First Day of School 2013

August 20, 2013 by Kelli

Alternately titled Mama’s Gonna PARTY!

Yesterday we bid adieu to summer with a trip to the beach. It was awesome and perfect and lovely and beautiful.

Last night, the kids were bouncing off the walls, a combination of nervous energy and extreme fatigue. Everyone was in bed by 7:45, lights were out at 8:00 and I didn’t hear a sound from anyone.

It was a modern day miracle.

Today they woke up ready to go. I didn’t have to wrestle anyone from their beds. There were no tears. Clothes were changed quickly and teeth were brushed. I’d made their lunches the night before and I had already prepared pancakes so they just had to be heated up.

This is the most prepared any of us will be all year.

I mean, seriously. It was almost exhausting being that prepared.

Give us a week and we’ll settle into a nice groove of WHERE ARE MY SHOES?!

I DON’T WANT TO WEAR THAT!

I DON’T LIKE THIS BREAKFAST!

I DON’T WANT TO GO TO SCHOOL!

For now, I’m relishing in the beauty of a peaceful, simple morning. And now I’m sitting in my big, fluffy chair by the back door, looking out across the pool while I sip my hot tea. In silence.

Modern day miracle.

Of course all this silence will get old, which is where my playlist will come in handy.

*wink*

Filed Under: Kids, Life, Motherhood, School Tagged With: First Day of School, Motherhood, party time, pictures

Contractually bound

August 21, 2012 by Kelli

Just fulfilling my “Mom-Blogger” obligations…

She's lost four teeth in the last month. That smile slays me...

This kid needs to stop growing...

Hot. Mess.

Ah! The freckles...

Landon, are you ready for school?

Here come the teachers...

The pictures end there for him because he began sobbing hysterically and had to be pulled from my arms, which you can only image was super duper and such a neat way to start my day.

It was an emotional day – just all around hard. I spent a lot of time praying that we made the right decision, wondering if sending them to school was the right thing. I had a pit in the bottom of my stomach all day. The moments when I wasn’t praying fervently were spent sitting in an Urgent Care getting a shot and prescriptions for the severe reaction I had to the fly bites from the other night. (Turns out I got bit by a yellow fly…which I’m apparently allergic to as evidenced by the fact my legs ballooned up like sausages and burned and itched like nothing I’ve ever felt before.)

So, you know – the first day of school wasn’t traumatic for me at all.

Here’s to better days to come…

For now, I’m praying over this prayer…and reminicsing a cute little first grade Sloan.

Filed Under: Family, Homeschool, Kids, School Tagged With: First Day of School, Mom Blogging, pictures, Was public school the right option?

First Day of School: Homeschool Edition

August 30, 2011 by Kelli

Our beachside elementary school officially opened its doors yesterday. Children with a deep need for routine made beginning a week earlier than planned a necessity. And so, with a great deal of excitement mingled with even greater nervous energy, we began our first day of school.

I got out of bed, my feet hitting the cold tile floor and my stomach flipped upside down. Getting dressed, I seriously entertained the idea of packing the kids up and driving to Tampa to enroll them in school. I looked in the mirror at the wide, scared eyes staring back. What if I fail? What if I irrevocably screw them up for life? What if damage our relationship with one another? What if…

And then I stopped. Took a deep breath. Prayed.

What if this is the best thing that ever happened to our family? What if I choose to rest in the now and what has clearly been laid out before us? What if it’s fun?!

And that was it. I walked out of the bathroom and down the hall and began an adventure I never thought I’d take. And dare I say…we had fun.

Preapring to begin our day.

Walking to school. Really, we just made a huge circle and came back home.

There's something for everyone to do. Although my guess is Landon asked me roughly 462 times if he could please play the Ds.

: The letter ‘F’ was on the docket for the first day.

: Snack time was combined with recess.

: Recess was at the park.

: Picnic lunch on the floor in a pillow fort.

: Landon gets hold of the camera while I’m not looking and takes 56 pictures of my backside.

: Math, Geography, History and Literature are covered.

: We covered Russian as well.

: At the end of the day, we made our walk back home.

Whew…

Today we get to do it all over again.

I think I’m excited.

Filed Under: Homeschool, Kids, Life, Motherhood Tagged With: education, First Day of School, Homeschool, Kids

This I Pray

August 18, 2010 by Kelli

With first grade in full swing, I’ve found myself impressed this year more than ever to be bathing my children in prayer. This is something that I’ve always known was important, but if I’m being honest I’d confess that I haven’t been faithful in daily lifting them up. But for some reason, this year, I can’t really brush aside or ignore the need to send my son out under the protection of God who is able to keep Sloan in ways that I cannot.

I pray that Sloan is a light among his peers. I pray that he is a bold leader. I pray that he is an encourager to others and a helper to his teacher.

I pray that Sloan has fun. I pray that he laughs often, learns much and finds joy in each and every day.

I pray that Sloan will be strong in the Lord and that he will be filled with wisdom as he grows into a young man of stature.

I pray that waking up in the morning gets less painful every day.

I pray that his relationship with his brother and sister doesn’t suffer despite the fact that he will be absent seven hours a day. In fact, I hope that the separation makes them appreciate each other more.