Actual First Day Pictures

 The first day of school has come and gone, and with it the excitement and glamor that accompanies that first day, where everything is new, you know there's no homework (at least for the kids) and mom most certainly has a special snack waiting for you when you get home.

 Enter day five.  The glamor has worn off. We are all tired and out of sorts. We miss sleeping in and not having a schedule. It's hard to adjust to being on time, answering to teachers and rules and navigating the social waters that are par for the course in school.

 Don't get me wrong. They are all pleased with their teachers and classes. They are happy being with their friends and excited to come home and tell mom all about the exciting events of their day. But they we are all a little off. On Monday Ty had a throwback to his crazy toddler days, where he screamed and cried for a half an hour while destroying his room and everything in his path. (Don't worry. We hugged it out and then he cleaned it up.)

 Ashlynn is aware that she struggles with adjusting during the beginning of the school year, so she is trying (with minimal effort) to put on a happy face, but underneath it all, she's suffering. She always struggles with being in the lowest math group, but yesterday, after being placed there again, without any of her friends, she received a welcome relief when her friends returned from the advanced math group claiming she was lucky she didn't  have to endure what they just did for the past hour ("Yoooou are sooo luckee-yah! Our math teacher is sooo strict-ah! I'm serious-ah!" Please read that in a Dramatic 6th Grade Girls Voice with a hint of Valley Girl).  I know she will rise above it all soon and be fine. (In case you are thinking Briggs has spared us the drama, I have to interject. He walked in the door crying yesterday because "ASHLYNN YELLED AT ME IN THE PICK UP LINE!! IT'S NOT FAIR!!")

At the end of the day, I know this phase will pass, but it takes time. And right now since I'm having a hard time adjusting to all of the rigors that a new schedule brings, I'm not really wanting to be patient. In answer to the most popular question of what I'm doing with all of my "Free Time": The same thing I've been doing - cooking, cleaning, laundry, meal planning, grocery shopping, signing a bazillion agendas daily (really just 3, but still...). I just get to do it in peace and quiet, until chaos reigns at 2:30!

Last Day of Summer

This picture is a perfect representation of my kids personalities: Ashlynn and Ty - all the way at the top! Briggs, cautiously sticking close to the ground.

For the last day of summer, by friend Natalie gave me the idea of going to the school for "first day of school" pictures before the craziness of the actual first day of school.

We've had a really fun and full summer. We got out in May, so we got a full three months. Which has been heavenly!

Because I knew we had plenty of time to be lazy and have fun and take adventures, I never felt a hovering sense of anxiety that the summer was slipping away from me, like the feeling you get on the last day of a vacation, where you know you have to go home and do laundry and face reality.

It ruins the last day of vacation. Summer can be the same way for me. Mid July, when you feel like you are just hitting your stride, all of the sudden, you start seeing back to school supplies and fall clothing, things you don't want to be thinking about. And the inflatable pools, and goggles and sand toys that you need NOW are relegated to the clearance section, or worse, gone.

This year we made a summer to-do list, and boy did we hit it hard! We did so many things, and then some! It was nice not to have strollers or nap time. I feel like we filled up every nook and cranny of summer in the best possible way. Lots of adventures and play time, but a perfect amount of laziness.

The other day I caught myself thinking about some projects and tasks I needed to complete, and thought I would wait until the kids were in school to start them. That's when I knew I was ready for school to start. Then the kids admitted that they were ready to go back and see their friends, as well. Ashlynn actually confessed that she was ready for school so that she could "Start Being More Productive". (Whatever! If that's what she was craving I could have certainly helped her out!)

Today while we were walking around the school taking pictures, the kids started getting giddy and excited. Then Ashlynn and Ty saw their teachers from last year and ran to greet them with squeals and big hugs (they all had really awesome teachers.) We even got a peek at Ashlynn's teacher who is new to the school! (We totally followed him to the classroom to make sure it was, in fact, him!)

This year will mark the one and only year where all three of the kids will be at the same school on the same schedule. I've mentioned this so many times the kids are starting to repeat it (the grocery store clerk knows, the home teachers know, and that guy down the street who has the dog with the two bad knees knows...)

Then the question that inevitably follows is, "And what is Mom going to do all day?" Uhhh...EVERYTHING I HAVEN'T BEEN ABLE TO DO FOR THE LAST 11 YEARS!!

or WHATEVER THE HECK I WANT!

Actually, I will probably do exactly what I've been doing now (laundry, meal planning and shopping, exercise, cleaning, errands - all the really fun stuff) I just get to do it without playing a non-stop game of 20 questions. Which sounds great!

But honestly, I'm going to miss the kids and the fun we've had this summer. When they are toddlers, it seems like time is standing still. When they get the age mine are now, time is flying by. Everyone always said that to me, but I never believed them, because I was sleep deprived.

I would definitely say this  time of year is bitter sweet for me. Here's hoping it's more sweet than bitter!

After Christmas

I'm still working on this years Christmas picture. We had a great Christmas. Auntie Mae Mae, Grandma and Grandpa, and Nana and Papa. The kids had a great time, even though they wanted to take a nap halfway during the gift opening. I forget how excited we all get about Christmas. Even though I am an adult, Christmas still holds a lot of magic for me. I never sleep good the night before, anticipating all of the surprises to come the next morning. I don't think any of us slept well. Now the only thing I have to get under control is my anxiety. I love the excitement, but my anxiety still puts me on edge with it. I wish I could just let go and embrace the mayhem and noise level.
Merry Christmas!