First Day of School Pics

We are officially into the swing of the 2010 -11 school year! It's taken me awhile to post this because I wanted to include Lily in the mix. Her preschool did not begin until last Wednesday.

This is her first year of preschool. I originally wanted to keep her home until next fall, but (let me be honest) Momma needs a few hours to herself! Lily is very social & could use more than my daily chores to stimulate her mind. We have a wonderful Methodist church down the street which offers a really nice preschool program. Here is where Lily attends school:

Normally, Shutterbug Montierth would have wonderful 1st day pics. However, I resisted taking pics on that lovely first day. Let me set the scene - raining, very good day to sleep, lots of paperwork needed to be filled out (of course I forgot until 8:35 - school starts at 9:00), and Lily dislikes being seperated from me ... AT ALL. Add to that the fact that I raised my voice to her for the first time - EVER - trying to get her into the car while I was getting drenched in torrential rain. Ok, ok - no excuse, but, but, but ... there are no excuses. I felt so stupid raising my voice to a tiny little soul who was being forced to go to a place she didn't want to go. Bad Mommy moment.

Here is Lily on the second day of school. Wearing her "Princess" skirt & her "Princess Mermaid" shirt. She is the cutest little thing in the world!! Today - no rain, no raised voices. We walked to school. Daddy even went with us. She still cried her little eyes out when we left. Tracy laughed. I felt like crying, but didn't. Noah started 5th Grade this year. It is officially his last year as an Elementary School Student. I'm a little sad about this. Noah is brilliant! He loves school, loves his friends, his teachers are really nice too! Really, it's hard for me not to exclaim everything because Noah is just that excited each and every day!!! He walks to school or rides his bike. After school, he usually has a possy outside gabbing with him. I would say, hands down, Noah is having the best childhood a kid could have. If it didn't make me so happy, I would be a tad jealous! Here is Noah with Mr. Clark, Caldwell's Principal, on the first day of school.

Obliging Mom with an "at the gate" 1st day pic:

Abby is in 8th Grade this year. Her last year of middle school. Where is the time going?! We are just getting used to Faubion and then ... she's done! What's that all about?! Abby is amazing! I really can not brag enough - really! She is currently on the Cross Country Team. They practice before school, thus Abby's first day of school attire ... and her luggage! She's also in band, which adds to her luggage. I swear! You can tell the kids who do extra curricular activites because they're the ones who look like pack mules. It amazes me to see kids with one folder and a pencil. I digress, Abby works so hard. She keeps up with her schoolwork, has great friends, and exercises her mind and body. I admire her so much!! Plus - not that I need to point it out or anything - she is beautiful! I am so happy to be her mother! Abby is one great kid. Tracy and I both understand and appreciate what a blessing she is to our family. Here is her obligatory by the fence 1st day photo:

Gush, gush, gush, mushy, mushy Mommy love aside, she does throw attitude our way! Here is evidence. You can see the "Oh, puuuulleeezze Mom!" look on her face:

That is our school year in a nutshell. Good things are in store, for sure!!

Honestly though - I'm so happy to have 10 minutes of solitude. As much as I loved the entire neighborhood tramping through the house every waking moment of summer, it is nice to - oh, take a shower and not have four kids in the room as I walk out in my robe! I learned to get up and get dressed this summer - that's for sure!! The kids seem to miss all their free time now that school has started, but as much as they grumble I know they savor the comfort of routine as much as I do.

In the past few months I have observed, with a heart tinged with sorrow, the last summer Abby will play "adventure" with the boys and Noah excitedly woke each morning wondering what the day would bring. As they grow older, attitudes as well as their brother/sister relationship will change. I am treasuring these moments, sending up little prayers of gratitude that our children's childhood has managed to last a bit longer than most kids "these days".