Dear Kids, This is why I have no brain cells left....

Today I got "the email" from the principal.

(Before you gasp....so did everyone else who has a child in my kids' school. It's just the weekly info email.)

And every week it seems there are more and more things for Mom to remember.

This week Chloe has a field trip to the pumpkin patch mid-week.  It might rain, so I will need to remember old shoes or boots, a rain coat, maybe an umbrella, warm clothes so she doesn't freeze, etc.  AND I need to remember to dress her in her cute pumpkin shirt. Also I have to remember to pack a plastic bag with handles with her name and her teacher's name printed on the side to put the pumpkin in. Luckily I already paid for the trip so I don't need to remember to send money.

However, I DO need to remember money to send with Audrey & Carter on Thursday for school store. Then Friday is "pretzel day" so 50 cents each on that day .  Because heaven forbid they show up empty-handed and the ONLY KIDS who don't have money for this stuff....

This week there's also the band performance Audrey has with the middle school band on Tuesday.  She needs to be there at 5:30.  However, the concert doesn't start til 7.  So either I twiddle my thumbs for 1.5 hours or I go home for an hour just to turn around and go back.  Meanwhile, on the same evening, we are hosting our small group at 7:30 so I need the other 2 kids fed and ready for bed before I leave so that they can just jump in bed when I get home, and meanwhile Chad will welcome our guests til Audrey & I return.  (I admit, this was just poor planning on my part but I didn't realize this concert was in the evening until I got "the email" a week ago!)

Also, Carter has Lego club after school on Wednesday.  Which I forgot about last week.  Fortunately when he didn't get off the bus at the end of the day, I realized I needed to pick him up in an hour....

And Chloe has gymnastics on Thursday afternoon.  Which I ALSO forgot about last week.  (No comments please...)

Next week is Pumpkin Day on Friday.  So Carter needs to decorate a little pumpkin like some kind of character, hide it in a brown bag, and get it to school in one piece.  This would be easy for Audrey but for Carter?  I hope it doesn't get left on the bus....I am helping at Pumpkin Day as well so now I also need to get a big pumpkin to bring, along with a bunch of utensils so kids can help me scoop out the seeds.  But who are we kidding?  I did this with preschoolers last year and NOT ONE KID wanted to touch the goop inside the pumpkin.  So guess who will probably be scooping junk out of pumpkins solo??

Then today I got "THE EMAIL" from school about next week, with this attachment about Red Ribbon week:  (cut and pasted verbatim....)

"In an effort to get students involved and committed to leading a healthy life, we are encouraging students and staff to participate in our “theme of the day” all week long:
Monday, October 20- Team Up Against Drugs and Bullying Day- students may team up for the fight against bad choices by wearing their favorite sports team attire to school
Tuesday, October 21 -Follow Your Dreams to Stay Healthy -students may wear appropriate pajamas or robes, but please no slippers (sneakers only).
Wednesday, October 22- Dress for Success-Wear your favorite college or university gear.
Thursday, October 23- Work it Out, Keep the Drugs Out! -students may wear their sports gear, exercise clothes, or active wear…we challenge everyone to walk or run an extra 5 minutes at recess!
Friday, October 24- Let Your True Colors SHINE -students can wear their favorite color and/or shiny, sparkly clothes.
Monday, October 27- Red Ribbon Week Finale- students should wear red to celebrate the end of our lessons, and continuation of many good choices!"

Seriously people.

SIX. WHOLE. DAYS. of remembering to have all these different clothing combos clean and ready to go for 2 different kids. For the love. And college gear? We have NONE.  (Sorry kids, unless you want to wear Daddy's old Wheaton College t-shirts....)

Did I mention there's also a middle school open house next week?

And Halloween is coming?

And that my in-laws are coming to stay for almost a week in the middle of this?  Thankfully they are EASY and will probably HELP me remember all this stuff.  Because I'm not sure I can keep it all straight anymore...

And this, dear children of mine who complain I always forget things -- THIS is why I have no brain cells left. 

Love,
Mom

PS.  I wouldn't have it any other way.....it is crazy trying to keep up with all this but I am really so thankful for all the opportunities you have at school and in life.  Except for maybe the 6-day clothing ordeal.... :)

End of Summer Snapshots, Day 50: First Day of School

The day has arrived.

The first day of school.

 Audrey is in 5th grade; Carter is in 2nd grade; Chloe is in Kindergarten.

 I don't think a kid could have been more proud of being able to go to school.

Finally, she can be like all the other kids on the street!

 Audrey & Emma

 Chloe and Rebecca

 Off to the bus stop.

This is the first time I shed a tear today.

Her backpack is as big as she is!

How can someone so small being going to school already?

 All the neighborhood kids waiting for the bus.

 Backpack shot. :)

Chloe had her own kindergarten bus to ride, so she was sent off and waved to by the approximately 30 people standing around at the bus stop this morning!  Not a bad way to go. :)

I have to admit, I cried the whole walk home.

And I was a little nervous for her all day.

'All day' is a long time to be at school and away from your mama.

But she came off the bus SO happy and SO proud of herself.

She loved her teacher.

She loved eating lunch there.

She loved that they read Miss Bindergarten Gets Ready for Kindergarten.

It was probably because of all the praying that Katie & I did for our kids today. :)

Thank you, God, for a great first day for Chloe and for Audrey & Carter as well!

Summer Snapshots, Day 46: So I guess this is really happening.....

Yesterday this came in the mail:

Chloe has been assigned to a teacher, the morning session of kindergarten, a room # for the enrichment program, and a bus schedule.  

There is a little plastic tag that goes on her brand new pink & purple glittery cheetah-print backpack with all this information.

It is hard to believe that in about 12 days, she will be a "real" kindergarten student!

She is excited.

Mama is still a little apprehensive.

But I know she'll be fine. :)

Hello Summer

So here we are.  The end of the school year.
I feel a lot excited.  And a little nervous.
I love the freedom of summer - to go where we please, when we please. 
To spend long days outside....or in the air conditioning if it's 100 degrees. 
To visit the beach. 
To swim in the pool. 
To go on adventures.
But it also means that almost every single time I go to the grocery store (or Target or ANY kind of errand), I bring 3 children along with me.
Have you ever grocery shopped with 3 kids?  (I know, many of you have....)
But in case you're wondering it involves 3 kids talking at once (each louder than the other) and asking "can we buy Lucky Charms/sour patch kids/popsicles/etc?" and running in aisles and hiding behind displays and wanting to help bag groceries and generally making my head spin. :)
I also have 3 kids of different age groups and maturity levels.  Different genders.  Which means one kid is begging to go to the mall (guess who?) and one kid is hating the mall (guess who?), and one just needs to get home for a nap (and again, guess who?)! 
However, we all enjoy the pool, and friends, and Dunkin Donuts, so I think it'll all work out in the end. :)
And luckily, I love them all to death, so even their frustrating points are bearable for me.

So, this past week involved lots of transitions. 
First off, Carter finished kindergarten!  They had a program and sang some songs for us parents.

Then the teachers handed out "diplomas".  This was after 30 + minutes of standing up and singing and the room was very hot and so Carter looks absolutely less than thrilled to be marking this milestone. :)

A few days later was the actual last day of school.  In the morning we took Audrey to the bus stop one last time as a 3rd grader.

The "bus stop girlz"
(This is probably how they would spell it since they are all so "cool" and all.)

Carter's went to school a couple hours later.  He posed nicely for this one picture with his friend Rebecca and then completely refused to even look at the camera.  In fact, he was running away from me.  I guess he is not into the Mom paparazzi.

Here is his back side view with his friend Melwyn.  It's the best I could do. :(

See?  I even tried to trick him into a picture with me but he moved at the last second.  Grrr.

Carter coming off the bus.  He is now a 1st grader.  Hard to believe!

Audrey coming off the bus.  She is now a 4th grader!  Equally hard to believe.

Every year we have a big picnic/play time with our neighbors on the last day of school.  

One mom set up a volleyball net.  Why do they all look like junior highers all of a sudden??

Another mom set up the water slide!  Always a big hit. This was Chloe's first time to try it!

 

 

The kids also decided to make a towel fort in the swingset.

At one point, I was talking and turned around and saw Chloe swinging all by herself.  I guess someone gave her a push, and she kept pumping.  Yay!  Now I don't have to stand there and push her the whole time!

 

Of course popsicles made an appearance.

So, after this last day of school, the temperatures have been in the high 70's and today it is raining cats & dogs.  Good thing we have this list to keep us occupied!

 

So far today it has been so yucky out that all we've managed to do is visit Target, play computer games, watch a movie, and play legos.....ugh.  Sure hope it gets nicer out soon!

Carter's writing

Now that the school year is winding down, the kids are coming home with some of their school materials.
This week Carter brought home his writing journal.
Some of the entries were ho-hum ("I am Carter.") and some were repetitive ("I have a cat. She is cute.  I love my cat.")

However, some were super sweet, like this entry:

This one revealed an area that perhaps we should work on?

MLK wants peace and harmony, and Carter wants....to be rich?  Not that money is bad, but....there are plenty of things I would like him to strive for more!

I thought this one was funny:

Mrs. Evan will be glad to know that not only is she nice, but she is also "thin". :)

I actually think his teacher would like this one even more:

I am so glad he thinks his teacher is the best teacher in the whole world.  Even if he has only had 3 teachers in his lifetime.... He truly did have a wonderful teacher this year.  She is fun and loving and understands boys.  She even came to one of Carter's baseball games!  We are glad he has had a good year and a good teacher.

Tomorrow he and his classmates make a trip to the elementary school to see what the next year holds for them.  I so cannot believe that my little boy will be in elementary school already!

First Day for Chloe

This morning Chloe FINALLY got to go to her first day of preschool.  She was really excited!

 She hopped right up on the step, grabbed her sign, and started smiling. 

She knew just what to do!

I could tell she was so proud of herself.

 This was taken right outside her preschool.

She went in with no problems and didn't even look back.

 She came  home with a cute little report about her first day.

But apparently her teacher forgot how to spell "Chloe"...  :)

 We decided to go out to Petrucci's to celebrate her first day.

On the way there, Audrey & Carter sang "Happy 1st Day to You" (to the tune of Happy Birthday).

Chloe was beaming.

"Best Day Ever!!!!!!" 

I think she will be happy to go back Friday.

And hopefully, she won't be crying when she realizes that tomorrow is NOT Friday....

First day in photos

Today Audrey started 3rd grade and Carter started kindergarten.

So proud of both of them!

 Whole neighborhood gang set for the morning departure....

 I love her expression in this one!

 Round 2 - afternoon kindergarten departure

 Look at all those blue eyes!

 Off to the bus stop

 So excited to go and proud of himself for being old enough to ride the bus!

 Can he smile any harder?

 See ya Mom & Dad!

Back home again.

A little older than when he left

And a lot more tired! :)

Everyone came off the bus with smiles.  It was a great first day!