Auld Lang Syne

Where did the days go?  We are but a few days from the end of the year and I've made nary a post for months.  Thank you, Wilma, for waking me from my reverie.

Huntley Family Reunion -- what a blessing!

I got a new job in August in a Functional Communication classroom of students with autism and that took my focus for September. We then had the supreme pleasure of having my parents nearby for a little over 2 months which was a joy and delight. Then suddenly it was Advent and here we are.  I have little in the way of pictures  to share -- I was technologically challenged for several months --but will end the year with a few sweet notes from Autumn. Guess I need my parents and brothers to send me some photos!  Please forgive me for the really blurry iPod shots! Just a handful of sweet memories!

Pajama day for the Blitz with Ms. Mahoney.  Kinder is the BEST.

Sunshine's first day of school

All the Littles think a "store-bought" veggie tray is a gourmet treat! 

The makings of Thai Salad; just one of a hundred lunches we took to school!

Fancy hair tattoos courtesy of Pepper

Nothing makes us happier than hand-me-downs!

Kindergarten is exhausting!

The Captain's first day of school at Mom's School. 

Pepper's first day of college

Lunchbag. Pepper and I had a one-week before school sewing marathon.  This is the only thing that got photographed!

Fabulous cousin time at our Cousin Camp Family Reunion

It has been a whirlwind few months and I am grateful, grateful as the year draws to a close. I hope your new year is blessed!

Double Trouble Back to School

It's Saturday night and Pepper is watching Prince of Egypt with the Littles.

At one point, I said to The Blitz, "Do you want me to make y'all some popcorn, honey?"
"Yes, Mom, because "Mo-sep" is boring."
"Sweetie, it's "MOSES"; he's a real person from the Bible."
"Okay, Mom, well Mo-SIS is boring too."

Oh goodness.  The last of my peeps headed off to school this week, The Blitz and The Captain. (Sunshine is still on break until next week and homeschoolers technically don't head off to school). I have put off writing this post while being daunted by the production of 6 or 7 lunches every day at 6:00 a.m. My plan worked well, though, so each week will get easier.

I only cried a little -- and surprisingly not over The Blitz. It was The Captain; he looked so sad and overwhelmed when I left him for Kindergarten - the Sequel, with his new teacher, Ms. Warner. I tried to get us off on the right foot by walking him to school, which he loves, but it didn't do it. He was quite reluctant the next day, too, when we walked to the bus stop two lots away. While we waited for the bus, he hung his head and stared at his feet and when the bus arrived, he was teary-eyed. I felt terrible. But by the end of the day, he seemed happy and has been less reluctant with each day. He has two issues: He has to make all new friends, and he figured out his friends went to first grade. He is feeling shame about it and that is sad. I do not regret holding him back as I know it is the best for him but I am sorry for his hurt feelings!

The Blitz has been pretty wary of going to school, thinking it was just a trick to take him to day care (which he really did not enjoy). He goes at 11:30 so the first day, I put him in the car and drove him over there and when we pulled up in front of the school, he said, "Hey, this is Old Town Edementry" and then laughed out loud. He has been all smiles since and his only complaint is that he has to wait "too long" each day to go.  One day I'd been in appointments all day so picked up the boys from school 20 minutes early and he cried, angry at me for not letting him finish the day. Oh, the trials of Pre-K. ( Oh and of course he wouldn't look at the camera!)

I think it will be a good year for both of them. Their teachers are very sweet and they are already both getting into the rhythm of school; I am getting into the swing of things too and I feel much less stressed about the upcoming week than I did the last.

Next week when Sunshine starts, I will try for another Fab Five pic; for now, we're still stuck with the iPod photos as my new flash drive is lost in transit.  Cheers.

Kinder-Girl

Today's the day. Tinkerbelle starts Kindergarten and Meridian. She is elated. There are two things Tinker loves: 1) Learning, and (2) Structure.

Last night, just to be sure, she asked 5 or 6 times, "It's my first day of school tomorrow, right, Mom? Just me and nobody else, right? I'm going to learn reading and math and everything, right Mom? I eat lunch there, right?"

Pepper gave her a haircut and we laid out all her clothes. Then, just before bed, after I told her I'd see her on her first day of school, she said, "Okay, Mom, can you wake me up at 3:30 so I have plenty of time to get ready?"

I said "Yes" but opted for 6:30 instead.

Look out world, here she comes! She'll be running that school in a month.

School Days

Well, it's official:  I'm a "school mom."  Oh, wait, it's not all about me?

Both The Captain and Tinkerbell were so excited to start school, they could hardly sleep.  They were eventually so tired that Tinker slept through the light coming on and I had to wake her up.  Have I mentioned that I hate waking her up because she jumps a foot high and then cries?  So I touched her gently on the shoulder and she startled and then smiled -- without opening her eyes -- and said, "Today is my first day of school!"

Here are the little cuties:

His shirt has a "5" on the sleeve -- so exciting!

It didn't translate to photos but the heart is "bling" - shiny studs

Tinker's backpack is huge on her.  Even empty, it totally cramps her style.  Funny story:  We made a big deal out of buying first day of school outfits for all 5 kids and the Littles got a (rare) choice of outfits.  On the second day of school, Tink had a huge fit because she thought she got to wear the purple outfit every day!  She will be really happy to see that outfit again next week!

The Blitz gets a ride in the stroller and we walk to school although it is almost a mile because I want The Captain to really "get" it that I am close by.  We practiced a couple weeks beforehand and now they have built up some stamina.  They are so excited to go to school, they run almost the whole way!  (And yes, I cried all the way home that first day).  Daddy tried to get some pictures which were a little blurry for some reason, but here they are.

We're frowning because Daddy was trying so hard to get a picture he kept yelling at us!

The Bigs and The Blitz won't start school until September 4th since I have a philosophical objection to starting school before Labor Day.  The Blitz does not want to go to home-school Preschool; "I don't like homeschool.  I like the gray school."   He has made that very clear.   Yet I think he is really enjoying our 3 "Tink-free" hours each day and we have both relished just chilling together every morning.  Next week I"ll get out the Preschool In a Box and we'll enjoy that too.  For now, the leisure is a big gift.

I finally did get a picture of all 5 kids; they're so beautiful -- inside and out!

School Days

Today was our second day-in-a-row of the "first day of school."   I don't get to pick their school clothes any more.

Pepper looks like a sophomore, doesn't she?  So pretty and put together.

I can't believe Sunshine consented to being photographed with "morning hair."  She is very concerned about her appearance all the time.  Here's the scoop:

"Mom, take my picture too, it's my first day!"
"Well, sure, but don't you want to change your clothes and comb your hair first?"
"No mom. This shows why everyone should home school!"
 She didn't comb her hair until noon.  And she finished her first day of 8th grade by 10:00 a.m.  Of course, she did start her work on Sunday!


(By the way, in Sunshine's arms is our new moment of insanity - I mean kitty.  Her name is Sushi and shes a love bug.)

Here is the comparison shot!  "Regular" school or at-home school -- which do you prefer?

 Here's The Captain, ready to take over the PEAR program.  PEAR stands for Pre-school Expressive and Receptive Language program.  It's his second year with Mrs. Rose, whom he adores, and his first year with Mrs. M whom I sure he will fall in love with this week.

I was holding the camera low so I could shoot him without squatting so he kept thinking he had to tip his head to fit in the shot!

I had to include this picture not only to show off his CARZ backpack (which thrills him because it's CARZ and thrills me because I got it for only $15), but to show how dark it is when you catch a bus at 6:45.  No that was not a misprint!

This is the saddest sight in the world!