School Days

This Summer flew by quicker than any other Summer on record up until now!

But, we were all ready to get back into our school routine. My kids love school!

We actually took these pictures on Meet the Teacher day. And thank goodness, because the first day of school ended up being a mess!

Wally is a brand new 4th grader!

Will the 2nd grader.

Oh, the painful 6:00 wake up call! Will has been adjusting! He is less of a morning person.

Georgia is now a Kindergartener! Aaaa! I just can't believe it. And all the sentimental emotions have been on the surface, but every time I am on the verge of actually mulling over this milestone moment in Georgia's life... something crazy happens! And it does a nice job of distracting me!

For instance. To get to the first day of school, Georgia had to get the dreaded school physical at the doctor's office. All was going well, until it was time for her shots.

Walker had to have a shot too, so we had him go first. He was of course sad, and felt betrayed by his mean mother for letting the nurse stick him in the leg. So he was crying and clingy.

I gently told Georgia she needed to climb up on the table, and she went bananas! She ran away from me in the tiny room, she grabbed onto Will, she threw herself on the floor, she moved the chairs in the exam room and hid behind them, scooting them around on the floor to block me. She screamed her high pitch, scary scream.

I tried being nice, and understanding, I tried coating to three, and finally, I resorted to dragging her up onto the table and holding her down! Panting, I look at the nurse expectantly! Let's do it!

Then the nurse looks up at me and asks, "Are you sure you want me to do it?"
Uhhh, YUP!! That was not all for nothing!

Anyway, it was over quickly after that, and I made sure Georgia got the promised treat after, in spite of the breakdown.
Georgia got a new back pack for her new school. The boys packs were still in excellent shape, so I couldn't justify it!

The first day of school, I was all prepared to feel so lost while I put the kids on the bus. I really knew I was going to miss having Georgia home with me.
But we walked up to the bus stop, and just as we got there, a big dark cloud rolled in. Then the lightening started.
One of my neighbors has a major fear of lightening apparently. I did not know this until he took off running for home to get his car. Then when he got back, he was yelling at his family to get in the car NOW!
I looked around hopelessly.
If I left to get the car, I would miss the bus, but then the lightening got pretty bad, and it started to rain.

So my neighbor put the boys in his car too, and Georgia, Walker and I took off running for home to get the car.
I told Georgia just to stay home, because Del was on a conference call in the office. I got back to the bus stop just as the bus pulled away with the boys.

Now the rain was steady, and the lightening was closer, and we turned around and headed back home.

And as I drove around the curve, there was Georgia, with her new backpack and lunchbox, walking back up to the bus stop through the lightening storm!
What!!?? I quickly stopped and put her in the car, just to turn around yet again fifteen minutes later to take her to the bus.

So, the moment that is supposed to be special and emotional and recorded by mothers around the world... putting the baby on the bus for the first time, was instead, a wet, rushed, frustrating moment in a rain storm!
Oh well, I did snap one picture of her under my umbrella. It looks like she is headed to school in the middle of the night. We may as well get used to it. Winter is on it's way!

Then the poor girl didn't get home for two whole hours after school let out, because her bus broke down on the way home, and they had to sit and wait for a new one! She was asleep when it pulled up
That was a long day!
I got a better picture of her the next day, but it is on my iPhone, and I am too lazy to upload it right now.

The day after all this excitement, my next door neighbor saw me out and told me that they enjoyed the show we put on the morning before. All the running in the rain, the back and forth. The stray children wandering up the street. He said they saw it all out the window. But he realized I had Georgia before they could get out there.
Oh great! I just had to laugh!

This week has been smoother, and they are all still willing to go! So I will count that as a blessing! Now I have to gear up, because Walker starts school in September for four hours a week! Where did all the babyhood I have been doing year in and year out for a decade go so quickly?
 Life is on a high speed track these days!

But it is good, and I am grateful. As I came home from an evening walk by myself tonight, and approached my house, all lit up with everyone reading in their beds, I had a minute of peace, and joy for all the blessings in my life. Even the crazy days! Those are what make it so much fun!