First Day of School 2021

I find it funny that the kids are starting their second semester today as I am writing about the first day of school.  It really doesn't seem like that long ago. As I mentioned in a previous post, we decided to send the kids back to school this fall.  I was gutted thinking about this choice, but was able to get to a point of surrender before the school year began. 

T started school the day before M.  As usual, she needed to add a bit of chaos to the morning by insisting that she wear LONG nails for the first day of school.  She wanted to superglue them.  We convinced her to try double sided tape.  This is all literally happening on the morning of the first day of school!!!  I look so calm in these photos, even as I am knowing we will probably be late for the first day!

T: I am so excited.  Me: This is a bad idea.

Oh dear, her poor teacher!

T: They looked perfect!

T: See, I can type!

Thankfully after much conversation we were able to convince her the nails were not a great idea! I then had to paint them before school started!

Her nails are off, but nails were on her mind when it came to a future career.

I sure do love her!

Ready to take on the school year!

First day with Mom.

First day with Dad.

I have never cried at school drop off.  I have always felt so ready for them to go to school.  This year was different.  I knew I was sending her to a non-masked place in the middle of a pandemic.  The Lord saw it fit that every single person dropping off when we were had masked kids too.  This didn't represent the actual number of masked people, but I think it is what my heart needed to see at drop off. 

While T was at school M and I had quite a day planned.  We headed to the city for a special trip to our favorite bakery.  We also went to a special place for M to get a fancy haircut for the start of the school year. There was so much roadwork on the highway so we spent a lot of time moving slowly.  We got back into town just in time for M's tour of the middle school. Since he wasn't in person last year we were able to to meet his teachers and see his classrooms.  By the time we got home from the tour it was almost time to pick up T and we hadn't even had lunch.  

There were more tears for me as I dropped M off at middle school for the very first time.  I still can't believe he is in 6th grade!

He is still interested in law enforcement.

Taller than the mailbox!

First day with mom!

First day with dad!

Both kids transitioned from homeschool to in person school beautifully.  It was like they never left.  I am so thankful to God for the smooth transition and for dedicated teachers at each school. T's teacher is brand new to the district and we feel is perfect for her.  She is fun but also firm and focused and has eyes in the back of her head!  M has a great team of teachers who are eager and willing to communicate with parents. 

The Final Summer Adventure!

 After returning from our MN trip the kids were home for only about 16 hours before hitting the road for adventures in MO!  They were so excited to spend time with cousins.  

While the drive to the meet up spot was fairly uneventful, the hand off was a little tricky.  M suddenly had lots of anxiety and I almost didn't think that the hand off would happen.  The kids were in MO from August 19th-August 30th which is 12 days (or 10 plus travel days).  This is the longest they have been away from us and M was not at all sure about it.  After a long time and at least three attempts to peel him off of me I was successful and they departed. 

I am sure as you read this you might be thinking that Brandon and I must have had a pretty incredible vacation during that time.  We surely did enjoy our time of freedom from kid responsibilities.  Up until that point the kids had been with us much of the time for a long time!  Sadly, I can't report that we took much of a vacation, we actually worked the entire time.   We did enjoy a movie many of the nights and we ate some nicer meals and had a few treats, but mainly, we worked!  Usually I get through bins and boxes and toys and books and school work during this time.  This year I didn't touch a thing at home besides washing bedding.  While the kids were gone I prepped trainings and scope and sequences for iGnite and Sunday School, prepped nursery training and made the nursery schedule, held all three trainings, ordered supplies and decor, and countless other things.  It was so wonderful to get things checked off the list.  Thankfully, the trainings are created and hopefully the prep for next fall will be much easier! 

Here are some highlights of the kids time in MO and a few pics of our not so exciting time without kids. 

Culver's lunch is the perfect recipe to help with a rough transition!

They were off to the races!

Fun adventures with cousins!

It is such a blessing that so much family lives near Grandpa Tom and Grandma Judy.  It was great fun for the kids to see everyone and also provided many social opportunities for the kids.

T: Uncle Curtis and I built a tall tower.

T: Then we rested.

T: We found a good tree at church.

Ready for church!

T: Can I keep this toad friend?

Lake Day!!!

Brave Tubers!

T: Boat naps are the best naps!

I am not sure why the next two pictures are joined together.  The kids were able to watch a caterpillar turn into a butterfly!!  Clearly one picture comes before the other and blogger will not let me switch the order to separate them. 

T: This home will keep it safe.

They went back to the lack to swim which ended up not being a favorite activity.

T: I love playing in the creek!

A little ping pong in the evening!

A Birthday celebration!

Cousins and besties!

The last day for the pool!

The whole crew!

Pancakes every single day!

T: We got to feed the cows!

Loving farm life!

I spy a butterfly!

Time to release!

T: Tire swings are great!

M: Dad's aunt and uncle got a Tesla!

Meanwhile, back at home these random things were happening... 

Buttercup:  I know this has been up for 3 years, but suddenly I want to attack it.

I was going crazy looking for my van key.  I knew it had to be at our house because I drove home using it.  We searched everywhere for weeks.  When the kids were gone I suggested we move the fridge because I keep the key in a basket near it and I remembered seeing T digging in the basket.  Sure enough, the key was there.  We also found old photos and parts of toys and crumbs and memories from all parts of life between 2013 and present time!  It was like a time capsule. 

Found!!!

When the kids are away... we take pictures of the cats.

And of tasty Porterhouse Steak dinners!

So this cart is impressive because I managed with only one cart!  In my mind it was a sign that the worst of the pandemic was behind us... little did I know of Omicron haha.

There is a lot of strategy in this cart.

Who knew a blueberry crumble would have 47 steps and take all morning to make.  I would set the timer and run back and forth from my office.  Thankfully it was tasty!

I am so thankful for my mama friends and all the chaos that brings us close!

T's bedding is extensive!

The kids returned home on August 30th.  We drove directly to Walgreens for M's second dose of the covid vaccine.  T also "NEEDED" some fake nails and other random things.  We were all spent when we arrived home.

This greeted me when I came downstairs on the 31st.  Fun!

T started school on the 1st, so we knew we had to get her haircut on the 31st.  She was very excited about her big haircut!

Before!

And After!  I LOVE this cut.  She was thrilled to be able to donate her hair!

For an unknown reason M took 60 pictures of this.  I saved one.

 

Hard to believe summer vacation was coming to an end...