School Days, School Days

My kids started school two weeks ago, and up until a few days ago, I think I have been in denial on just how monumental this school year is. While Sami is just a sweet little 2nd grader, my other two are starting middle school and high school. **thud**

Monday night was the High School Back to School night. These evenings at our school are a chance for parents to meet the teachers and to understand what the class entails and what expectations the teachers may have. Instead of feeling all warm and fuzzy, as I always do with the elementary school back to school nights, I left feeling very, well, overwhelmed. Emily has some really in-depth classes. The education she is getting here is amazing. But between the classes and the talks of college, PSAT, and exam schedules my heart (and head) is starting to hurt. We have less than 1,500 days left of my "baby" living at home.  Emily has less than 720 school days left until she graduates. I guess you could say my baby isn't a baby anymore.

Then take my "baby boy". He is a big middle schooler this year. Switching classes, lockers, PE uniforms, girls... what a world of difference between middle school and elementary school.  So far he seems to be adjusting to the change pretty well. He has joined the middle school baseball team and already is begging to "hang" after school.

Sometimes I think the beginning of a school year is more stressful and emotional on the parents than the child itself. It is hard to see your child grow up and changing in front of your eyes. It seems like we blink and another year has flown by. I swear it feels just like yesterday that I was rocking my kids to sleep. I remember my mother warning me of this, but as a young, naive parent I blew her words of wisdom off.  Before I know it my kids will be checking me into an assisted living home and cashing in my discount term life insurance.


So here is to another year of packing lunches, homework, field trips, tests and quizzes. Happy new school year to you all!

The End is in Sight

I love my kids. I really do. However a 26 day long Christmas break is way. too. long. I think I would rather have a colon and body cleanse than spend another 26 days home in the winter with my kids. I understand why the break is so long, but for those who didn't go back to our homeland for the holiday a month long break just plain sucks.

Remember my post last week about my goals for the new year? Well if my goal was to watch more TV, then I would have been knocking it out of the park. I have watched more movies and television shows (God bless itunes and slingbox!) the past three weeks that I have the past three years combined. Sadly that goal was not on the list. It is very hard to get anything done when I have 3 kids, plus their friends, interrupting me, running around the house and trashing every thing in sight. Not to mention, of these past 22 days, Matt has been home for all but four of the days. Needless to say it have been a very unproductive past three weeks.

So in four more days the kids will be back in school. The end is in sight. I am looking forward to getting back into my routine. Heck, any routine. And getting into that routine ALONE.