Drew and Jesi are back to school! Drew just started 5th grade and Jesi is now in 2nd!!! Crazy! I swear Drew was just wearing this little big dog outfit my dad bought for him (the one that Nathan is wearing). Nathan adorably put on his own little Winnie the Pooh back pack and the girls' fluffy purple flip flops that my Aunt Linda crocheted. How can a little guy help but be influenced by his cute big sisters that love to dress up?
If anyone is worried about him not being boy enough, let me just say that two days ago he handed me something black that was in between his fingers. I was SO grossed out when I realized he had just handed me a live fly!!! And then, if that wasn't enough, yesterday he handed me a cloth that had a spider climbing all over it. (He must have decided to try to be like Mommy and use something to grab the spider this time!?!) I might need therapy if this trend continues, especially after being traumatized last week by witnessing a mouse run into my kitchen and spending two days trying to (successfully) trap it - thank goodness it was a success!!!
I have always thought mice were pretty cute. I'd much rather have one of them in my kitchen than a spider or a bee, right!?! Wrong! After all these years, I have to admit that my friend Marta was right. Mice are really cute - but not in your kitchen!!! We think it was under our dishwasher. Boy was it fast. Andy almost convinced me that I imagined it. But, here is solid proof! The sticky traps work!
We had the kitchen blocked off with a coffee table on one end and a big box on the other end. I am so glad I have my kitchen back!!!
The kids all wanted to keep the mouse as a pet. I remember thinking it would be kind of fun to have a mouse or hampster as a pet. Boy has this experience changed my mind. Nathan was the saddest of all to see the mouse go bye bye with Daddy.
Anyway, back to the 1st day of school! The kids get out early all week, so Nathan was still napping (wish I could say the same for today because he and therefore, I can be very grumpy if he doesn't get a good nap). But, the rest of us enjoyed an extra special, delicious, high-calorie frozen homemade cookie ice cream sandwich for a snack. Oooh. Yummy! I really need to hide the frozen cookies and ice cream from myself now!!!
Kassi made a "Welcome Home" sign and insisted on me helping her draw Easter Eggs. Apparently my first egg was too much like an egg and not like an Easter Egg? I really need art lessons!!! Anyway, she did a great job and we had fun surprising them when they came in the door. We rode bikes to school together (Kassi on her tag-along, Nathan in the bike trailer attached to the tag-along, & Jesi and Drew riding their own bikes) We have quite the train going to school. It always makes a couple people turn their heads - those that haven't yet seen a bike with a tag-a-long and trailer attached. Kassi loves it & Nathan loves that she is not in the trailer invading his space! And, I love that Jesi is riding on her own now so that I'm not pulling 3 kiddos!!!
Here Jesi is learning to ride her bike with the help of Grandma Walker. This bike is supposedly originally $400? $20 didn't sound too bad at a yard sale, especially to Jesi whose new favorite color is turquoise. The tag-a-long really helps them learn to balance, but a scooter works well for that too, I've heard. She did awesome!
This picture from my phone was taken on our ride down the canyon when Andy's parents were in town. It was a beautiful ride - the scenery and the people! Kassi's helmet as since been adjusted! Please don't turn me in!
And, what could be more perfect on a back to school night than having a "meet the BYU football players night" - not sure what the official name of the event is?!? We have gone the last few years or so. Jesi went all out and surprised us by getting herself and Kassi all dressed up. Kassi is sure that her pink BYU outfit is lost (the one she has been wearing since since she was 18 months old that we bought when Jesi was 18 months old). I finally had to hide it, but Jesi made great use of this little cheerleader skirt and some good old fashioned painter's tape. And, you've got to love the face paint she did all by herself (thankfully washable markers)!!! So creative! It was fun explaining her enthusiasm to Kassi's music class and Jesi's violin teacher that evening!
All in all, it made for one fun day of back to school festivities!!! I must confess that I stayed home to vacuum and scrub floors and missed out on the fun this year, but that made me a much funner mom today than I would have been with an absolutely messy home :)! Kassi is doing a new little "Let's Play Music" class that she loves once a week and will continue to do a little dance class with Jesi once a week as well. I plan on spending lots of 1 on 1 and 1 time with her this year learning how to read and getting ready for Kindergarten, but mostly just having fun learning together! She has some little friends in the neighborhood, and I don't worry about her socializing enough!
I've recently heard mothers asking about whether they are in the "Boo Hoo" group or the "Wah Hoo" group as far as whether or not they are happy or sad to have their kids back in school. I think I definitely lean towards the "Boo Hoo" group most days. I love having the kids home, being able to come up with our own fun schedule, and having lots of time to be together. I must confess however, that by the last week of summer vacation (especially since it seems we usually have double the number of children during the summer because who doesn't want a friend or two over to play every day), I am ready for a little break. I am so happy they get out early this week to break us into their being gone ALL day! I honestly wish they all had half a day every day! I think I'll go cry now. I love these fun kiddos so much. Happy school year everyone! I'd love to hear if you are part of the Boo Hoo or Wah Hoo group and your favorite summer activity if you've hung in there through this novel of a post! Happy new school year!!!
