First Day of School

It was a sleepless night in our house last night. Our boat babies are starting school on dry land today. For 3 year old Ziva, it is truly her first day of school as she begins PreK for the first time. Ironically, she wasn't the one that was nervous. 5 year old Ahava was up until 11:00pm thinking and thinking about what school was going to be like. And when I awoke at 6:30am, she was already sitting on the couch with more questions.
I say it's ironic because while we lived aboard "Hakuna Matata" in the Bahamas, Ahava actually went to school in Hope Town on Elbow Cay. It was an amazing experience that we hope to repeat down the road (both the boat and the school). I'm sure I will talk about Hope Town a lot here on this blog, but for now here's a photo of her first day at Hope Town School last November.

Now that the girls have been dropped off, and the Mommy tears have been shed, I have a moment to reflect on what a whirlwind our lives have been lately. Up until a few months ago, I was convinced that we would be back in Hope Town, living on "Hakuna Matata" by the time school rolled around this year. So it is with mixed emotions that we make the commitment to start the girls in school here in New Mexico. I am glad that the girls are going to have some stability before they get hit with the next major, life-altering event; a baby brother due around Thanksgiving! With a new baby on the way and a very nice job offer on the table for my husband, this move was the right one to make right now. But that does not mean we have given up on the liveaboard life that we fell in love with.

For now I will call it a "hiatus" and try to make the most of the exciting, and sometimes overwhelming experiences we have before us. Today that means a new school, new teachers, new backpacks, new classrooms, new friends and a bit of heartache for this Mommy. Here's hoping they come home after school with even bigger smiles on their faces.