Last First Day of Kindergarten!

Each time one of the kids does something big in their life and it brings tears to the parents eyes, I’ve always thought it was just sadness that my baby isn’t my tiny baby anymore. But over the years, I’ve realized its not exactly that bringing on my emotions because I’m so excited for the kids! They are so pumped and watching them make all the good and mature choices on their own without us whispering in their ears… is straight up wonderful. It’s the full on realization that 5.5yrs have slipped through my fingers so quickly that it intensifies my anxieties. How did we get here SO FAST!? How we are doing more “last firsts” than “firsts” these days is 😭😭😭😭😭😭😭Adam said as we were leaving, the next thing we know the bigs are in high school and the dragons are in jr high. GAG.

Adam and I were in Seattle last week and my mom joked as she dropped us at the airport, “who is getting stitches while Mom and Dad are gone?” Over the years, during our various trips, someone always ends up at urgent care/ER. Sure enough, half way through our  trip, Nori FaceTimed us to say that Ari was riding his bike all silly like he does (picture eyes closed, head back, legs out and swiveling handle bars. 😐) and he had a really bad head wound that somehow the helmet didn’t prevent. UGH. I wish I could say “that’ll learn ’em,” but it won’t. 🙄Some interior and a bunch of exterior sutures later, he gave Mrs Steioff an easy way to tell the difference between them. BOYSSSS!!!!!! I’ve literally lost count how many stitches/staples/glue the 3 of them have had!

A note about the book bags. Lawd. Nori and I took them to Target to get bags and supplies and you would have thought they were choosing the most important purchase of their lives. Ari didn’t want to match, while Ezra did. It was a whole lot of “I want this one!” “Me too!” “No! You get a different one!” “I want to match you!” Picking up and putting down and arguing for 15min in the aisle while they really only had like 5 options anyway! Finally Nori yelled. THATS IT! IM CHOOSING!!😂

For the last few exciting trips, they made a count down on the fridge. I wouldn’t let them start one prior to 30 days for school because, really we had no idea what was even happening for sure!! Each morning they raced down to take off the top number from the clip. I’ve never seen them more excited for anything then when they woke up that first day of school. And now that we are still blended and they’re only there two afternoons a week, we have to continue this countdowns each week. 🥴

Two nights before at the meet the teacher, she told us to drop off at the main doors. So we were standing there taking pics a few minutes wondering why everyone was sitting in their cars so long. Then a group of parents came out from behind the building.🧐 We realized all the running cars, lined up, were empty and we were now late and in the wrong place. BAHAHAHA. Oh! And locked out. 😆😆😆 She came out to get them and as I was laughing with her about the mix up of routine, they ran by without even a goodbye, much less a hug and a kiss! 😔 WHAT! I just stood there like, what.just.happened.so.fast. Our babies are part of this big scary world now instead of at home, climbing all over me as I sit at my table working. Though it was definitely like yesterday, they’re a long away from tandem nursing them as I reach over their chubby bodies to type on my keyboard. Those daysss of trying to love on them while also pushing them away so I could focus seemed so so long and exhausting. Don’t even get me started on the hours accumulated I spent patting butts as they continuously woke each other up all night and every nap. And just.like.that they ran down the hall to their very first classroom. SIIIIIGH. Where are my 6lb birds?

We had just got to the waiting area, when they burst through the doors with the biggest smiles. We expected other classes to come out first but nope, these two were in the front of the line running out the door!

So proud to be part of the real “big kids” now!

The bigs started 3rd and 5th grade the week before. The Pace Academy is currently only open for KDG and hoping it stays closed to the big kids for the whole year.🤣🤣 Though half of Nori’s class went into quarantine on the 7th day of school, I’m sure at some point they’ll find themselves back to our school room here. 😬 Nori and the dragons do great at home, Nico however…the struggle was real. God love ’em.

The masks have been no big deal, shockingly. They’ve enjoyed picking out that new accessory and finding ones that are pretty comfortable. The first week for the bigs was in the 90s and that was really hard for them outside playing, but it’s manageable most days!

What a strange time, isn’t it?! Since no one has a clue how this school yr will pan out, we are trying to stay positive and find the silver lining like we have since March. Like most we had a wonderful slow 6mths together as a family. I got to do so many super fun things with them that I never had the time to do with them in 10 yrs of motherhood. 💞 Enjoying a much simpler life was fantastic and I’m so sad to see it’s already over. Back to the craziness of school and sports and swamped with work. Praying we all stay healthy this year! Heart, Melanie