School Time

Last week my kids went back to school. A bittersweet time for me. I really do love having my children with me. I love school breaks and being able to do something fun and spend time together. I didn't have children so I could wish that they were gone all the time. But I must admit that there have been times this summer (minutes, hours, days...) when they were driving me and each other crazy and I looked at my calendar counting the days until school. I can't be supermom all the time and fill each day with so much fun and pleasure that they have no time to fight. (Honestly we didn't even have ONE of those days) They pick on each other the most when they're bored, when they're tired, when their blood sugar is low, when they loose, when they win, when the moon is waxing and when it's waning. So basically all the time. 

I am told that this is pretty normal behavior for boys.

I was never a boy, but I was a pretty ornery girl so I can believe it.

(My husband is scoffing at the was part.... "Ehem. Don't you mean am instead?")

But all in all, I have a hard time with my children growing up.

Does that mean I have to grow up too? Maybe one day I will have to have a job and be serious and not paint, read, bake, hug, kiss and snuggle all day. I'll have to go see "grown up" movies and I will check out books from the "grown up" section of the library instead of reading from the young adult section all the time. I won't be able to buy that cheesy song that's the latest radio hit and claim that I bought it for the kids. I will bake cookies and there will be no one to eat them.... *sniff, sniff*

I'd better stop now before get myself all worked up over something

that will happen sooner then I want it to, but still not for 13ish years.

Despite how much I wish they would stay little longer they want to grow. So grow they will and grow they must. And they certainly are growing into fine and handsome young men. And that is the most important thing. And the most important thing I will ever do is give the world four good men.

So here we are at the new crossroads in their lives each year. And they are eager to face it.

C- in fourth grade

B- in third grade

And big J- in sixth.

T- started Kindergarten a week after the big boys.

But here he is with them wishing he was starting school that day.

I was so glad to have an extra week with my baby. We had fun together. We found a praying mantis, we played hopscotch, we built a birdhouse, made cookies, went shopping and we went to lunch. We also hugged a lot because he is a huggy little guy :-)

I always tell people that God couldn't give me a girl, like he knew I wanted. But he gave me the cutest, sweetest, most darling angel of a little boy that he had.

T- has really has been such a joy and a blessing to me and our family. It's a good thing the Lords knows what we need more then we do because if I got to pick I would have screwed everything up. 

So here is T- a week later and excited for school

Doesn't he look handsome?

Those dimples are just killer.

His older brothers were giving him tips on getting away from the girls that will inevitably chase him.

Here he is after school. Kindergarten is only a half day where we live.

Thank goodness I get him with me for the rest of the day :-)

(Sorry for the crappy ipod pic.)

Since it was lunch time we took him out for ice cream. Root beer floats, yum :-)

I didn't even get to cry the whole three hours he was gone because

CM and I had to go buy lumber to fix a bunk bed.

Yes, that is lumber shoved over the car seat in the pic above.

Hey! We're not the only people I've seen trying to shove too big items into their cars. 

This is what happens when your 90 lb. son jumps on his bed.

I'm kinda amazed that all the junk shoved under his bed didn't prevent the cave in.

CM is just going to remove all the boards and put a big piece of plywood there instead.

Thanks! - RM