It didn’t really even hit me until that first morning in September.  There I was packing lunches for three school-age children!  My youngest had turned five and was now starting kindergarten, so there they all were, going to the same elementary school.  Was I ever exhausted when I finally sent them all to the school bus.  I had had to make sure they had their lunches packed: at least for now, they had all decided they would eat lunch made at home every single day.  Then there were the things they needed to bring.  Janet, now in fifth grade, had to have art supplies on the first day.  We had spent the whole afternoon shopping at two different stores for construction paper, markers, and watercolors.  I made sure she had brought her notebook and her purse.  Michael was starting second grade and had to have pencils with erasers, his favorite book of stories, and a lined notebook.  The only thing Christie needed was her lunch—after lunch I would be picking her up at school and no doubt she would be armed with all kinds of things the kindergarten teacher would give them.  What I’ll have to do now is get some of those kids organizers.  I think they come in these little briefcase-like contraptions and have different packets for notebooks, pens, art stuff, and school textbooks.  At least for Janet and Michael, this will help me get them ready in the morning so they can make that damn bus on time.