End of the year 6th grade choir concert

This is Jack's last year with his choir teacher. Because our elementary and middle and high school are so close together the 6th grade choir is still taught by the same teacher as the elementary. She has done a fabulous job. I feel so thankful that she has given our kids such a wonderful music education.
She has passed on her love of music to them as well.

The last song that the kids sang was the Hallelujah chorus. I love hearing it sung. I love it even more hearing a group of 6th graders sing it. I love that every time Jack sings it from now on he will sing his part instead of just the melody. I love when this song is sung that everyone rises to their feet. I love the chills it brings me. I love how I can hear those around me singing, and that I just can't help but join in too.

morning with mom/donuts with dad

The yearly mornings with Mom- Its tradition- I tried to talk the kids into just eating something with me at home. But they were not going to have it. How can you break with tradition?

Jay had his time with the boys the week before. It was so funny- he called me on the way to work afterward and said that the boys were such a mess. By the time they had gotten their donuts and sat down he had goo from his elbow down to his wrist. He walked Tucker to class and basically gave him a bath in the sink before he left. 

But really we love it. If they stopped having them I would be so sad. We joke and tease about not going and about how messy it is but we love it. (mostly we just love being with the kids)

Back to School/Summer Reading Dinner

A month ago today (oops-2 days ago) we started school. Can't believe it has been 1 month.
We started on a Friday. I was not sure about starting on a Friday, but in the end I loved it. It is nice to have one day to get over the first day jitters and work out the kinks in the family schedule, then have a weekend to recuperate and get ready for a full week ahead.
We had our family Back to School/ Summer Reading Dinner/Father's Blessings that Sunday.

We started off with Father's Blessings. I love this tradition. I think that next time I will make sure everyone has a little food in their tummies. We had only a few moments of grumpiness. And that was mostly for the pictures. I was really proud of one of these photos that I took. The child gave me only 1 shot to get the photo. And I did it.
And the shot of me and Jay? Savanna took it. It is now our favorite current shot.


















That weekend we pulled together our list of all the books we had read outloud together and made our menu. I was feeling a little sad that we had not read more books outloud together. But then realized we had only read one more outloud last summer than this one. I just decided to feel good about what we did do. We made some fun memories with a nursery rhyme book. There were so many that we had never heard of before. The funniest being, "Aiken Drum." This became our favorite and the kids memorized it pretty quick.

Our book list:
Mr. Popper's Penguins
How to Eat Fried Worms
The Nursery Rhyme Book
More About Paddington


The kids helped compile the menu from the food they could remember in the books.

Our Menu:
Mr. Popper's Penguins "advertising lettuce"


Mr. Popper's Penguins "canned beans"


The Nursery Rhyme Book- Aiken Drumm "good roast beef"



The Nursery Rhyme Book- Aiken Drumm"penny loaves"


The Nursery Rhyme Book- Aiken Drumm "good cream cheese"
More About Paddington "marmalade"





How to Eat Fried Worms "gummy Worms, popcorn & licorice"



More about Paddington "hard candy"


I love our back to school dinner- and it is a tradition that I will try and keep going. (Luke just saw me typing and said "even though we have only done it two years.") As long as I have children at home that will listen to me read I will keep doing it.

(I have a recording of the nursery rhyme Aiken Drumm- but I can't get it to load. As soon as I get a hold of my technology wizard I will get it loaded.)

9th day of 9th grade

6th day of 6th grade

3rd day of 3rd grade!

1st day of school!

All four of them ready to go! There was so much excitement that morning. I don't know who was the most excited. Savanna entering high school, Jack entering middle school, Luke getting to have a brand new teacher in the middle of the elementary, or Tucker starting pre-K.


Savanna-9th grade- and finally carrying a back pack! (more on that later!)


Jack -6th grade- and his many faces of Jack shirt. Love that Jack (both of them!)


Luke-3rd grade- and two of his favorites on the shirt ... Lego and Star Wars. The only thing better would be to have had that with a mix of Harry Potter and a few books thrown in.


Then there is Tucker. Pre-K and proud as can be. He carries that school issued bag with pride.


We really did have a good morning getting everyone ready to go. We all got in the car to drive to school. As we got closer we started talking with Jack and Savanna about where they wanted to be dropped off. Or did they want to park and walk in with the rest of us? Before they could answer Tucker piped up "Hey- you can just drop me off." We all laughed. But he was completely serious.

Once we got inside we could hardly keep up with him. He owns this school, don't ya know? He wasn't trying to get away from us, he just knew where he was going and was excited to get there!

We love his teacher. She student taught in Jack's class when he was in 2nd grade. We were so excited to see his name on her class list! Tucker told us that she looks just like Cinderella but without "bright hair." He told her after a few days of school, "See, you look just like Cinderella, you even have "tute" (cute) shoes!"

(this one is blurry but so sweet- Luke was so happy for Tucker to start school, and I think just a little nervous for him. He gave him the biggest hugs before we left the class room.)

Insert crying mom photo here.
I was totally fine until I walked out the pre-K door. I got a little teary eyed, but got over it quick. I was feeling so thankful that Tucker was happy to be where he was and not crying, holding onto my leg begging me to stay, or take him home!

We had dropped off the youngest and already said good-bye in the hall to Savanna and Jack so it was time to walk Luke to class. I think he was a little mix of excitement/nervousness. I could feel his anxiety as we got him settled into the room. His teacher is new to the school (but not new to teaching) and I think Luke was not sure what to expect. We left the room with him just a titch unsure. I had to go back into the room to put his inhaler in his back pack (instead of leaving it with the nurse) and I was relieved to see his easy going grin.

That was it- in less than 30 minutes I had all of my children dropped off and in class. All my children. I was kidless for a few hours. (pre-k is just a few hours.)

Jay and I planned a Starbucks date- knowing we would be kid free. We were talking around our/my emotions of reaching this milestone. I was saying that I felt fine, things were good. And really I was. As long as I didn't really think about it.

A friend called to see how our morning went. I was fine telling her I was fine. Really I was. Until she mentioned that song by Taylor Swift. The one that had made her cry that morning as she dropped her new to high school daughter off. The song "Never Grow up." If you know what song I am talking about and you have kids that you are wanting to hold on to just a little bit longer then you might have a knot in the back of your throat. If you don't know this song- google it and read the lyrics.

Oh my- I was a crying mess.
Jay and I sat in Starbucks while I cried ... I posted this on Facebook/twitter- the day before:

"All of our kids will be in school as of tomorrow. My heart is bursting and breaking at the same time."

Then this while we were in Starbucks:
"Crying at Starbucks. 1st day of school- no kids date — with Jay Spear at Starbucks."

"Oldest started highschool, middle started middle school other middle is in the middle, and youngest started pre-k today. I was fine, really. Until that dang Taylor swift song "Never Grow Up." Now I am a mess."

It really is a funny thing. We want them to grow and learn and discover and we are so proud of them, and then the next moment we don't want anything to change. Couldn't we just have endless summer for a while longer?

Our cute barista was not sure what to think- they were out of what I ordered so she was coming out to talk with us and here we were a crying mess. We had to chuckle and explain that these were the good kind of tears. We are happy to feel the way we do.

I saw this on Pinterst and it summed up my emotional state well-
Crying doesn't indicate that you're weak. Since birth it has always been a sign that you are alive.

I am living. Bring on the school year- tears and all.