Back to It!

I'm struggling with this back to school thing. So weird, because last year I was fine. I've had so much fun having all of my kids with me this summer, and with all of the things we've been up to, it's flown by. Tonight was back-to-school night, and Josh's teacher seemed really great. She told the kids they'll be making pirate maps tomorrow, and also having Otter Pops. Josh is pretty pumped, and after we left I felt excited, too. This is going to be great, I thought. But then, I put him to bed . . . and realized I won't be having leisurely mornings with him. Won't be taking him to the library, or to the swimming pool. When will I read to him? It's sooo hard once school and all it's associated craziness starts. Oh, my, my heart just hurts, I should be used to this by now, there is a literal ache. Reading it back I realize it doesn't seem like a big deal, but when I thought of taking my kids to the pool, the tears just started flowing.

I wrote that the night before school started, and I'm glad I did, because how quickly I forget the poignancy of emotions that have passed. Okay, a re-cap . . .

On Monday, Gary's office had their annual barbeque at a park in Salt Lake, and we had fun eating, playing soccer, finding rocks in a stream, and seeing Gary in the middle of the day. School was to start the next day, and that night held a full line-up of back to school night, family home evening, and getting ready for school. However, when we went to go home, I got the news - Gary had an extremely important meeting on Friday he needed to stay late at work to prepare for. So, revamp the plans, we did it all without Gary. Thanks to some friends who let Lissy run with them, back to school night was great, as I mentioned earlier. I got the boys school shirts, and Noah was so proud to be old enough to get one.

Josh chose caramel sticky buns (which we'd never had before) for his back-to-school breakfast, but when the morning came, he was too nervous and excited to eat more than a bite. I was so sad to send him, I knew I had to do something, so I prepared to go to the gym after I dropped him off. I think the reason I was so sad this year was because I really realized how little I would see him, whereas before I hadn't had the full-day school experience. Josh preferred to walk to class by himself, but the look on his face as he responded to my tearful "I love you" and walked away let me know he really loved and would miss me, too. I started bawling, and Andrew said, "Josh will come back, mom, don't be sad." Noah added, "Yeah, if he wasn't coming back, that's what would be sad." Too true, children. After I called my momma and worked out my sad at the gym, I took the others to the "dinosaur park," and had a great time playing. At one point Andrew and Lissy were on swings next to each other, and they got in the same back-and-forth rhythm. They both started belly-laughing, and Andrew said, "This is hilarious!"

Second year in a row taking his back-to-school photo with my iPod, this time because the camera was sent away for repair. He's so cute, though, regardless! Second grade, here he comes.

Soccer started this week, too, but not without a tinge of drama. Josh has been on a team with the same kids and coach for 3 years, and wanted to again. However, the coach was told there were too many coaches in the league, and asked if he could coach the girls. He said okay, as long as the boys were kept together. Several of them were kept together, but not Josh. I called and emailed lots of different people, but they all said only the director of the league could change it, and he wouldn't. So, even though Josh was about to cry, I took him to his first practice. He came away completely pumped about soccer, and said, "Guess what my team name is, mom?!" I had lots of guesses, but was not prepared for Josh to say, "The Creepers!" Say what? I guess it's from Minecraft, so it's okay? Anyway, I was glad to see Josh excited, and I actually know several of the kids on the team, so we'll have a great season. Andrew and Noah started, too. Noah was crazy excited, and Andrew actually participated, so that's good.

Gary had to work late every night, so imagine how awesome it was to be getting vitamins and a binkie downstairs for bedtime, and hear Josh yell, "Mom, Andrew broke the crib!" Oh, my. It was a slat in the back, right in the middle. I duct taped it and put a cardboard box in front of it for the night (Gary's idea), and then called the company the next day. Turns out the crib has been recalled due to easily-broken slats, so I was told to send in certain pieces of the crib for confirmation, and then we will receive a voucher for a new crib. I was pretty excited - so Andrew wasn't the ruin-er, it was the crib, and we would be getting a new one, what fortune! So, that night Gary literally used a saw (as per instructions) to remove the part they wanted us to send in, and I did so the next day. Only then did I google the situation and find that many people only receive a $65 voucher toward a new one . . . the crib was really pretty and cost waaay more than that originally. Cross your fingers or pray or whatever that the crib situation turns out. It would be nice to cross something off the fix-it/buy-it list, it's getting a bit lengthy. But hey, none of us are on the fix-it list, so that's all we need.

In the absence of the father of the home, the kids and I had a little Cafe Rio trip this week. It was fun and yum, and the next day as we ate the leftovers, I asked Noah, "So, do you like pinto beans better than black beans now?" "Yes," he replied, "Pinto beans have more flavor." Andrew disagreed. "No, jelly beans have more flavor."

I was also amused by the quiet time we had on the first day of school. Noah and Andrew were pretty pumped because we found out we got a Beyblade House Party (hooray!), and then they picked a book about jackals to read. They spent most of quiet time pretending to be jackals, and once my arm was pretty chewed up, I decided we'd been "quiet" for long enough. They made up for it on Thursday by totally sacking out for a few hours.

Poor Gary only got an hour and a half of sleep on Thursday night, but he said the meeting on Friday was awesome, so he done good.

Part-way through the week we got our camera back, hooray! Some friends came over Friday night while their parents went to the temple, and they spent a very long time trying to make a house out of the now-useless crib. It was pretty cute.

These two are buddies, it's adorable.

First soccer games on Saturday morning! Josh did really well. He is still the youngest in his league this year, but he played with a lot more confidence, and had several shots-on-goal. Noah was so excited he was antsy all morning, and then really got into his game. Andrew actually played, so we were happy.

Josh got a chance to be goalie - he was pretty intense, until this moment where the action was on the other end of the field.

It's Josh, dribbling the ball down the field!

Noah's in the mix here.

Noah was working hard out there!

Oh, my goodness, look at his grin!

It was a child who took this picture of the other kids digging into the box of pears, but I think it's funny. It's going to be pear week at our house!

I took Andrew on a date yesterday. That kid is too sweet and adorable. Noah had gotten to go to Coldstone, so I suggested that, but he really wanted to get his ice cream at McDonald's. Too bad for me, but he was thrilled, so I loved it. While we ate, I asked him, "So Andrew, what makes you feel happy?" "Flowers," he replied. "No, picking a flower. No . . . giving a flower!" All that said with a huge grin. He played on the toys a few minutes and stopped to give me that grin through the little windows. He wanted a toy from McDonald's, but I told him that since we were going to the dollar store to get some things for preschool, I'd just let him pick out a toy there. When he got his chance to pick, he wanted to get three of everything he decided on, so Josh and Noah could have one, too. I told him that since it was his date, he didn't need to, but he insisted. His brothers needed what he had. That boy . . . so kind and thoughtful. We really enjoyed being together.