1st Day of school

Trying to get caught up on some old posts...

First day of school ... I posted about the day before school started- back to school night and meeting the teachers, but this is the first day of class.

This is the only "first day" with all of them at school together - all day, same schedule, same school.  Can't get over how big they are all getting! 

Alyssa is entering 6th grade.  I won't lie ... it SCARES me and EXCITES me!  When I think back to my 5th and 6th grade years, I can't believe she's old enough to do and know and think the things I did back then.  But I also am excited for the friends she'll make, the experiences she'll have ... memories she'll take with her the rest of her life.  I LOVED those years and who I became and I'm excited for the opportunities she will have.  She is growing up so much and I am so proud of her.  She's no longer a little girl.  She's old enough to do so many things, to be home alone, to go places with her friends (without parents), to have crushes on boys ... Wow.  Its going to be a fun year for mom and daughter!  I hope she will have a year like I had ... and with friends like the ones I made during that time. 

I was really grateful that Alyssa still WANTED mom to take a picture of her by her class.  My little girl hasn't grown up too much, yet. 

Taylor is in 3rd grade and growing up so much.  She is so proud of herself and showing so much confidence.  I hope that her 3rd grade year will be filled with friends, confidence and experiences that will help her build her future.  It seems to me that is about this age that children start to judge others rather than accept them as is.  I hope that she will continue to be a loving, gentle child, that she will treat others with respect and kindness, that she will make others feel important and valued and she will see the talents and good in those around her.  A childhood friend recently shared a memory of me in 3rd grade ... I hope she can be more aware of people and see more of what is inside of people than I could at that age. 

Taylor is also going through this funny smile phase ... she wrinkles her nose up and makes such a big smile that is looks silly.  It makes me smile

Jessica is so excited to be in first grade.  She scares me though ... she is so smart both academically and sometimes in her personality as well.  She has always been my sunshine and this past little while she has gotten a little more kick to her especially when she gets bored ... and I'm worried that will be often this year.  She is SMART.  She reads chapter books and does adding and subtraction without much effort and writes stories pretty well too - definitely learned a lot from her big sisters.  I hope that she can have a great time in 1st grade, feel challenged, make good friends, and LOVE learning new things.  I want her to crave learning.    She started out the year so excited about her homework ... I hope that continues!

One of the things Jess is most excited about this year is being able to ride her bike to school with her sisters.  I love it too  - no driving them to and from school - how could I NOT love it?.  This picture is actually the 2nd day of school when they all biked together the first time. 

All day on the first day of school, Steve would come into my office and say "Listen!"  My asisstant (Melissa) and I would stop working for a minute and listen.  Then Steve would grin and say "ahhhhh... quiet!"  Having the girls back in school is a real plus for mom and dad when they both work from home!  I love having the girls around, but sometimes, we just need some peace and quiet and uninterrupted time to get work done so that we aren't so stressed.  Its been nice to get work done without constant interruptions, although, I have to admit that when I said goodbye to my baby, I cried a little.