They are off

Four and I followed the bus to school. We were surprised to see Zinnia's kids on the same bus. Azalea was there and we watched her kindergartner get off the bus. I guess they switch some kids around once they arrive at the elementary school. Zinnia's kids weren't on the same bus when they started. Some looked more terrified than others, but everyone seemed excited to be there. Six was full of confidence. He had a moment of weakness earlier, before the bus came. He suddenly forgot where his classroom was. Thankfully it is right next to the Spanish room. A quick reminder and he was good to go. When we got to school, he walked in with three kids from his class. Daisy and Azalea dropped off third graders at the elementary school today. Big day for them, new school. Such sweet girls they have.

What do Four and I do with the rest of our day? Well, we started off with making 3 lasagnas and a dish of manicotti. N will be home soon and maybe a trip to the grocery store will be in the works. Tomorrow I hope to make a trip to the outlet mall for shoes. The end of the week will bring a babysitter our way! Should be a great time!

Ode to the first day of school

The back packs are loaded. The mom is up early. To school they go, hopefully not in a hurry. Waffles and bacon were requested for the menu, we want to start them off right.

Two eggs in addition, yolky the condition.

Change in the weather, they will need a sweater.

Lunch money in, along with all supplies.

Hot lunch on the first day is the plan to my surprise.

I wish them well, I wish them fun. I wish them a great day ahead.

It's the first day; the only one.

They'll never have another first day, quite like this.

Second and First Grade!

Getting off the bus is something I don't want to miss.

Four and I will follow them to school, take pictures on the front lawn.

It's become my first day rule.

Go Seven! Go Six! Make lots of friends and have a great time!

We'll be waiting here just fine.

We'll see you after school, home with stories and tales.

Maybe some homework? You'll finish without fail.

Best part of my day, all children home for the night.

Preparation for tomorrow and hope you sleep tight.

Happy Birthday, Four!

Hard to believe my baby girl is four years old today. Though the time did go by so very fast, her birth does feel like a lifetime ago. It must be all the moving we did right after she was born.

She is an amazing girl, so sweet and caring. I love what she has brought to our family. With all the stress of moving that November, she made everything easier on me. I fell in love with her and could take it all on with a smile, her smile. This year we will be together quite a bit as the boys go to school all day every day again. She will go to preschool three days a week. I am looking forward to seeing her grow this year and learn all that she can.

Happy Birthday baby girl! We love you more than you can imagine!

Two more days

I found some motivation, but not of all of my tasks. Enough was accomplished to make me feel satisfied. Tomorrow is another day. Actually, tomorrow is Three's birthday! We won't get too wild and crazy considering our last month, but good times will be had. We only have two days left until the first day of school. I have almost all my ducks in a row, just a couple more things to get in the backpacks. I have not been to a store since my parents were here. I plan to donate some extras to the teachers later. They will receive many donations on the first day and have to store all of them. I do not have anything ready for Three's class yet. I get to focus on that this week once the boys are at school. I spoke with a great TX friend today. It was her birthday. She played such an important role in my life when Three was born. I miss her terribly. Our children had many great times together. I know Three would have loved playing with her girls. It was great to hear her voice and how well all is for their family. I never met her youngest baby. He's nearly two years old. Some day we will meet again, probably when we put our house back on the market. For now, telephone calls are great.

In search of motivation

I need to clean my house. It's not bad, but it needs to be done and I am lacking in motivation. Washing the kitchen floor and cleaning the bathroom upstairs are the main tasks I seem to be ignoring. I have a new building idea I'd like to get done this weekend. I would like to build a trundle for under the bed. I want it to be a big square. The boys can keep their Lego's on the square and simply push it under the bed to clean up. I am not certain if I should line the bottom with fabric. Lego's are hard to pick up on firm surfaces. If I put an upholstery fabric down first, it may make retrieving the pieces easier. If I line it with fabric, I should paint the boards first. They need to be cut and sanded before I can paint. It's all about timing and organization. Plus, I still need to get N on board for the project. I intend on creating one for the girl room, too. This will not be needed until we give her the girl Lego's, which may wait until Christmas. At least we will have built the boy room trundle first and know what we are doing. Is that a fair assumption?

Back to normal

This weekend, my goal is to get back to normal. N will be at work and we have no plans. I hope to focus on an early bedtime. We've been up way too late this summer. I got most of our laundry done today. It was quite the mountain. Just two loads left for tomorrow. That task in itself wiped me out. Zinnia's group was over in the afternoon. Boy did we miss them. The kids played and really enjoyed being together. Seven and EM are in the same class this year, so exciting. We will be able to volunteer for parent centers together! I think we have most things ready for school, just need to decide which will be the lucky paint shirt. Three does not start until a week after the boys. I have more time to collect her items.

Looking forward to some R & R. Just hope the kids don't get bored and bug me for entertainment. After this month, I am spent.

My apologies

Sorry for the lack of posting. Things have been so busy. We had a terrific visit with my parents. The only downer was when I was ill. Great birthday party. The kids had a blast. I will upload pictures later. We made an obstacle course. They all took turns and cheered each other on. Thanks to my mom's cousin, Lantana, we all enjoyed use of The Claw. It is a home version of the claw games you see at arcades. We filled it with tootsie rolls and salt water taffy. Everyone took turns. Parents joked about having nightmares due to the circus music it played.

We had a wonderful time. It was hard to see my parents go this morning, but we enjoyed almost the entire month of August with them. Now to get organized for school and back to a schedule. Pictures to come!