The Year of Living Hopefully

After yesterday’s post, I imagine you’re all wondering how this morning went. Ninety-eight percent of school mornings are a stressful mess, and the other two percent are, as I like to call them, “The best day of my life.” Seriously, that’s what I say: “This is the best day of my life.”

Today was one of those. Thanks to Daisy, the dark gray tabby cat who pretty much lives in Maddie’s room, Maddie was awake before my 6:05 a.m. wakeup visit. I placed Banjo the puppy on her bed, and his wiggly, kissy greeting perked her right up. I asked her to get up because I “really need a hug,” and being the excellent, committed hugger that she is, Maddie stood up and threw her arms around me, and we held each other tight for a minute. What a lovely way to start the day.

There was some scrambling to find a particular shirt I had fluffed up in the dryer the night before (picture day!) and a futile search for a particular shoe, but other than that it was smooth sailing. She had time to eat breakfast and brush her freshly washed hair.

Because she has a district placement at a school 20+ minutes away rather than our neighborhood high school, she has free (!) transportation to and from school in the form of a taxi that comes to our house. After the driver knocked on our door, Maddie ran to her room to get a hat (must wear a cap and fingerless glove). She picked up her backpack and was about to walk out the door, when I said, “Wait! I want a picture!” She posed her cute self for a photo, and then I hugged her and said, “Have a super fun day today!”

“How could I not?!” she responded.

That might be what I love most about her. She is always up for a good time, and takes it upon herself to make it so.

I hugged her again and said goodbye, and she was off.