Friends

To be honest, it hasn't been the easiest start to a new school year.  Abby is doing the best of all of us in 2nd grade, filling in the gaps with a multitude of playdates (good friend Katelyn below).  

Adam loves preschool but is having a difficult transition adjusting to the accompanying daycare that shares building space nearby.  He misses his Megan and definitely Brynn (below).  

I'm battling the hourglass and can't see a way out:  I gave up my last hour prep to supervise a study hall, and Abby shows up promptly at 3:30 every day.  I'm not able to get my work done.

Eric would rather not talk about harvest this year.  :)

I'm sitting here feeling thankful, though, because we love living here (football games, walks, parks, DQ, repeat), and our hearts are full of people who matter to us, near & far away.  In the end, I think we're all here for relationship.  That's it.  That's the meaning of life.  Love Christ and love others.  Now help me to remember that in the cafeteria study hall 7th hour Monday!

Times, They Are A'Changin'

We are navigating through some firsts here in our household!  

First, we are now a cat family - my allergy test was negative, and we couldn't think of any more excuses, so we drove to the J-town shelter and fell in love.  Meet Elsie.

Second, we said goodbye to our lovely and loving home daycare, as Adam has moved on to preschool.  A few days before Abby and Adam's last day, Megan biked all the way across town, uphill, to our home toting her own little cutie behind her.  It has been a big adjustment these last few days, and we miss her very much.

Finally, three of us started a new school year this week, and one of us started harvest.  Here is a first-day pic for a very grown-up second grader and a stylin' preschooler who decided to comb his hair to the side for the first time that day.

Adam Stories to Tack On:

My adventure this week has been managing a study hall that exceeds 100 students every other day (only 75 or so on the opposite day).  I told Adam this was hard for me to help him feel better about how switching daycares/preschool is hard for him.  He said seriously, "But, Mom, you don't have that many eyes-ez."  He's right.

Today Jeanne kept the kids for the afternoon so I could catch up at school (all I do during my prep hour is hyperventilate about study hall).  Thanks, Jeanne!  I went out to pick them up and Adam attempted to ride his bike across the lawn to the apple tree in the back yard.  On the way there, he commented, "I am like The Little Engine That Could."  On the way back from the tree, he amended, "I sink - I sink instead I am The Little Engine that Can't."

Love literary allusions.

Big Kid Wheels

Thanks, Aunt Darlene!  We'll return it when these legs grow a little more.

Daddy-Daughter Date Tonight