Back to School 2013

The kids made it through their first couple of days back to school. So did I. I have them both taking the bus to school in the mornings, but this is the first time we have ever had to deal with this. I have already made two phone calls to the bus barn--and that was before school even started. The first day back, the kids tried to run out the door without even saying good bye. They were so excited for their new adventure. I was still in pajamas when they went out the door, but I had to run out and stop them to 

take their picture, and to get them to give me a hug. A few minutes after they had been at the bus stop (just a few houses down), it started to rain. I looked down the street, and not only saw that it was raining, but also noticed that all the kids parents were waiting with them under umbrellas. I quickly ran inside, got dressed, searched for an umbrella, and ran back out to wait with them. It was too late. They had already gotten on the bus, and the other parents were waving and telling their kids to have a great day. I felt terrible. I must look like the slacker mom. 

On top of that, I told Brett that I would meet him at the school to help him find his teacher. He couldn't remember what she looked like, and they have to find their teacher on the playground to find out where to put their things and line up to go into the school when the bell rings. He wouldn't let me take him to school that first day, so I thought it would be simple to just meet up with him on the playground. But, since it was raining that morning, the kids had to wait inside the school for classes to start. Parents were parked and taking their kids into the school, and there was no way I was going to make it in the find him on time. I had to circle around the drop-off area twice to try to find parking, and by the time I had done that, the bell had rung. By that time, Brett would have already found his teacher inside, and I was obsolete. I gave up and went home. I felt guilty about that all day. 

I worried about the kids getting on the right buses. They both get on the same bus at home, and then go to a bus hub, where they get on separate buses to go to separate schools. 

When they got home from school, they said it was the best day ever. They loved taking the bus, and Brett figured out what bus to get on at the bus hub by himself. He even remembered where his classroom was, so he didn't have to remember what his teacher looked like. He was so proud that he remembered where his hook was to hang his back pack on.   

Breanna loves 3rd grade. She feels grown up at the big kids school. She has moved on the the intermediary school, which is 3rd through 5th grade. She will have homework this year, but that doesn't seem to phase her. She loves school in general. I think they will both do great this year.

To back up a little, our summer wasn't boring. We started by going to Utah for my Grandma's funeral. This was not a sad occasion, but one that brought the family together and allowed us to reconnect. We also got to spend time with John's family there. It was a good trip all around. 

We also spent time playing on the playground, going to lunch every once-in-a-while, taking two weeks of swim lessons, going to the zoo with friends, and visiting Texas. We went to Texas to see one of my nieces get baptized. All my siblings were there. We got to play there for a week. John had to leave early to get back to work, but the kids and I stayed a little longer. Then, my mom drove with us back to Iowa. She spent a week with us there, helping me paint two of our bedrooms. She is a very good organizer and painter. We got the job done, and then it was time for her to fly back home. School started the next day. There were times that we had absolutely nothing to do, but the summer seemed to fly by.

John's parents surprised us by buying a large play set for the kids. We got it several weeks ago, but can't put it up until we get rid of a large tree in our backyard. It needs to go anyway, but it is taking quite some time to get down. John had to find a chainsaw that worked, and then get help to take the monster down. He only has one large branch left to tackle, and then widdle down the trunk. We'll get the play set up eventually. 

Also, before school started, we had the Sweet Corn Festival here in Adel. I actually tried to skip the parade this year, but we ended up catching the last bit of it, which got the kids some candy and necklaces. Then, we walked around to see all the booths and try some food. The first thing was to get sweet corn. We ate corn covered in butter, and it was good. 

We ran in to several people and families that we know, got to eat good food, bought yummy "Amish" made cinnamon rolls for the next morning's breakfast, and then went home. It was a good way to end the summer.