Yes, Michelle, this is a big ritual, learning who your teacher for the year will be and then getting to meet him or her. If they don't have an open house before the first day, make some time to go in and meet his teacher. It's so much easier when they know who it is. We didn't have any tears on the first day because I wasn't expecting any - they were just excited for the new adventure, the next big thing. I left them at the front door, they went to their classroom on their own, meeting other kids they knew on the way. You've built a great foundation for your little guy, and one of the things they learn is to read what you expect. If you're hesitant and weepy, they will be. If you're confident and happy about school, he will be. Keep the inside stuff to yourself. You'll miss him terribly while he's in school, but you'll also quickly realize that you have a few hours to do something on your own. (The main thing to realize is that for the next 13 years the school district will dictate many things in your lives. And you're mostly stuck with it. So make the most of it.)

Temperatures are supposed to hit 108^o tomorrow and stay hot over the weekend. This is why the new dog door was important, so these old pooches can choose to be in or out. They're acclimated to outdoors and know how to stay cool, but over about 103^o (their body temperature) I make a point of bringing them in if I can. They could always go in the garage, but they really love the tile floor in the living room.