School's back from Summer...

Ah, the blessed and dreaded first day of school.  I'm just going to say it was all dreaded and none of it was blessed.  Our school district moved the start date up by two weeks this year and we lost two weeks of summer vacation!  

Blast and drat.

Usually, when school is about a week away, I cannot wait to send my little darlings out the door to be cared for in the public education system.  Usually, when school is three days away, my kids are at each other's throats and fighting so much...I consider adoption...as in "putting them all up for".  

I am sure, if summer vacation was the regular length I would have been shooing all of my darlings out the door with joy.  BUT school started August 15th and in my book, that is too soon and stinks so much.  

Alas, there was nothing I could do about it (I tried).  So, I sent my darlings out the door with forced smiles.

Lorien 10th grade, Wyatt 7th grade, Clare 5th grade, Adell 1st grade

Will took Lorien to school for her first day.  On top of starting school two weeks early, the high school decided to switch to block scheduling...AND make the start day different every day of the week.  I wish I was joking around.  I nearly am, school starts at 8:30 or 9:00 in the morning, depending on the day.  It is a pain in the butt.

Wyatt met up with his bike crew at a friend's house and biked to school on his own.  No more fond farewells at the school gates for this guy.

Colter sure knows how to create a Kodak moment...

I took the girls to elementary school.  We walked in and found their class lines.  A friend snapped a few pictures of us on the way in.  Naturally, I am delighted to have photographic evidence of how little effort I put into my morning appearance.  Like zero effort, right.  Yes, exactly zero.

Forced levity and joy

Girls in their first day clothes...Momma and Colter in pajamas.

It was bizarrely cold for the 15th of August.  The sky was clouded over and fog hung in the air.  A chilly wind was kicking up and we were all wishing we had worn and extra jacket.  It was like California knew it would be out first day of school and snapped up some fall weather for the occasion.

Just you and me baby.

After getting the girls out the door, Colter and I parked on the side walk to play trucks for 25 minutes...because we don't have a yard.  Then we went up to Chick fil A for a little date before turning right back around to pick all the kids up from school.  ANOTHER awesome thing our school district does is to have the first day of school be a half day and every day for the first two weeks is an early out day.  Grrrrrr.

Welcome back school year.  You stink.