ON THE FIRST DAY OF SCHOOL

I'm taking a short break from our summer recap to share the fist day of school.  It was a big day with my oldest entering middle school and my youngest heading to kindergarten.  There were a few nerves and a few shed tears but it was a successful first day.

 Lockers and schedules and 8 teachers, oh my!

 New outfit, new teacher, same great girl!

 All smiles with a pink backpack, new lunchbox, and the same green dress big sister wore on her first day of school!

Hard start for Jack this morning but he has a great teacher and will do well this year.

I had breakfast and mimosas, with 6 other moms, after dropping the kids off at school.  

Then it was warm chocolate chip cookies and milk with the kids after school.

It was a good day!

SUMMER RECAP PART 3

June 11th we were off on our annual summer trip to our cabin in New York.  A summer spent on the lake and in the cool mountains of the Finger Lakes Region has many gifts to count.

 551.  driving the boat

 552.  jumping into the cool lake water together

 553.  summer salads

 554.  jet ski hair

 555.  the "angry birds" dive

556.  swing time

 557.  slip and slides

 558.  penguin style tummy slides

559.  giggles and smiles

 560.  that perfect evening light

 561.  colored smoke bombs
 562.  melting smores
 563.  tent camping adventures in the yard
 564.  a bed in the house for me

 565.  hammock time

566.  bulldozer time

567.  barefoot all day

Now that's a good summer!

part 4 - Road Trip

SUMMER RECAP PART 2

The first week in June we had a visitor from New Hampshire.  Gloriana was a constant playmate from our days in Andover and her mom was such a support to me.  This girl saved her money for a year to help pay for her trip out west!  We had a great time.

 Drinks at Whit's End soda fountain at the Focus On The Family Headquarters in Colorado Springs

 Molly at the Cripple Creek Railroad Station.  I'm glad I still have one young enough to pick me dandelions.

Happy faces on the train!

 Jack at the end of the line.

 Our scary descent down the elevator shaft at the Mollie Kathleen Gold Mine.

A fascinating tour.

It was a whirlwind 3 days and a fun way to begin our summer of adventures!

Next stop New York.

SUMMER RECAP PART 1

My kids start back to school in a week.  We have had such a busy summer, full of adventures and I haven't had time to record any of it.


So, here is my 2011 summer recap.


The first week of summer break the kids watched TV and played video games nonstop while I sat in the dining room amid mountains of worksheets, macaroni crafts, report cards, Thanksgiving crafts, finger paintings and notebooks filled with writing projects and journal entries.  How to sort, organize and agonizingly decide what goes to the trash was the task ahead of me during that first week of summer.


It is truly an overwhelming task for a mom of 4.

I began with the first born, with the scrapbook of school days already begun.

 My preschooler who has just finished his elementary education and is now wading into the waters of middle school.  There were a few tears shed.  After 2 days in the dining room I was able to pack everything precious about his school days into a plastic bin that will likely be slid under a bed and forgotten for some time.  But occasionally, that preschool face, proudly holding the flowers planted in a Dixie cup, is the face I see when I tuck him into bed at night.

There was a sadness in knowing that my first baby has hit this milestone but I am one to look forwards and not backwards too often. 

The lid is on.  The school year is officially over.  And our summer begins.

Part 2 tomorrow.

SUMMER SCHOOL

I started off summer with these lofty goals of continued education:


 review the multiplication tables
 improve handwriting skills
 read for hours everyday
 teach my 5 year old all the letter sounds
 and my 8 year old how to tie his shoes


Instead we learned the Photo Booth application on our Mac.

Aren't we pretty?

My kids have spent hours in front of the computer and rolling on the floor in fits of giggling over their creations.

School is calling.

2 weeks and I'll have the house and computer to myself.

Know what I'll be doing?