Another Year Begins

This morning we ventured back into the familiar...

but not quite as familiar as previous years. A new school (building) meant a later start date. A darker morning coupled with rainy skies required inside pictures for our crew instead of the front porch pictures we've done in the past.

Today the kids started their first day of 5th grade,

3rd grade,

2nd grade,

and another year of preschool.

Clearly there was a lot of energy as we headed out the door.

Because of all the changes at school, I got the privilege of helping students get to their classes in the morning. That meant the start of preschool would have to wait a couple hours. To my surprise, Miss Evie was ready and waiting when I got home to dive right back into her preschool routine. After an introduction to the calendar and a quick review of the letter sounds she learned last year, we're ready to tackle the last half of her reading book. Once we got started, there was no stopping her. This girl LOVES to learn.

As is our first day of school tradition, we headed out for ice cream after dinner. Normally the newest student gets to choose where we go for ice cream, but since this first day of school happens to land on Sean's birthday, he had the honor of choosing. Rita's didn't know what hit 'em. We took up over half the little shop. Really...there were only two chairs left for the many other customers.

Happy birthday, daddy!

So. Much. Energy.

Math is Sweet

A couple weeks ago Wes came home with what was probably my favorite homework assignment to date (and I've seen my fair share of homework assignments). In an effort to get some hands-on experience with measuring cups and spoons, he needed to help prepare a recipe, doing all the measuring himself. Of course my wheels started turning and I had to remind myself that this was Wesley's assignment, not mine. Because sometimes in the kitchen I...ahem...like to be in charge. So we started brainstorming and Wes finally settled on sugar cookies. Since this was a math assignment, he wanted to create something math related so, unable to find operation-symbol-cookie-cutters, we set to creating number cookies, another essential part of the subject.

Because cutout cookies work best when the dough is cold, we knew we had a two-step process ahead of us. So Friday night we pulled out our ingredients

and tools

and got to work.

The first step was to sift the flour and baking powder together into a big bowl. Wesley learned the fine art of scooping and leveling flour while practicing his multiplication because we decided to double the recipe.

Then he cracked the eggs,



measured, and whisked in the vanilla.



Next it was time to cream the butter and sugar. Adding the butter meant a lesson in measuring weight as well as volume.

With the bowl thoroughly scraped,

Wes slowly added the eggs and vanilla and finished up by adding the flour mixture.

After popping the dough into the refrigerator, it was time to clean up and get ready for step two.

Refreshed from a night of sleep (and some of us still in our pj's),

we were ready to roll, cut,

bake, and cool.

Once the cookies were completely cool, we mixed up the icing and I gave Wesley a quick lesson on how to frost and flood his cookies. He chose the colors, iced all but one of the numbers,

and even improvised to make a "10" by sticking a "1" and "0" together with icing.

Wesley delivered a full set of numbers to his math teacher and the rest were divided (pun definitely intended) among the rest the family.

Another Beginning

Today marked the fifth first day of school for our family. Three years ago I took this picture.

The next year I took a similar picture, it's just that the kids were older.

It only seemed appropriate that I take another one the following year.

Which brings me to this year. Today I sent my babies off to 4th, 2nd and 1st grades. The littlest one stayed with me and will start preschool at home with me in a couple weeks.

First day of 4th grade



First day of 2nd grade



First day of 1st grade

First day of...oh wait... Not quite yet, baby girl.

School's In

It's quiet around here today. Yesterday if it had been this quiet I would've been worried. Today the quiet makes me just a little sad. You see, the reason it's so quiet is because three of our blessings started school today.

As I look back over these photos and think about how things have changed, I'm astonished that it only took two years. Yes, just twenty-four short months. When you're in "the thick of it," everyone tells you how fast the time goes. But, you know, you're in "the thick of it" so you just smile and nod. And then you see how you go from:

just one first grader...

to a second grader and a kindergartener...

to a third grader, a first grader and a kindergartener...

and then you become one of the everyones that gets the smile and nod from the parents "in the thick of it."

Happy new school year to our three "big kids."

School's Out

This year we started a tradition of the girls waving out the window to the boys as they drove off for school each morning. Who knew that a wave would become so important? But it is an essential part of the morning for all four of the kids.

Today marked the last opportunity to wave goodbye for a few months because we're waving goodbye to second grade and kindergarten.

And it's a good thing because our supplies are running low...

and we're looking forward to a replenishing summer.

Then and Now

This was last year on the first day of school when we had a first grader, two preschoolers and an almost four-month-old.

This was Monday, the first day of school, and we now have a second grader, a kindergartner, one preschooler and an almost sixteen-month-old.

And I just can't believe it.