2011 Back-to-school ... starting late!

So, this September, my kids will be starting another school year, my two younger ones: a girl 16 (she will be 17 in October) and a boy 15, respectively a junior and a sophomore. Ugh! Where has the time gone? My little babies are growing up so fast... and my bigger one, currently 24 (will be 25 in October) lives in his own apartment that he purchased three years ago, he works and pays his bills and finds the time to spend at least one day a week with his family! I am so happy... but I digress! As I was saying about my younger kids going back to school, this year they are starting very late, their first date is tomorrow, Wednesday, 9/14/2011. Of course, there was a bit of happiness on their side that their summer vacation was extended, there is some fear as well that the end of school might be very late as well, like the end of June. That would be very catastrophic for them, to start the summer hiatus so late... :) There has been construction going on at their High School since last June and the weather we have had the end of August delayed the progression of the work, so the back to school date had to be delayed!
To offset the bit of doom that was hovering over our household, I though it would be great if I took each of my children, separately to clothes shopping and make a day out of it. It turned out so great! I was pleasantly surprised that for once, my son was not annoyed to go shopping; we had decided to stay within a budget and yet to try to be able to purchase the items he needed. He was the one the chose what he wanted, and I was a proud mom to see him check the size and the tag for the price before deciding to try the item. As you know, shopping can make you hungry and thirsty, so it was only right that we would go out to lunch, too, his choice, naturally! Pizza Hut! It was unbelievable to see how much taller than me, he is; but then again, everybody in my family is taller than me!
And then it was my daughter's turn to shop; her shopping was done in two days because we went in a couple of stores. There is always so much to choose and girls like to accessorize. She was so much fun to watch to shop... Just looking at her checking at the racks of clothes, getting a couples of clothing items off the rack, checking the tags for size and price, check for sale or discounts, making mental calculation.... It was so sweet.
I am impressed by the choices she made, they are casual, yet elegant. Conservative yet comfortable. Not flashy yet colorful. She was able to find a medium at such young age. I know I am bragging and gushing... I can't help it... in moment like these, which I may add, are not rare, I just get very emotional about it!
My kids and I had a very full summer, this year; I believe that we bonded even more, I feel, even closer than ever, to them, and tomorrow, their first back-to-school day... well, I will miss them very much and I will have to adjust to the school year as much as them.