Back to School!

As always summer went way too fast. I don't love it when it's time for the kids to head back to school. I enjoy getting back into somewhat of a routine but I hate the early morning rush and long days without the kids. It's become somewhat of a tradition to take pictures of the kids by the front door but Ashley thinks she's getting way too cool for that and the last couple of years has wanted to spend the night before first day of school at a friends house so they can all get ready together. I should just take 'first day' pictures the next day and that was my plan but haven't quite gotten around to it yet. I also keep meaning to get a group picture of the kids but we always seem to run out of time. Hopefully I will get one in sometime in this first month! Tyler started Kindergarten this year,,,:( Kendra went into 2nd grade and Brandi is in 7th!

Ashley is a sophmore this year. Her day starts with drivers ed class at the school at 7am! So we drop her off at 6:55 at school, then Kendra & Tyler at the bus stop in Prosser at 7 to catch the bus up to Paterson. Then hurry home where Brandi catches the bus at 7:10  and my extra kids for the day start arriving somewhere between 7:20-7:40. The day seems to start fast & furious! As in mom's usually furious yelling at the kids to go faster! It is pretty calm here during the day. I have a wide variety of kids during the day but for the most part, a 6 month old, a 1 1/2 yr old & a 2 yr old 4 days/week. Then another 1 1/2 yr old 2 -3 days/ week. A 4 yr old 1 day a week and then on Fridays the whole gang including Kendra Tyler & Peter who don't have school on Fridays. I know it sounds really confusing. It kind of is. I write it all down in my little life planner that I used to think only nerdy people used:) But really, the days tend to be pretty calm. Then around 4 things start to pick up again a little. Last of the extras usually leaves by 4:30 at which point I head out to meet the Paterson bus in Prosser around 4:50. Pick up Brandi from practice around 5:15 and Ashley from practice around 5:30. The evenings consist of trying to get homework done in between games, dinner and the occasional meetings. Brandi has games on Mondays & Wednesdays at 5:30. And GEMS is every other Wednesday at 7. Ashley has games on Tuesdays & Thursdays at 5:30. And has been having tournaments and horse judging competitions on the weekends. Starting next week Kendra will have practice two evenings a week and games on Saturdays. If that all sounds like a big mess of confusion and chaos that's because it is. I went and bought a nice size portable cooler, some dishes and thermoses and have a power inverter to plug into the back of my car to plug a crockpot into. As ridiculous as that may sound..... Kendra & Tyler are always starving when they get off the bus! I remember feeling that way after school too! And since many days we go straight from the bus to one of thier sisters games, I figure it would make the most sense to have dinner ready and in the car staying warm rather than having them load up on snacks and junk and drive-thru food until we get back home. So we may get some strange looks when I set up their little picnic in the bleachers and they start chowing down on lasagna or soups or stuff like that but at least I won't be buying them countless bags of popcorn from concession stands!