Back to School (Yes. Already.) And pictures!

My kids go back to school on Thursday. it's insanely early to be going back to school. Especially when we didn't FINISH school until the third week of June. But we've adopted a new calendar that allows for a fall break and a spring break and a last day of school on May 24th. This summer? It's been twenty minutes long. But worth it, cause I think I'm going to like the new schedule. Next summer? It will be awesome.

This school year is going to be a good one, I think. Sam and Lucy are in the same class for the first time, which has me vacillating between joyful excitement and sheer terror. I think it will work. Honestly, I think they'll most likely act like they don't even know each other. But I do worry a little about competition. They're both good students, but they tend to excel in different ways. There are very obvious things that one is good at that the other isn't, and vice versa. The way I see it though, is that these two are going to be in school together for the rest of their academic lives. Competition is most likely inevitable. Might as well let them start working through it now, yes? My hope is that they will learn to celebrate what they are both good at and learn to appreciate their different strengths and weaknesses. I hope they will work together, encourage one another. And oh, how I hope that they stay friends.

Jordan, in all of his grown up 5th graderness, will be moving to a different school this year - not quite middle school, but an intermediate school campus right across the street from the middle school. I'm having a hard time with this. No, no, not the school. Just the fact that my kid is in the flippin' 5th grade. It feels a little like it did the other day when an adult - a full fledged fully grown adult person - mentioned that she was 12 years old during the 9/11 terrorist attacks. Wait, what? You could be twelve then, and already be a grown up? Cause, you know, that happened five minutes ago, when I was not twelve, but very much a grown up. Already. When you were 12.

Sigh. At least I was a cool grown up. I wore overalls and Doc Martins and had really awesome poofy short hair.

(I'd just like to state for the record that I totally wrote the above sentence before looking for photographic evidence. How lucky that I found a photo of the poofy short hair WHILE wearing overalls. Note the incredible quality of our first ever digital camera... wait, it wasn't even a digital camera. It was a camcorder that also took digital photos. And also, you may ooh and aah over how adorable Jordan was.)

Anyhoo, I'm excited for the kids to start a new school year and maybe even a little excited for me too. Summer at home with five kids is awesome in so many respects. I really, truly love having my kids around. And I'm not just saying that cause I know they will only BE around for one more day. But (of course there's a but), I'm excited about going to the grocery store without five children in tow. I'm excited about spending a little time with Henry, since he tends to blend in a bit when his older siblings are around. Just because he's quiet and demands little doesn't mean he needs little. I must always remember that about Henry. And finally, because selfish reasons are always best when saved for last, I'm excited about working out again. Remember the triathlon I did at the beginning of the summer? Um, yeah. That was pretty much my last workout. So. I'm feeling awesome. 

Instead, my routine this summer has been wonderfully, blissfully, non-routine. We lounged. We swam. We read books. We worked in the garden and stayed up late and had zucchini bread and popcorn for dinner, more than once. It was everything that I think a summer should be. It was just enough to get us ready for the rhythm and routine of school days; just enough to make us think, "School can happen now. And it will be fun."

And now, some summer-ish photos: (Hang with me... many of these probably warrant their own post, like say, the ones from our vacation that I never even mentioned? But I'm so terrible with pictures. This might be the best I can do.)

This picture makes me hot just looking at it... hot is relative though. This week? It's been HOT for the mountains. 92 degrees and miserable. Most of the summer we make it into the 80's, but the nights are still cool, upper 60's or so, so it never really feels like the heat sticks. Have I told you I love where I live? I do.

Nice to visit other places too, though. Like the beach. 

I don't know why they all look so uncomfortable here...

I love that my baby has enough hair to be wind blown...

they all thought this guy was awesome...

I love her. Have I said that yet?

I really should write a post about our vacation... we stayed at an incredible family friendly resort in Orlando. Want proof? Behold... the minivans.

And here we are hiking a family favorite. This place is local. We hike it all the time. And every single time, I am blown away by how beautiful this world really is...

Not nature, but still something I like to look at...

What you're hiking to see...

And finally... finally? Yes, I think I'm nearly finished...

My handsome boy hanging out with the smart girls

My twins you'd never guess were the same age

Henry rockin' his gymnastics award

The one too cute for words

And my dog. Whom I love with all my heart. Who thinks he's a lap dog. Who sleeps on my bed. And on my couch. Because I'm a sucker and he knows it. And because I love him.