Oh man, another monumental year for us... Marin starting all-day first grade, and Madeline starting kindergarten! Both girls excited and about to blow their tops with the wiggles, waiting for the "big day" to arrive. Both girls giving their Mommy a hard time about being driven to/from school on the first day. Anxious to ride that magical schoolbus :) I only made them wait a single day, geeeeesh. I might have said something like "Pleeeeease don't rob me of my Mommy Joy, let me drive you just on the first day so I can take pictures and cry like all the other proud and excited Moms". How could they argue with THAT? But despite all our debating on the subject, I do love their enthusiasm and willingness to try out a little bit of independence.
The faces, oh the faces! I know I'm clogging up this blogpost with repetetive pictures, but it's just funny to me all the different emotions they were posing for the camera (excited, really excited, the "learning" face, funny, really funny, it goes on and on)... I do love to see the JOY in my kids hearts!
First bus ride - TOGETHER! :)
Waiting for Maddie's first bus ride home, without sis! :) She did awesome... Max just chillin' and cruising the streets while we wait.
And last but not least - a thoughtful gift for me from Kyle. Our "back to school" week felt totally harried and insane for me, mostly because we had a plan to tag-team our way through all the various places to be and "firsts" for the girls, all the while juggling a newborn's schedule and a wiley three year old boy. However you know how plans go (!), I had to quickly adjust when Kyle got very sick and was flat on his back in bed for the entire week. There were several things I wanted to do, memories I wanted to make for the new schoolgirls, traditions I wanted to keep or start. Some of that had to just go out the window in lieu of just getting where we needed to be and keeping everyone on track with the basics. I admit I was stressed, and feeling disappointed that I wasn't able to accomplish all my desires for the week.
Here's the truth though - the kids did great, they had a great week, I was able to hold it together without melting down (most of the time, ha!), and God did hear my constant prayer that He would help me keep the family together when my own strength failed me.
Then after it was all said and done, my dear husband (who STILL now isn't all the way better, as I write this) brings me flowers to say "thank you, I know it was a hard week, I know you had to bust your rearsies, you did a great job"... It really meant a lot to me, and he was the one sick in bed! Love that man.
