Back to School

I love reading everyone's back to school posts.  The ones that say...

I wish summer was a month longer so I could spend more time with my kids or similar wonderful things like that!  I really do.   While I to enjoy time with my children I wonder if summer is some sort of cruel punishment to test my limits, for go all my rules and boundaries, and make me wish we had cable.  

I can blame it on not having a neighborhood pool (what kind of subdivision doesn't have a neighborhood pool?!!), I can blame it on the chiggers (WOOOO, I mean they are out of control), but mostly I think we missed our pals this summer.  Actually, let me take that back.  My kids had plenty of pals...I missed mine.  So, summer was fun, the weather was perfect, we enjoyed watching the hot air balloons from time to time, playing a lot of uno, headbands, and trouble, and best of all playing kick ball!  I did make it all summer making everything from scratch... snacks, breakfast, lunch, and dinner...I almost caved but I made it!

Getting ready for the first day of school was pretty easy!  I took the kids over to Missouri for tax free weekend (I feel like Kansas should really jump on board...I mean really!!!) for school supplies.  It was crazy!  All in all we needed 38 glue sticks and 80 pencils, I didn't have to sharpen them this year though!  The kids backpacks were good from last year and since it snowed through May and they wore swimsuits all summer so their clothes were in mint condition!  Yay me!  Aubrey did need new boots this year and since her boots never make it through the year we decided to go in a different direction, cowgirl boots.  

Taking the kids to the Western store was like being in Wyoming all over again!  It even smelt like Wyoming! It was fun for the kids to look around and it was right next to the Chopper restaurant to so the boys looked at the the cool motorcycles and stuff.  Too bad there wasn't a store that spelt like Florida!  The kids made end of summer wishes by throwing coins in the fountains...then they told me their wishes.  They really aim high...Caleb wish for a slushie, Tate wished for gum, Ainsley wished for a really great day, and Aubrey wished for an extra coin at Chuck-e-Cheese... easy to please these kids are!!

 

First Day of school!  Aubrey 3rd grade. Caleb 2nd grade!

 Ainsley's first day of kindergarten!!  She started the day after Aubrey and Caleb.  To say she was excited was an understatement!  Since all the the kids teachers were new to the elementary this year (due to the new schools being built) they didn't find out their teachers until last minute.  Ainsley was still holding out hope that it was going to be her preschool teacher but once she met her new teacher she was okay!  I know she will have a great year...leaving behind an incredible organization/teacher that we have known so long will be new for us Griners! If anyone can do it, its Ainlsey!

 Ainsley is leaving behind floppy..it wont be in her backpack or in the car...big step!  When she got off the bus I asked her how her day was and she said, IT WAS TOTALLY AWESOME!  I asked her what she did and she said "I got 2 recesses and I got to eat lunch!"  Add on that she got to ride the bus...and all of her dreams just came true in one day!

It is just me and Tate for the next two years!  I let him pick our activities for the day.  He picked the park on the lake.  The weather was kind of weird, a bit chilly!  I think he was kind of glad to have our regular routine back!

So... back to homework, spelling, and teachers emails.  A, B and C days.  Spirit Days, Pajama Days, and fall will come before we know it!  They already had me sign up for parent teacher conference!  It really only took one day to get back in the swing of things like nothing has changed...they get on the bus at they same time but due to the new school they get home 30 minutes later!  Oh boy!  They love their teachers, friends, and it looks like another fun year...I am extremely grateful that I do not have to sit in car line, and so is Tate!  Our first year, car line free! 

*Congrats to my brother aka "the Spencer Clark family" and their new addition, a boy. so wonderful!
*Congrats to my little sister aka "the Zorhobyan family" she is having a girl and they bought their first house!!
*Congrats to A and her sweet new ride!