Oh my lord, what a week!

Here is what I know...I firmly believe that Labor Day should ALWAYS be there waiting for me at the end of the first week of school.  This day off is precisely what my family and I  needed to continue recovering from the whirlwind of last week.

On Monday, Evan began 8th grade:

 Sammy had his first day of Kindergarten:

 And Charlie became a 1st grader!

I am having all of the usual Mommy feelings...I can't believe how grown up they are, I can't believe my baby is in Kindergarten, etc.  My own eighth grade experience doesn't seem all that far away, so how can I possibly have a child in 8th grade?  By the way, I personally felt that 8th grade was the equivalent of torture on so many levels, so I can only hope that Evan's year goes much better than mine did.

This year, Charlie's classroom is to the right of mine, and Sammy's is to my left, so they are very close.  I love that.  I get to see them in the hallways, at the bathroom, in the lunchroom.  It makes the separation easier for me.  I miss them so gosh dang much when we are at school.  And if there's a problem, their teachers know right where to find me!

Charlie was eagerly awaiting the start of school all summer.  He loves learning, reading, working, and homework.  He was so excited for school this week, he had a hard time falling asleep each night.

Evan has had a good week so far, but the homework hasn't really kicked in either.  I am waiting with baited breath in the hopes this is a better year for him.  We had so many troubles in 7th grade that I am often surprised both of us made it through.  I wish there was a wand I could wave that would make school easier.

Sammy isn't sure yet.  He went off to his classroom happily enough each day, but he has reported he doesn't like it that much.  Sammy is my worrier.  He stresses all of the small stuff, and I think that makes change hard.  I am hopeful that as school becomes more of the norm for him, that it gets much easier.

I started my 13th year of teaching on Monday.  I am finding that I have to work hard to change something in the way I teach or in my classroom each year to make it fresh.  I love teaching 1st grade, but I think I have been doing it so long it can almost become drudgery.  I have been working this week to stay positive.  The first weeks of school always feel to me like I have a houseful of house guests.  We are all busy getting to know each other, rules, and routines, and it just isn't comfortable yet, which is tiring in and of itself.  Here's hoping this week will be easier!

Jeff and I continue to explore me staying home next year.   We had the first of many budget meetings last night.  So far, I am loving how this seems to be a great exercise in letting go and trusting God.  We are becoming better at communicating with each other as well.  So, even if this doesn't work out for us, just going through this experiment will bring us many benefits.  I love feeling like Jeff and I are a tight team, with God as our head.  Have I mentioned lately how much I love my husband?  I admire him so much, and I love how hard he works for us.  Really.  I am so lucky to have him.

How is your school year going?  Are your kids back to school yet?