Happy New Year!

In my heart of hearts, January 1 is not my New Year. My New Year occurs 8 months late if you go by calendar days. My New Year always comes exactly when I need it, just as I am starting to feel stagnant and unproductive in the, albeit necessary, but dragging days of summer vacation. 

To me, the start of a new school year is just the best. Don't even get me started on the joy it is to walk into Staples and stock up on supplies/organizational materials (Binders for each class? A NECESSITY! A new day planner that I will lose? SIGN ME UP! A Costco-sized helping of 3x5 cards that I will never use? NEED IT! A 24 pack of retractable highlighters even though I have a drawer full of last year's set? MUST BUY NOW!). In addition to forfeiting all control of mind, body, and apparently, grammar, I always end up spending WAY more than I should; something not-of-this-world possesses me the second I step into that store and I am absolutely powerless. I digress. 

Bottom line: A new school year fills me with renewed motivation and my intrinsic need desire to learn and grow my skill set is at an all time high. Obviously, as it always does, this motivation will quickly dwindle as the year progresses, but it's good to know that I'm always starting off on a high note. 

The initiation to the 2012/2013 school year has been no different in many ways, and very different in some. I have been and will be a student my whole life, but this year likely marks the last year of my formal education (cue god-awful Greenday song about turning points and forks in the road, you know the one). I was talking with a friend last night about the post-grad blues phenomenon that seemed to resonate with all of our friends when we completed our undergraduate degrees. Most of us experienced, to varying degrees, what we called a quarter-life crisis--what do you do after 17+ years of continuous, institutionalized education? For me, the answer was simple and safe: I'd pursue a graduate degree. Sure, the answer was easy, but the process...not so much.

I can see how another post-grad blues event might be a brewin' come springtime, but I can safely say that I won't let it get the best of me, for many, many reasons. For one, I have undoubtedly found my calling as a Speech-Language Pathologist. I have also had the invaluable opportunity to both further my educational credentials in the field, while at the same time garner specific training for my career--read: I will be employed upon graduating, read: I can start paying off student loans.  And finally, as a product of institutionalized education (all of us are), I can rest assured knowing that I can always be a part of that machine by working in schools IF I choose to...which means I will always be able to celebrate My New Year each August with a trip to Staples!

And so, some school-related photos from the 2011-2012 school year (don't forget there are two pupils in this house!). We'll start with a collection of some of my favorite outfits donned by Marlowe this school year:

When the work was done, or I was procrastinating, we were able to commence with photo booth sessions

and general tomfoolery.

Many weekends were enjoyed at the beach.

While weeknights were occasionally spent like this.

We slept hard at the end of each day.

Which gave us energy to do fun things; like take a mother/daughter trip to Seattle.

Tests were studied for.

Papers were read.

And 'field trips' were taken.

Along with shots.
(Yes, of the blue raspberry jell-o variety).

***HAPPY NEW YEAR!!***