the dreaded first day

Well. I was dreading it, anyway. I'm not sure about anyone else.

I was dreading the return of school because I had really been enjoying the ease of summer. The sleeping until I woke up (for the most part), the lack of a hard and fast schedule, the chance for everyone to relax more, hang out more, and just generally enjoying life at a slower pace.

Interestingly, what had been a vague notion of distaste hit me with full clarity last night. Oh yeah. It's true, I dislike the early rising (especially the forced early rising of certain children — well, just one child, really), and I don't enjoy making lunches in the morning and trying to get everyone to eat something before they dash out the door. But the thing I really can't stand is feeling tired all the time. Funny how I had forgotten about that. I just can't seem to get myself in bed early enough to not feel exhausted the next day. Dang.

Eva was not dreading it. 

Well, that's not quite true. She was excited about it, she couldn't wait for school to start. But she was also having trepidations. It came out when Marc was giving the kids their back-to-school blessings that she feared she would have to return to first grade when her teacher discovered how woefully deficient her subtraction skills are! Goodness.

Anyway. The organizing of her pencil box was a serious task, involving the trying of multiple schematics to get it just right.

She woke up at 3:30 this morning. As usual, she woke me up as well, because misery loves company.

My first baby is a senior! A senior. I can't quite wrap my mind around it. It occurred to me that this was the last time I would be with him on his first day of school. Mercy.

For one day, at least, everyone got up right on time, with no dawdling or resistance. Even this guy. He tries to block my efforts at photo-taking, but he has learned that resistance is futile. I hope.

This is not the ideal photo, as she is covering up some of her sign. But she was far too excited to hang around for a re-take. Obviously. (She's down to one snaggletooth now!)

At least I still have one who wants me to accompany her inside on the first day. Here she is, in her element. (She was a bit stressed about trying to hurry and put everything where it belonged.) Her new teacher told me that she was feeling emotional looking at all of her new students, that she loves them already, and knows that this is such a big day for them. 

As I walked out, the principal announced the pledge of allegiance and I heard all of the kids reciting it. The halls were positively buzzing with excitement. For the first time in my memory, I walked out of the school feeling a little teary. Such a big day.

To console myself, I went to get a pedicure. It's a cure for many ills.

Other than that, it was just like any other day. Laundry, cleaning, groceries, etc. Except...

it was also my baby's first day of jazz class. Oh boy.

before & after

Eva has been wanting to get her hair cut for a few months. She wanted it to be in a short bob, kind of like Whitney's hair used to be. I've been putting her off in order to be sure that she was set on it. I didn't want her to get her hair cut and then regret it and have to wait years for it to grow back!

Saturday was the big day.

When we got to the salon, we discovered that her hair was actually long enough to donate to Locks of Love! Eva was totally into the idea.

Her ponytail was so thick, it took a lot of cutting. (I took 5 pictures of that part of the process alone!)

So weird. (Incidentally, I didn't know before that you take your hair home, put it in a Ziploc, and then mail it to Locks of Love. Lucas walked into the kitchen, saw the Ziploc of hair and freaked out a little bit.)

I love the way you can see her smiling. She really knew what she wanted.

She loves getting her hair washed. Me, too.

She was all smiles throughout.

The new hairdo! I think she looks older, which hurts my heart a bit, but I am totally enjoying how smitten she is with her new look.

a year and a half in the making

Max got his braces off today!

tired, early morning "before" shot

happy "after" shot

He came home from the orthodontist's office with a bag full of previously off-limits treats.

And he requested caramel corn several months in advance. (Sadly, I put too much salt on the popcorn and pretty much ruined the batch. We'll have to have a redo on the celebratory caramel corn!)

a few major things

Eva lost her first tooth!

She was annoyed by the fact that it hadn't fallen out yet. It was causing her grief when she ate or brushed her teeth. So one night, I just took a tissue like my grandma used to, put it over the tooth, and yanked. It was very loose, and it came right out. She was thrilled.

I got out of bed at midnight when I realized that I had forgotten to perform my tooth fairy duties. She was happy about the money, but disappointed that the tooth fairy took her tooth away. At school the next day, the class dentist (they all have different rotating jobs in their "town") asked if anyone had lost a tooth and she was so happy to report her big event.

Lucas got a haircut!

Not his usual trim where he negotiates about how little he can get cut off, but an actual haircut. Miss Kate, the school drama director, told him he was going to have to have a new 'do for Grease. I was shocked that he opted to comply 6 weeks in advance. Thank you, Miss Kate, thank you!

Now I am trying to give him positive feedback without making a big deal out of it (so that he will want to grow it out long again just to rebel against me). I think he looks so much like my brother when he was about the same age.

Max got his driver's license!

It was shockingly easy. We went in with a pile of documentation and they never even looked at it! He didn't have to get his picture taken because he is using the one from his permit. He didn't have to take a written or a driving test because he has a certificate that he passed them in Driver's Ed. (which they didn't even look at). They just checked his vision, I paid the fee, he received a brief lecture on being responsible and staying in good with his mother (since I paid for it, I own it until he is 18) and that was it! No waiting, even. It was certainly a different experience from when I got my license—I had to take the written and the driving test and failed the driving test the first time because when I parallel parked, I wasn't close enough to the curb. Huh.

Also, he went on his first date about a week ago! He is so shy, I wondered if it might take him years to embark on this particular milestone. He planned the whole thing, arranged a group date, and had a great time. I could not be more shocked (and happy for him).

We went to our elementary school's Fall Festival on Friday. I didn't take my camera because it was stormy. Eva was disappointed that, due to inclement weather, the ponies weren't there. She was determined to ride one this year. They did, however, have a petting zoo that she thoroughly enjoyed: a 500-lb. pig, a pot-bellied pig, a llama, a cow, a baby goat, a chicken, and a rabbit on a leash. She also went on a golf cart ride, did the duck pond and fish pond games, took a couple of turns in the bounce house (a huge hit), played bean bag toss and ring toss, tried the cake walk and the soda pop walk, and ate cotton candy. It's an enormously anticipated event.

She won this in the soda pop walk.

Marc started repainting our main living area!

He spent all weekend prepping and painting one wall, and putting everything back into place. Now I'm not sure I love the color we selected. It doesn't look like the sample to me. It's cooler and just not what I pictured. Marc is so frustrated he can barely talk about it. I can't blame him a bit. And I'm pretty sure we will never paint again without getting a test quart.

I'm living with it for a couple of days before we decide how to proceed...

milestone

I have been a mother for 16 years, but yesterday was the first day I had all of my children in school for a full day! I have waited for this day for ever so long.

Don't get me wrong, I love having my children around, they are very good company in general. It's not like I don't want to be with them. But, with rare exceptions, being home alone for hours on end is a luxury I have not had for sixteen years. And it's a luxury I very much enjoy.

Lucas, organizing his big binder on Monday night (after seventh grade day). He was so excited about all of the pockets and pouches, etc. It made me smile, remembering how I loved putting in fresh paper and pencils as well, getting all ready for a new school year.

Getting up early is quite a change for Lucas, who will sleep until 11:00 unless I go in and wake him earlier. (I usually don't let him sleep past 9:30 or 10:00, but still.) So far, he has been getting up in time to shower before school (2 for 2)—hallelujah!

I got the idea to make these identifying signs for first day pictures from Pinterest. I'm starting a tradition, even though I have an eleventh grader! Max was characteristically cooperative.

Lucas was his usual camera-shy self.

But I prevailed. (He knew he couldn't leave until I was at least semi-satisfied, and he didn't want to be late!)

Eva was over the moon about being a first grader and getting to eat lunch at school (brown bagged).

She was definitely less excited about discovering that she is the only girl at her table.

(On a sad note, when I left her room, I found a boy crying in the hall—a first grader who was all alone and couldn't remember where his classroom was. I helped him find where he belonged and left shaking my head. I can't relate to just dropping him off to find his own way. Poor little guy.)

There was a definite celebratory note in the air at the school, one I shared as I drove away to enjoy my first ever full day of school freedom!

First, I had a doctor's appointment. Then I did some errands, by myself, with no deadline! (I went to D.I., OfficeMax, and the grocery store.)

I stopped to get a Diet Coke at McDonald's.

I had to run over to Max's school to take him a book that he forgot. I didn't even mind! (But don't tell him that. I wouldn't want to be doing that all the time.)

Denise and Emily stopped by for a quick visit! Denise came to help Emily get settled into her apartment for the new school year. We are all thrilled to have Emily back in our neck of the woods. (And wish that Denise's family could move to Utah. Obviously.)

I made first day of school cookies. (Peanut butter pretzel chocolate chip.)

We had a back to school themed dinner. (It was really just the decor that was themed, we had panini and corn on the cob.) I used some of the things I got at Office Max for ridiculously cheap as a centerpiece.

Printables from eighteen25.blogspot.com (via Pinterest). Have I mentioned how much I love Pinterest?? I guess I probably should have sharpened the pencils, eh? Oops.

These just made me so happy. And they passed the Lucas test! (He is picky about straws.)

Our dinner time seemed to last longer than usual, as we sat around and talked about everyone's first day. I loved that.

In all, I would say it was a productive, satisfying day. And the best part is that I have many many more such days to look forward to! Shazam.

A lot of people have asked me what I'm going to do with my newfound time. I have some ideas, but all I know for sure is that I won't have any shortage of things I want to do. How will I fill the time? I can't wait to find out.

first day of summer!

Friday was the last day of school, and thus the first day of summer vacation. I have to say I was a bit verklempt when I realized that we will never again be part of this particular brand of kindergarten chaos and excitement.

Eva's teacher hugging her and her good friend, Riley.

Eva tells me that "Riley always understands." A very good quality in a friend.

Mrs. Graham was a great teacher for Eva this year. So good, in fact, that Eva is not so sure about moving on to first grade.

I find it so sad that Eva only got one year of school with her big brother. It must be so nice knowing you have a protector of sorts. Now none of my kids will be in the same school again.

I am having a hard time believing that I will have one in high school, one in junior high, and one in elementary school next year. (I have a friend who is just one year older than me, and her youngest just graduated! I have 12 more years of having kids in school...)

Thinking we should do something celebratory, I originally thought maybe we would go to Seven Peaks, but since it was only 64 degrees, I had to nix that idea (much to their distress). It took some serious convincing for them to accept that they wouldn't have much fun if they were shivering at the pool. (So instead, we went to 7Peaks today, and although it was supposed to be 84 degrees, they ended up cold and shivering at the pool. Huh.)


I'm not a fun mom, so I opted for Creative Friday with Jill. That way, Lucas could play with Landon and Eva could play with Whitney (Marc took Max to the movies).

Maybe next year I'll take a cue from Patsy and invite friends over for pizza, root beer, and chocolate cake. That sounds like a celebration I can handle.

milestone

I took Max to get his driver's permit this week.

He's not exactly been anxious to get this done. He turns 16 in 3 months, which means he won't be able to get his license until 3 months after his birthday. A lot of people might be surprised by this, but I get it. He's nervous. He knows that a car is a big, potentially dangerous piece of machinery, and that driving is a big responsibility. I felt the same way at his age.

But driver's ed. starts next week, and you have to have your permit before class starts, so... he had to dive in and do it. It's funny – this feels like a rite of passage for me just as much as for him. I've never taught anyone to drive before!

I took him to the church parking lot on Thursday and he got behind the wheel for the first time. I think he was simultaneously thrilled and terrified. Especially when I invited him to drive home (only a few blocks). He held his hands in the 10 & 2:00 position. He might also have had white knuckles.

Personally, I'm glad he's nervous, that he's taking this seriously. I'm not so glad about having to have him at the school by 6 a.m. for 22 days in a row.

Creative Friday x2

Last week's Creative Friday was a momentous one because it was our first one since Eva started kindergarten!! That means that for all the years we've been getting together, this was (I believe) the very first C.F. with no children. I felt like we needed a moment of silence to appreciate the enormity of that. Of course, Eva was still there for the first hour or so.

Eva has been making recent strides toward becoming more independent. She buckles her own seat belt, finally, and now she enjoys making her own toast. I applaud any and all efforts in this direction! Jill was full of praise as well.

While she was eating, she stopped and said, "Wait. Is this lunch?!" She knows that she gets to go to school after lunch. When she realized that the time was nigh, she broke into the Happy, Happy, Joy, Joy song and dance. All I can say is amen, sister.

I dropped her off and then made some Tex Mex Nachos for lunch. If you haven't made these, you should. They are super fast and easy and tasty to boot.

Jill worked on some birthday good mail, cut out many sets of labels, and made these chore sticks for a deserving friend.

I finished up some projects and worked on some more Paris colors cards.

No one was around to swipe our treats!

It was a very, very good day.


The week before, Creative Friday was full of visitors!

Claudia was in town and was able to join us for Creative Friday!

We had burgers with grilled onions and guac.

I worked on an embroidery project.

Claudia, showing the print I had made for her. Isn't she sickeningly photogenic?

Jill brought some of her fabulous cookies. I cannot resist homemade cookies.

Denise and Emily and their friend Linda stopped by! (They were in town getting Emily settled at BYU again.) Denise and Claudia got to meet each other. I kind of love the way blogging creates this kind of overlap.

We had a crowd at Creative Friday (but only for a little while).

Max came home from school when we were all on the stairs trying to get a photo.

Lucas came home and had to practice piano before he could go play. Max was practicing cello downstairs at the same time.

Claudia didn't seem too fazed by the craziness. This was her message to us.

But by the end of the day, the chaos was weighing heavily. Between the kids going in and out and the dog going in and out and all the noise... Jill was ready to leave. Having 6 kids there was just too much to handle. (Which made us all the more excited for the next week!)