1st week of school!

School started this week!  The girls have all been excited to start school. Our neighbors go to a different school than us and they started two weeks before us. The girls said, "no fair they get to start school already"! Jo has been counting down the days to the start of kindergarten for weeks. we had a paper chain in the girls room.

This year everyone got one new item for school and a pair of much needed shoes!  Lex and Jo both picked a shirt and leggings (but it was too hot for leggings) and Clare picked a little study board that goes on her lap.

The first day of school was a hot San diego day and a very exciting one! Dave was able to go into work late so that he could come with us and enjoy the first day festivities!  It was a special day.

It's kind of sad for me to see them all go back to school and to see my baby go to kindergarten! lots of mixed emotions. I have loved all my littles. It was a great life having kids at home - going on walks with friends, meeting friends at the park, going to the zoo, sea world, LEGOLAND and the beach. It has been a sweet ride. Jo has been a great little companion the last couple of years. She is so easy going and sweet and I had her all to myself. The other girls were just as sweet too!    I will miss the other "mom friends" that I had the chance to meet up with for joy school, babysitting swapping and just playing. It is a great way to get together.  It is bittersweet to say good bye to this phase of life. I can't say that I've loved every single minute of it.  There are always good and bad times. But overall there is nothing better I could have done with the last 13 years of life than be at home with babies and toddlers. They are heaven sent. Some days I think I wish I could stay in this phase forever, but then I get a little taste of freedom and think that this next phase will be fun too!

It is also a fun phase of life we are entering as the kids get a little older and more independent that we  have some new freedom!  This year I will be teaching a high school biology class to some home school students. There are about 10-12 kids in the class. It will be really fun. Dave and I have time to meet during the day for lunch, which is also fun. (we started doing this with Jo last year quite a bit).  It is so fun to watch the kids develop personality, talents and hobbies and get old enough to do fun things with us.  They are delightful people.