First part of school? Check.

My girls are in the swing of school here in week five.  Madison has entered the IB diploma program and is busy pulling all night-ers that cause me great concern for her health.  She has yet to manage her time on a schedule that I think is better for all concerned, but she and I have talked about it and both of us have made concessions that we can live with.  Darcy has begun her first year of high school with a gusto managing her time wisely and going to bed when she is tired, causing me to worry about her health.  I am a great worrier.

The that Madison is in requires several parts, one of which is called CAS, which stands for creativity, action, and service.  It is designed to get the students out of their comfort zone and out of the classroom.  The IB website states, "Creativity, action, service enables students to enhance their personal and interpersonal development as well as their social and civic development, through experiential learning, lending an important counterbalance to the academic pressures of the rest of the IB Diploma Programme. It should be both challenging and enjoyable - a personal journey of self-discovery that recognizes each student's individual starting point."

She has to be doing two of these activities at all times and she has to develop and complete a project that falls within one of these, or all of these, categories.  In addition to this IB requirement she is a member of the National Honor Society which requires more involvements that don't seem to follow the same guidelines so that she could file these activities under both.  She loves Math Club, but it doesn't do outside competitions required by the NHS so she had to also join the Academic Team which travels around the county competing against other schools.  She had to join the Debate Club because it was something new, a requirement under CAS, because she had done the Academic Team last year.  Pretty much what this means is that Madison is busy all of the time. And all of this doesn't include the stuff she wants to do for herself such as being president of her house (think Harry Potter).

Darcy, on the other hand, is embracing everything social about being in high school.  She is in the pre-IB program so she doesn't have to start the CAS stuff yet.  She joined the swim team which began immediately and she made the varsity team.  She swims in the fast lane with all the juniors and seniors and listens to all of their stories which she is filing away for future use I'm sure.  She has practice for two hours each day, with a swim meet each week.  She goes to the football games and the dances.  She has organized a facebook page for all of the IB freshman because she thought they were all too quiet and too involved in their middle school cliques.  She can't decide if she should try out for basketball or soccer next.  Her drama teacher wants her to try out for district theater competitions.  She eats lunch in one of her teacher's room where she has assembled a group of new kids that suck this poor teacher into their conversations.  She holds court every morning in first period with her drama teacher who she has sucked in with her promise of scoring her musical theater grandmother as a volunteer for upcoming productions.  Everyone tells her she is so different from her sister.  She responds that she knows.

What I find interesting is how they feed off of each other now that they are attending the same school once again.  Darcy is my early riser who sets an alarm and gets up without help.  She is a morning person and despite the darkness of the hour she is cheerful.  She makes her breakfast, packs a lunch if she wants, or makes sure that she has lunch money if she doesn't, and her backpack is always ready to go the night before school.  Madison is the opposite.  She is the one that I use to drag out of bed in the morning, who takes forever to get ready, who rarely has her bag packed and who is running around in the morning packing it and grabbing her homework off the printer.  For two years I have had to scream at her to get her up, ready, and out the door to the bus stop, leaving us both frustrated and feeling blue.  Not anymore.  While I still come in and wake her it is Darcy who will remind her of the time.  Mostly, it isn't necessary because Darcy wondering around the house, flipping on lights, singing and talking gets her up and moving. If she needs prodding, Darcy is the one doing the poking.

Madison in turn helps Darcy with her homework or when Darcy becomes frustrated and stressed.  Madison has been through this program and is happy to share her experiences and her insights with her sister.  She will take time to sit down with Darcy and tutor her in whatever subject or offer up suggestions in how to complete an assignment.  She gives her insight into the teachers and the way they test and grade.  She can add to things that Darcy might not have been told on an assignment that she knows the teacher will require in the end.

Darcy being involved in activities after school has made Madison more involved.  Darcy went to homecoming so Madison went to homecoming, her first time ever.  Madison being serious about her studies has made Darcy more inclined to study.  Both are maintaining their grades and their sanity.

My hours from the moment they are out of school are hectic.  Madison doesn't drive so I have to ferry her to her various places of volunteering, interviewing, and meeting up with friends in addition to doing the same for Darcy.  Both girls have been great at communicating with one another to coincide their schedules and so far we have managed to get every one on time for every event without too much hassle.  I wouldn't trade this job for anything.  I'm glad that they are finally together again in the same school, working together, and getting along.  I'm thrilled to be a part of this experience with them and thrilled that they have taken on this role with maturity, grace, and humor.  I just wish we had more sleep.