First Day of School!

Here are the kids heading off to school this morning! One of the casualties of all our travels this summer is that I can't seem to find the charger for my camera battery. Until it shows up, I've got the camera in my phone which isn't great - sorry about the quality of this photo. But I'm grateful I could get what I got! Isaac was way excited but he looks a little weird here. I cut everyone's hair day before yesterday - despite the boys' protests. I just don't know how to make long shaggy hair look presentable - even if it is sort of the style.

You know, I was a little sad to see the kids heading back into school - I've enjoyed having them around so much all summer, the big kids have been so good about entertaining the little kids, and it's been so nice to be unhampered by any particular schedule. But this morning, after I saw the big kids off and read stories with the twins (uninterrupted by three other kids' needs) and now, as the twins play happily together in the other room and I sit here catching up on piles of stuff, I'm realizing how nice it is to have school start up. I love having the opportunity to really focus on my little guys for part of the day and the big kids were so excited to get back in school. Summer was long enough. We're ready. This is good.

Last night I helped with the PTA open house at the school - I need to learn Spanish! I helped at the membership table and so many of the parents who wanted to join PTA only spook Spanish. Many of them had kids with them who could translate for them - it's interesting watching a little role reversal go on as parents listen intently to their kids' translations. After a couple years of busy and frustrating times sticking with the PTA as it limped along with way too few people willing do to much, it looks like we've got a great group this year and there's a lot of new energy at the school with the name change going through - we're now Dixie Sun Elementary, not Dixie Downs - and there's definitely a "sunnier" feeling going on!

The kids all have great teachers this year - many I know from past years which makes things easier in many ways. And the twins can't wait to get back to their beloved little preschool next week. The teacher there has adopted the Joy School curriculum for this year and she's so excited about it. This is going to be a great year for everyone!