and they're off...

wow.
ready or not.
despite the warmth outside, i feel that summer has definitely left us.
and we are reeling a bit.
it gets harder each year to let go of the lovely lazy summer days.
and having my children closer.

as school approached, the clothes and shoes and hair and backpacks and supplies were all ready.
and we were each getting kinda jittery.

things were extra tense around here (see previous post), but daddy's blessings helped calmed everyone.
and i had kathryn to hang out with, so she helped me survive the post drop-off loneliness i've grown accustomed to.

i'm actually a little surprised that i followed through with it all and allowed these two to enter the halls of middle school.



aren't they fantastic?
i love them.
each individually.
and their collective little twin selves.
they are such fun.
and brighten my every day.

and i breathed a literal sigh of relief when they came home the first day full of stories, but nothing too eventful.
phew.





after we kicked them out of the house, we came home and austin put his backpack on and declared that he was ready to go.



he was not happy when i informed him that he still had one and one-half hours until first grade would begin.
but we walked down to the school pretty early and he was so happy to see many familiar faces in his class.

once we got to the school, he wouldn't let me take any pictures.
but he didn't even think twice about giving me a giant goodbye hug.



i miss him.

i'm sure it will be a great year.

and i'm confident that we are going to settle into our routines, eventually.
and grow accustomed to the decrease in sleep, eventually.
and learn how to keep this place peaceful and calm in the after school hours,
eventually.