First Day of School 2014!

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I know for most of you, the first day of school is a memory already. But unlike a lot of other areas, we don’t go back in August… it’s always the Wednesday after Labor Day. In other words… today! And for us, it was an important day because our littlest started Kindergarten!

But let’s start with the oldest. Jake is in seventh grade. No longer the youngest kids in the middle school — hooray! I remember when I was in seventh grade (not in a middle school — just a regular classroom back then), our teacher had a foozball table in the corner of the room, he picked his nose, and was known for various quips that I still remember (such as “There is no ‘noise’ in Illinois!” — he’d get aggravated when people mispronounced it). Ha! I think he’s looking forward to getting back into his intramural clubs, though. 

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Noah is in fourth grade this year and actually has the same teacher that Jake had, so I know what to expect (which is kind of a nice change). He’s looking forward to seeing all of his friends again, and I think he’s looking forward to being in class just in general.

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Of course, for Laura, school is pretty much old hat. She loved preschool last year (and has several of her pre-K buddies in her class). And she spent two weeks at day camp this summer, so I’m not worried about her in full-day K. (Although for the first few days, the little ones are dismissed early to ease the transition).

laura

waiting...

the bus!

It was very sweet watching Noah let Laura go in front of him to get on the bus. I think it’s going to be a great year!

 

Oh, Hey September!

Well just like that a couple weeks go by and you forget all about blogging! Actually, it’s been on my “to do” list for several days now, but I just have been too busy to get to it. I know I keep saying that I’m really going to pay more attention to my blog, but with the back-to-school schedule ironed out and things moving along nicely, I really mean it!

In the meantime, how about a laundry list of what’s new?

  • The boys started school last week. Noah is in 3rd grade, which is a big deal because it means he’s now upstairs and has a locker! Jake started middle school which is a big deal for obvious reasons. It’s a total change, but he loves it. Our morning routine is also very different now, as our district has staggered start times, so I have three kids, three different schools, three different times!
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  • That’s right — I said three! Laura started preschool this week and judging on the first two days, she loves it 🙂  It’s just a few days a week for a few hours, but it’s just enough. And honestly, the extra time will really be great for me! It’s been 11 years since I’ve had kid-free time that I can count on!
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  • During some of that kid-free time this week I got a haircut. I got four inches chopped off, but man it’s still long! I also got a little bit of swoopy bangs. That might have been a bad idea. We’ll see.
  • I got my new Erin Condren planner for next year. Love, love, love the paisley! 
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  • I’ve done a bit of canning — just some apple butter and some salsa, but considering I didn’t do anything all summer it’s been fun hearing those “pings” as the jars seal! I’m trying to plan ahead for Christmas gifts. That is, assuming I can keep the goodies from getting eaten.
  • Otherwise, I’ve just been cleaning and reorganizing and doing all that day-to-day stuff. I haven’t picked up my crochet hook in over a month. I’m hoping to get back to my blanket next week, though.

Hope your September is off to a great start!