Back to School Again

Another school year is upon us. The summer went by so quickly, I almost feel like it was a trick. A summer slight-of-hand. It was here, and now it's gone! 

I'm not a huge fan of the kids going back to school. It's so lonely and I love having them around and not being a slave to a school district. I am, however, a fan of education, so that's the angle I take with the boys. Learning! Growth! Progress! Let's do this! 

Since Aiden is attending a charter school this year, the schedules for the boys are not the same, even for the first day. So we had an extended back-to-school moment, sort of easing into things. 

Conor started 3rd grade this year. I'm not sure how that is even possible. He started kindergarten the same time I started nursing school and now this has happened? 

On the bright side, we're getting a 4th year out of that backpack!

When I asked him what he wanted for his first day of school breakfast, he said strawberry-orange smoothies. I've never made those, so I'm not sure where that came from, and later he said he just made it up. Well, it worked out fine (except that Trop 50 stuff is weird. Not even 100% juice. Lesson learned there.) I used a ton of frozen strawberries, some Greek yogurt, a banana, and some orange juice.

Aiden was sweet enough to want to walk with us to school, the school he also attended beginning in 3rd grade. In fact, Conor has the same teacher that Aiden had in 3rd grade.

I got him to the right place on the playground, where he was first in line for his class. We waited for a few friends, and then I had to leave to take Aiden to work. Conor was fine though, so brave. What a difference from all those tearful partings in kindergarten!

Aiden said he felt like everything was miniature at this school. Strange how perspective changes as we grow up! He was once a little guy standing in this same line!

Aiden started early morning Seminary (a scripture study class held at 6am for high school students in our church) last week because most of the kids started school last week. Since he didn't, our routine was Seminary (which he gets himself up for and rides his bike to and from), Conor to school, and then Aiden out to the ranch where he's been working all summer. Then I would pick him back up around lunch time, he'd come home and rest for a bit, and then it was off to football until late in the evening.

Today, however, he started school. 9th grade. High school. I can't even believe it, except that I've been driving out there every day the whole summer.

He's going to a really great school, the largest charter school in the nation, actually. It's a bit of a drive, which has been hard, but most of his friends are going there since his middle school was out in that area too.

His back to school breakfast was a bit heartier: Whole Wheat Blueberry Pancakes. And a tall glass of milk and a banana. The boy can eat.

All morning I've been thinking about how strange the passing of time is. I'm sitting in the same house, with the same furniture, arranged in exactly the same way as when we moved in back in 2005. That was just a few weeks before school started that year, and Aiden started kindergarten.

We had five kids going back to school! Same house (with painted walls now), but so much has happened and changed.

Here was my little guy on his first day of kindergarten. And today he started high school!

Here is a picture of the end of that school year. Lyndsay was being homeschooled, but the other four all attended the same school. It's so strange to look at that picture, which I remember taking, and realize that three of those kids are in college now and the other two in high school!

And here I am with my little Aiden, and Conor growing in my tummy. These are the only two I have left in my nest. Life is a trip, man.

So much has changed. We've been through so much. Each of these kids has experienced so many things since these older pictures were taken. I miss those days of innocence and relative ease. Life, ironically, seemed simpler then. We keep plodding along, doing the best that we can. Now I'm a working mother, which adds its own degree of complication to life. The race I run at this stage feels more strenuous then it did back then, but I'm grateful for the learning, the growth, and the progress.

Here's to an excellent school year!

Another School Year is Upon Us

I cannot believe the summer has gone. It really seemed too short this year. I feel like I blinked and now the kids have to go back to school. That means, take the boys to get haircuts. Aiden had two this summer, but I didn't get Conor in until last week. He was a bit shaggy.

This is a year of Doing The Best I Can. Money is so tight. I haven't been able to find a nursing job yet, and since I'm not in school, I don't have the cushion of my scholarship and grant money. I wasn't able to buy the boys any school clothes, but thankfully, I had bought them some new things in the spring, so they don't have a lot, but what they have is in pretty good shape. I did have to buy Aiden some shoes though, since his toes were poking through.

For our First Day of School Breakfast, Aiden requested pancakes. I made whole wheat pancakes topped with our strawberry jam. Flipping pancakes at 5:30am is going to take some getting used to again!

But even at 5:30 in the morning, Aiden can still put the food away.

After Aiden's breakfast, we woke Conor up for scripture study and family prayer, and then we took Aiden to the bus. He picks the bus up at 6:30, so we leave at 6:20. I cannot believe this boy is in 8th grade this year. When I married Adam and moved here, Aiden was starting kindergarten. All of his schooling has been in California. It seems like yesterday I was bawling like a freak as he marched into his kindergarten classroom with his too-big backpack on his back. It's surreal to think that the next time we have a First Day of School, this guy will be starting high school. HIGH SCHOOL.

After Aiden was safely on the bus, I made Conor his pancakes. And since this was his official birthday, I stuck that candle right back in there and called it a party.

A very important task of the school year: packing lunches. Getting Conor to sit and eat at school is a major challenge that we have. He set a goal to improve on this. Many days he would come home after school with his lunch untouched because he would rather play. But that's too many hours without nourishment. Of course, then he has to sit and eat it at the table when he gets home, but that runs close to dinner. I get tired of the struggle.

The night before I made Whole Grain Pumpkin Muffins (with freshly ground spelt flour, and no sugar). I put these in Conor's lunch instead of a sandwich. He loved them. And he came home with only a few peppers and carrots left, which he ate quickly, thank goodness.

Second grade already. It literally seems like last week that he started kindergarten. Of course, that was the same week I started nursing school, and that seems like an eternity ago, so go figure.

This is his first year at the magnet school, so he will be working hard! And he has the same teacher that Aiden had when he was in 3rd grade.

For this one day, the school let the parents come onto the yard with their kids. I stayed for a bit with Conor and then when his teacher came out, he gave me a kiss and was fine with me leaving. We've come a long way since the days of Daily Morning Tears.

I came home and baked Chocolate Chip Cookies. Because that's our tradition on the first day of school. (And many other days of the year.) The kids come home and tell me all about their day, their teachers, their friends, their classes. . . and they eat cookies. It's terrific.

And this guy? My biggest boy. My Dylan Boy. A Senior this year. A Senior! He started school a few weeks ago, because his school is on a year-round schedule. I miss him so much. But I talked with him today and he said he can probably come for a visit at Thanksgiving time. So, I'm already excited.

Lyndsay leaves in a few weeks to head back to BYU for her Sophomore year. It's back to the grindstone! And I think it's going to be a great year.