Thankful.

At the beginning of each school year, our local high school has a big night they call "The Kick-Off". I think it is the football kick-off, but they graciously include all athletes, grades seven through twelve.

So, this is the first year Max was old enough to participate. There was a big, blow-up Bulldog head. As each child's name was announced, the child got to run through the Bulldog mouth, to cheers of the enormous crowd. This was all outside on the beautiful football field, which I am sure rivals those of many small colleges.

The atmosphere was party-like. The crowd was buzzing and happy. There were t-shirts and popcorn being sold.

I had a strange happy feeling sitting there with my friends. This is a great place to live. The schools are well-run. My children will be in three different schools this year, and I have to search to find a problem with any of them.

It is quite bizarre actually. I am filled with thanksgiving today. We are very blessed to live in a quality area. (For perfection, I would add some museums, theater, etc, but hey, I gave up perfection a long time ago!)