snuck out behind her. There we were in the back yard chasing this chicken around. For all you backyard chicken keepers, who know that you can usually pick up a sweet hen and put her where she belongs, we were given our three year old girls from folks that didn't hold and cuddle their birds. These ladies don't like to be touched!  We finally lured her in with some cherry tomatoes!
     For probably the only time ever this school year, the kids were so excited to get going that we left about half an hour earlier than we needed to. We made it to the library/resource center.

 Here you have  7th, 2nd, 4th, and 6th graders so happily allowing me to snap their portrait.

 Brand new Kindergartner! He has been thrilled all summer, but is less sure about it today.

                                                          Look who's feeling fabulous!

                                      This is why 4th graders at TheZoo don't have their own phones...

                              ...and they all thought that ZooMama should have a First Day picture, too.