Back to school

They boys have been in school for a few weeks, now. Marcus is in fourth grade and Owen and Eli are loving kindergarten (AM/same class). The night before school, we did our traditional special dinner. This year I made lasagna because it is a favorite of all my boys and we did a yummy cake, too. After dinner, Tim gave the boys and me (I'm serving on the PTO board as VP, again) a blessing. The boys were all so excited and happy for school to start and this made me feel happy and good, too. I want school to be a positive place for them--one they look forward to attending. So far, so good. That first morning, Owen and Eli didn't even look back as they lined up and headed into class. I didn't cry either, though I don't make any promises for first grade--that seems to be the year that hits me hard because it is the time when they are in another adult's care for more hours of the day than they are in mine. Hard. But kindergarten is just short and sweet and fun. We all love it.

The first few days when the boys came home, I couldn't wait to see what was in their backpacks--what papers and forms they needed me to fill out--what the syllabus said. I'm a nerd that way. I love school and that energy that comes with the month of September when all the students return. I love being on college campuses. I just get a rush from that learning space. In July, the three older boys took swimming lessons every day for three weeks down at BSU and though it was a bit of a drive, it was great. The swimming was fun, it was WAY affordable, and I got to be on a college campus for an hour every day.

We have a new principal this year and roughly 150 fewer kids at our school because the district redid the school boundaries. Last year was stressful and a hard year at our school for lots of reasons, but overcrowding was definitely one of the big problems. Our PTO spent a lot of time meeting with district representatives, writing letters, and holding meetings and all that hard work PAID OFF. This year already feels calmer and happier. It feels good to help make a difference, though it feels better looking back on that difference than it does when you are actually right smack in the crappy middle of it! I truly feel like parent involvement is so important, plus I have made some wonderful friends through PTO and volunteering at the school, so that's been a nice plus, too.

And what do Zachy and I do while the boys are in school? Gosh, what don't we do? That is the time we run errands, go to weekly story time at the library, play with Thomas, clean the house, watch Netflix, and visit the women in my ward (so much easier to bring along one little person than it is to bring three or four). The myth of kindergarten is that suddenly you'll have all this free time but really, kindergarten lasts like 5 minutes between when you're dropping them off and when you're back picking them up again. I will say it is a pure joy when Zachy is reunited with his brothers. He is a baby who was born into chaos and loud noises and when three of the four tornadoes are gone, he misses them. It is a happy thing when we "Go get the brothers."