The First Day of School

The first day of school 2012 was a benchmark day:  Soren started kindergarten, and Dade started high school.  Lots of parents say that time flies by too quickly, but in all seriousness WHERE DOES THE TIME GO??  Now I have four school lunches to make every morning.  Four kids that need help with homework (kindergarten through 2nd grade has homework every day).  Four kids to run to activities and meetings and practices.   

I remember my first day of high school.  Dade will have to start his day much earlier than I ever did; he has to catch the bus at 5:55am to be at school by 7am.  He doesn't get home until almost 4pm, so it's a very long day.

Dade making his first breakfast as a 9th grader!

He's a big, tall Freshman!

Brody started 4th grade.   This is the very first year that he won't have his bestie in his class. 

Our handsome little man with the cheesy smile.

Evelyn started 2nd grade.  She has the same teacher that Brody had for 2nd grade.

 And my littlest baby started kindergarten.  She's had a few tears most days, but overall she is doing fantastic!  Soren wore the same shirt that Evie wore for her first day of kindergarten.  I still wonder if sending her to kindergarten a year early was a good idea.  She's big in size and super smart, but she's still just a four-year-old.  I guess time will tell if we made the right decision.


 

Colby was home for the kids' first day of school this year but only because he was sick.  I took him to the doctor later that day.

 

The first day of school started like almost all of the other first days of school: playing outside in the driveway for a little while before we leave.

 

 

As long as the weather is nice, I park our minivan in the neighborhood down the street from the school so we can have a little walk together.  Brody usually walks way out in front of the girls and me.  Soren told me that she's a "big girl, and big girls don't hold their mom's hand when they walk to school."  She also told me she's "over Dora and Zaboo.  Big girls don't watch baby shows."  And she is no longer in love with Justin Bieber.  She's apparently too old for that, too. 

 

 

I am thrilled to discover what will fill my free time while all the kids are at school.   I'm sure all my aspirations to learn to sew, finish scrapbooks, and master the art of baking bread will be thwarted by the tv and/or my Pinterest addiction.  Plus, I'll get to spend lots more time at the gym hot tub.  In closing, I'd like to share photos of the only babies I'll have left at home during the day.  I know they will be always helpful with the laundry sleeping in the clean clothes and other household chores napping.