Back to School and Labor Day

It felt very bizarre to start school before labor day.  Back when I first started teaching that was the norm.  It’s been years since that though!  Teachers reported on Monday and Sof had a teacher meet and greet.

This whole area is filled with rocks the students painted last year. 

Sof’s is the one with the pink bow on it that looks more like a piece of candy.  Because she’s got 99 talents and art ain’t one.

This girl.  Fourth grade.  My baby.

Her teacher is someone I know well.  I used to work with her several years ago, and she remembers when we brought Sof home.  Sof’s going to have a great teacher and some great friends in class.  In typical Sof fashion she couldn’t wait to start school and asked every day for weeks if it was time!

Tuesday, Lexi drove herself to her first day of 11th grade.  What even??  She’s still cute though.

It was quite hot on the first day, but there was no cutsie outfit planned anyway.  I guess fourth grade is the year that feels right for me to let go and let her have some control over her wardrobe.  I said SOME. 

Sof has the best bus stop ever.  The mamarazzi game is strong.

We only went to school for 3 days that week.  Sof was super cute all of them.

Adrienne had her first day of school and sent me this.

I raised her right which means she knows what I want.  So later she sent me this…

So much better.

The girls signed their new team contracts as we went into the Labor Day weekend. 

We were definitely ready for an adult beverage with the neighbors and the kids were basically running rogue.  I love our tiny girl gang +Colin.

Our Labor Day weekend was pretty quiet!

We hung out with Em and Steve one night, and went on the boat with John and Jill the next day.  I literally can’t believe I didn’t take any pictures from that excursion!!!  Nonetheless, it was super fun and we enjoyed lots of water time before rain loomed.  That was perfect because it got us home early!  A lazy night at home was fine with me!  Sof “helped” me make play doh for my class, and we ended up making a batch for home too.

The next day we all went for a visit with Grandma Jackie.  We even picked Adrienne up on the way!

 

Adrienne grabbed a Coke and it said, “Share a Coke with your better half”.  To which she said, “I guess I’ll have two”!  Perfect Adrienne comment, and perfect photo bomb by Lexi.

Family picture shenanigans.

Grandma is such a trooper!  She’s turning 95 in November and still is as fiesty as ever!  It’s always a great day when we can spend time with her.

August

Adrienne arrived home August 1st and immediately spewed her presence everywhere(especially the laundry room).   

We were happy to have her back though, especially since 12 days later we’d be moving her to school again.

August first was a really big day, because after picking Adrienne up from the airport we got Lexi her license!  This is now the second best day of my life(after Adrienne getting her license…guess what will be the third best day of my life…).  Things just got infinitely easier. 

It wasn’t long before her and Livy were headed to the mall!

We spent as much time as we could with Joni’s babies. 

It’s a shame this one doesn’t get any attention.

I get to be Godmother to Kate and we’re both over the moon about it.

We were all so sad when we had to say good bye to the babies.  Well, all of us except Lexi.  Lexi got to go to the Jersey shore for a week and help take care of these 3 loves on vacation.  She’s supposed to be “working”, but this is the best job I’ve ever seen!

Sign me up for that!

I had my second annual “oh shit we need family pictures” panic.  So I texted the photographer and set it up a few days later.  No one really likes getting pictures taken, but it’s so nice when it’s over. 

We rushed out and got haircuts.

I needed to color my hair and the store didn’t have my regular color.  I picked one I thought was close and went for it.  Let’s just say it was a little red.  I really don’t care though, and I’m so happy to have these pics of what we looked like at this moment this year!

  We had a boat day before Adrienne left and it was beautiful.

Before we knew it it was move in day.  Adrienne is an RA this year which requires early move in.  We made it a family affair, with Em and all the kids joining us!  Not sure Adrienne loved that, but it’s a great opportunity for the younger ones to see what college life actually looks like.  Plus, they were actually kinda helpful with carrying in all the stuff!

Natalie was the official door holder and got to carry Adrienne’s key.  She took this job very serious! 

The beauty of being an RA is you get your own room, and her’s is an awesome one!  It looks like a studio apartment in the city and easily fits a couch and a love seat!  She wasn’t set up when we left because she had training to go to, but I had to take some pics!

With that we said our good bye’s and I wasn’t a blubbering mess.  It definitely is easier the second year! 

With only a couple weeks left of summer break, Sof did a sailing camp with her buddy Allie.  She loved it!  Maybe we have another sailor in the family?

Emily and I took the kids to waterpark. 

As we were leaving I got a call that our friends Mike and Alison found their son dead in his bed at 23.  This is the second boy we loved from a baby that lost his life too young, and we now can say two of our closest friends have lost a child. 

Some beautiful moments come in tragedy.  If nothing else, it sure reminds you what and who is important in life. 

Jill offered to keep Sof and take her to sailing so Mark and I could go be with Mike and Alison.  I was so appreciative and Sof was thrilled to have a sleep over!

It was pirate day on the last sailing day!

It feels like that should end the post, but in reality life did go on. 

Natalie has all of the sudden found her passion for dance.  She’s totally into it, and she’s actually quite good!  I got to drive her one day to her a class and it filled my former dance mom heart. 

Lexi and Sof went to camp with their cheer teams.  Lexi went begrudgingly(because camp food, LOL) but Sof loved it.  I have exactly no pictures of Lex, but us moms of littles take care of each other and I was sent many cute ones of Sof!

^HAHAHA^

I’ve been working with Audrey for more than 6 months to get her state ID.  It was a really exciting day when we finally made it happen! 

It’s always a fun day when you show up at the pool and all your friends are there!

Someone found a turtle in the driveway:)

Nan and Emme came in for a visit and we took the girls roller skating.  We also had a fun Friday night in, and a Saturday dinner out, but took no pictures because we are failures. 

We snuck in another quick boat trip.

Despite it still being August, that was effectively the last of our summer as school started the next day.  It was a pretty chill summer and for once I wasn’t quite ready to end it.