First Day of School

It's only August 14th and it's time for school to start again.  I dropped Ashley off for Girls' Camp yesterday...and it was instantly quieter in the house.  Then after the evening went by in a whirl of finding backpacks, lunch totes, folders, and a "cool" outfit for the first day of class, it was quiet time again.  With it being still daylight at bedtime, the "good night's rest" got whittled down to 7 hours for the kids...and just 4 hours for me.  I was the only one that couldn't sleep from all the excitement!  (It's a different kind of excitement as a parent when you finally get a 6-7 hour break from the kids that you don't have to pay for....)  So after the lunches were made, I prepped a yummy 'back to school' breakfast of cream cheese Danish, made from cinnamon rolls.  [It's so nice to have friends that can cook as well as I do...and that share their new fantastic recipes. Thanks, Lisa!]  But note to self: doubling the batch lengthens the baking time--so get up earlier next time, so the kids won't have to eat it on the way to school.


Back to School festivities are well underway.  I had visions of a calm morning since all the busy work was done the night before.  The bus pick up time is 7:11am!!  I figure I just need to be up long enough to see that they are fed before I drive them down to the bus stop.  Then it's back to bed, right?  We'll see.  I might get used to this new routine and be one of those organized moms with dinner made by noon and a healthy snack waiting as they come in the door.  I'm thinking I should make a month's worth of breakfasts to put in the freezer so that the kids I can survive this early morning schedule shock.   At least I might be adjusted to the earlier mornings by the time Ashley starts seminary in September.  Jeff has that part of the morning schedule under control...unless he's on graveyard, then I'll definitely will be back to bed by 7:15!


We went to the open house at school yesterday.  It's so much easier to haul half a pay check's worth of supplies into the classrooms when you don't have to worry about tardy bells and if a certain pair of shoes matches the outfit or not.  So far, I'm pleased with Nathan's, Braden's and Jessica's teachers.  They're teaching "dinosaurs" with lots of years and experience and should take my kids in stride.  My only concern--they've yet to hire a teacher for Cameron's class, so he's starting school with a substitute.  A substitute!!!  Who does that on the first day?!  Ok.  I guess when the permanent teacher finally starts...it will be like starting all over and having another "first day" for the teacher.  This could get interesting.  All I've got to say is...I hope they don't go changing the supply lists and adding things that I have no intention of going and getting.  I bought everything on the first list, so second or third lists are obsolete, ok?  For cryin' out loud--a ream of copy paper was on the 6th grade supply list!  The only thing we didn't have to send in was the desk.  But I digress.  At least Cameron has some great friends in his class.  Nathan is a little jealous because all his buddies are in Cameron's class.  It'll be their first "middle school"-style experience.  Only major difference in the K-8 style of middle school versus traditional middle school I can see...no lockers.

I can sum up how this year's "Back to School" seems to me with one sentence:  Silence is Golden and Duct tape is Silver.  Yep.  I've worked hard to get to this point in my life.  Without any complaints from my managers and CEO, I'm definitely going to be taking my newly improved 8-hour work day in stride.  There's always a silver lining when something is new or hard.  My silver lining just happens to come with almost 8 hours of "golden"-ness.  So, Kids:  Don't worry about Mom; she'll be there when you get home from school.  And remember--this is going to be a GrEaT school year ;)))))))))