Orientation

It's that time of year again....

The school shopping is done...

Their back packs are full of supplies...

They meet their new teachers...

Put supplies away with care....

Be oh so glad you get the same teacher for the 2nd grade...

Hang out in Jake's new room...

Then off to Middle School....how can that be?

He finds his locker with ease...

Smiles by his homeroom teacher....

We wander the halls finding all his rooms...

Then head to Applebees to celebrate the last days of Summer Vacation!

3 more days and that big yellow bus will show up on the corner.  

School Picture Day

Even though school doesn't start for 3 more weeks....

today was School Picture Day.

Which consisted of a little bribery.

It cost me a total of $7.

Because Jakers does not like to wear Polo shirts or pose for pictures I broke out my wallet.

Which by the way is a learned skill that was passed down by my mother.

And of course I had to pay the others to be fair and the above picture cost an extra dollar.

 As you can tell this one knows how to work it for the camera!

So with a little sweat and $7 dollars I survived School Picture Day.

Middle School

Oh goodness I can hardly believe that Brett is now enrolled in Middle School.  Seriously I feel like I just enrolled him in Preschool. 

Now look at him next to his locker.  He of course has his locker combination memorized and is ready to go.

Checking out his schedule.  He fears have subsided now that we walked through his schedule a few times.

We brought reinforcement for the big day.

25 more days and the big yellow bus will show up at 6:44 am and I will send my Middle Schooler off on his next big adventure!



Lost Tooth Drama

Brylee had a wiggly tooth for quite some time.  First there was excitement that soon turned into a massive amout of tears after she looked in the mirror.

The time was 11:30 pm and I had a very tired girl.

I heard.

"I don't like my look!" 

"The space is to wide!"

"Put it back in!"

"Don't tell anyone!"

said the girl over and over for 30 long minutes.

She cried until Daddy came home from work and due to the fact she wanted not a soul to know about her lost tooth.  She turned the tears off and fell asleep.

But not to worry she woke up with a smile on her face ready to show Daddy and her brothers.

There are times that she still refuses to talk when she decides people are not allowed to see the missing tooth.

Silly Girl!  I love her new look!



Summer

Maybe it's because the calender reads August. 

Maybe it's because my baby is going to be in full day Kindergarten and my oldest is going into Middle School.

Maybe it's because I feel time is at warp speed.

But I find myself scrambling to make every last minute of this summer last.  Cherish every last second with my babies.

Whether it is an afternoon at the pool while there is a kitchen full of dirty dishes.  Or snuggling with my boy on the coach while laundry in the dryer waits to be folded.  Or listen to my oldest ramble on and on about the latest and greatest video game when the floors are screaming sweep me.  I choose them.

I never count down the days until the 's' word starts.  I love to have my babies right under my wing.

  I come from a long line of mother hens.  I have warm memories of my Mama telling me over and over how much she loved spending time with me during summer vacation.  Well actually to this very day she reminds me how much she misses me, loves me and wishes we could be together.

So I choose to cherish every last moment until it's time to send them out into the world again.  A new chapter begins soon enough.