It was a bit of a tough day at the Allen household today. Austin started Kindergarten.

 The "tough" part was for me, Mandy and Cameron. Austin couldn't have been happier. He was excited about going to school and being in Kindergarten. We dropped him off at school and stayed with him for a little bit. When it was time for him to go to close, he said "Bye!" and went to class. No separation anxiety. No hesitation. Nothing like that. Meanwhile, me, Mandy and Cameron were starting to go through our withdrawls.

 It started on the ride home from school. Mandy turned around and said to Cameron, "Do you miss brother?" That's her way of saying she missed Austin; she introduced the subject without saying how she felt about the situation. That's her way. "Where brother go?" Cameron said, sitting in the back of our car. I was driving back, a little sad. One of my two little buddies was done with vacation and now back in school.

 It's interesting the emotions this situation brings up. The last two years, Austin has been in pre-school, getting used to a school environment and being around other kids. But now, it starts to matter. He will have homework to do and more school type responsibilities. He will have to really listen in class and pay attention. He will have to avoid the bad habits of the other kids in his class while working to overcome his own. The building blocks of his school career are starting to be laid right now. I worry about him and hope he does well. But like anything else in life, Mandy and I can only be helpers and cheerleaders. It will be up to him to see the work through on his own.

 Austin is a smart and curious kid. He has a good sense of humor and a good heart. He likes to ask questions about real world issues and thoughts. I enjoy talking with him about anything. We will do our best to lead him down a path of success and hope he grabs the reins.

 Austin started Kindergarten today. It seems like he was just born. We will blink and he will be a freshman in high school. Then we'll blink again and he'll be in college. I am very proud of my boy.

 Quote Of The Day: "Integrity without knowledge is weak and useless, and knowledge without integrity is dangerous and dreadful." Samuel Johnson

 This Day In History: Germans voted Adolph Hilter to the position of Fuhrer on this date, August 19th, 1934.

 Something You Should Check Out: Enjoy Crosby, Stills and Nash and their song, "Teach Your Children Well".

 Thanks for stopping by. If your child is now back in school, good luck to you too. Feel free to leave a comment below or send me an e-mail by clicking here.