Aaah, there's nothing like a hot cup of coffee and a quiet house. UPDATED

The sun was shining, the birds were chirping, and it hit me:  the girls were both gone, on the school bus together, for the first time! I wasn't teary eyed and emotional, as I had been with Juliette.  Rather, I was looking forward to a hot cup of coffee and a few hours of uninterrupted solitude** to get some work done.  So of course the coffee pot was empty. Being motivated,  I sat down to work blog while I wait for a fresh pot.

We had quite a group assemble to see Cosette onto the bus for her first ever bus ride to school.  Initially she was all "I don't like school, I'm not going to school" but when her adoring fans showed up, she quickly changed her tune to "let's walk to the bus stop" and "take my picture now!  And now!  And now!"

When the bus arrived, she followed her sister on, but then paused for one last pose for the camera.  That's my girl!

 ** addendum:
"uninterrupted solitude" as defined by the following:

• first the cleaning lady shows up and is noisily cleaning around me (better her then me, though);
• then the dog groomer shows up and we have to chase Lucy down- because Lucy just won't admit that she really likes the pampering; 
• then UI shows up with two massive trucks to move forward with burying our power lines.  (This has been a project that is ongoing for several months now: the new pole  was installed (because you need a new pole in order to get rid of all of the old ones, apparently), the ditch was dug and the pipes buried; the driveway paved; the electrical boxes all set and ready to turn on; and the only part left is to actually bury the lines.) 
• At this point I realized that I needed to move my car, otherwise I wouldn't be able to get out of my driveway to pick Cosette up at 11:25.  So UI had to back out of the driveway; the dog groomer had to move her mobile grooming unit out of the driveway, and then I moved my car out of the driveway.  
• Then our handyman started working- noisily (and dutsily) (that should be a word) sanding.  
• Then Greg came in needing something.  
• Then the cat tried to jump on my lap as I sat at my desk, and kept insisting there was plenty of room for him despite my arguments to the contrary.  
• Then the dog groomer finished and I had to find my checkbook.  At least that drove the cat away.  

Then finally I sat down with forty five minutes left to work...
but by then, of course, my coffee was cold.