First Day of School

The Third Grader

The Seventh Grader

The start of the 2010 school year.

It's gonna be a great year!

Meeting the teacher

Tonight was "Meet the Teacher" at Rhett's school. For Rhett and for all of us it was more of a "visit the teacher" because we have known and loved her for a while now. I am so excited for Rhett as he starts third grade with Mrs Kup! Kolby loved third grade with her and I have an idea Rhett will too. Rhett needs school. He needs a place to channel his energy and interests. He would never freely admit it, but he loves school and structure and he is happiest in his routine. He has wanted to go up to Spring Valley all week with me when I have worked on PTA stuff, which is a first! I spent so much time at Spring Valley when we were building the The Panther Patch that Rhett ( ok everyone but EK) hated going with me and eventually hated me going up there. I spent way too much of my time out there that year. So I took last year off. Never even went to a Spring Valley PTA meeting... really! Not even one all year!  It was a good and very needed break but I missed my PTA peeps. So, after a year away, I have let myself wade a little bit into to the Spring Valley PTA pond. I'm going to take it slow, but it feels good to be involved in the school we all love so much.  Even though last night I felt  a little like I did when I was in college getting ready for my bulletin board grade from Mrs Shaver.

I made this display thingy for the meet the teacher Spirit Shop, and hope to use it all year. The thought that all the teachers would see it sorta freaked me out. Don't know why. It turned out fine. :) Anyway so far this year my kids (well Kolby & Rhett) have actually wanted to tag along and even helped out with PTA things.  I am loving that! :)  Rhett has been tagging along with me to do stuff at Spring valley since he was 2 years old.. it's about tie he actually started liking it! :) And Kolby loves to go back to Spring Valley because she loves her former teachers and all of them are always so sweet to her..I think she also likes to see how many more of her former teachers she has grown taller than! last year she was taller than her K and 4th teachers. this year she has caught up to her first grade teacher and some of the specials teachers! :) I'm just happy to have two great helpers!

But enough about that.  Tomorrow is "Rhett's Day" and our last official day of summer. We are celebrating with breakfast at Cafe Cappuccino. YUM! I'm ready to get to bed so tomorrow can get here faster.  Night blog world!

7th Grade?

Being the silly photo snapping Mom I am, I took this of K as we headed off to 7th grade registration this morning. Great experience for the most part. K is happy with her locker, schedule and things over all. We got her textbooks, found and opened her locker, found all of her classrooms and figured out drop-off and pick-up logistics. Everything was great until I was in the cafeteria talking to one of my PTA friends.

Out of the corner of my eye I noticed her son was checking out a cute blond as she approached a group of girls about 15 feet away from us. The girl's back was to me, but the boys wasn't. I followed his eyes as they watched her and it made me grin... so this is when they start to notice huh? But then I took a second look at the girl to see what he found so... interesting. Imagine my utter shock when I realized that was no random cute blond.... it was my daughter! She had been talking off to my left but I guess she moved and went to see some friends. My smile turned into a little gasp. My talking PTA friend seemed not to notice. I really have no idea what she said after that. Dad-gum ADD! I was all-of-a -sudden appalled that that, that boy! was looking at my little girl like... like.... like she was some cute girl his age! In the same nano-second my outrage cooled to shock.  I realized my little girl actually IS a cute 7th grade girl, about his age. Oh. .... I resumed listening to the boys Mom. She didn't seem to notice my lapse in attention.

After my friend walked on to greet another friend, I took a seat in a black plastic cafeteria chair by an empty table and just watched my daughter mingle. I sat there probably 5 minutes trying to grasp that I hadn't recognized my own little girl at first glance. Why? Well, looking at her it was simple. She  just doesn't  look like a little girl anymore. Not that K looks too old for 7th grade either, but young lady seems to fit her better than little girl.  K has grown up so much in the last two years.

I probably sat there another 5 minutes just watching her mingle, laugh, hug, OMGasp!, flit and giggle... Just like all the other 7th grade girls. I also noticed that K is on the tallish side. She is thin, but in a good healthy way. She had wanted to try a little blush and lip gloss while getting ready earlier this morning.  Yearbook pictures had been taken just after shot records had beened OKed by a school nurse. Now only a few of K's friends wear makeup regularly, and she has yet to want to go there. However, K thinks most (including her) will be wearing some make-up regularly by the time the yearbook comes out next May. So, to save herself the possible embarrassment having a non-made up yearbook picture come out after she could possibly be wearing some makeup... Well she didn't want to look all 6th grade-ish and plain.

Call me prejudiced, but I don't think K is at all plain, make-up or not.  However, when you are in 7th grade, your Mom's opinion of your looks tends not to be the opinion you want to hear. So K wore some powder, blush, a touch of light mascara and some lip gloss. As I applied the make-up (as was part of my terms of agreement) I tried to explain that good make-up application does make up you look MADE-UP.  Make-up is just supposed to subtly enhance your natural coloring while softening a few flaws. She seemed to get that. Iv'e said it a few hundred time to her already. :)

But back to the school... Much to my relief, that 8th grade boy never approached K directly. (Like any 8th grade boy would approach a giggling gaggle of 7th grade girls by himself during registration unless he is life was in ABSOLUTE mortal danger... and I'm not even sure about then!) However, I did notice that he walked really close to her little group of friends about 20 minutes later by the 7th grade hall, without his mother. Hmmmm?  Is it wrong that I was almost over-joyed when K didn't seem to notice him at all as he was stealing looks at her?  But she did notice me at that point.

K and a friend jogged over to see if I would shell out another $25 for a school sweat jacket... to go with the t-shirt and "spirit sleeves" I had just written a check for. After all, it was only 105 outside. Never to soon to get those jackets ready! I declined with a "Maybe later, when it's actually a little cool outside." To which K flipped her hair as she and her friend said in unison "But it is so cold in these classrooms!" Then she gave me her practical face... "Mom I'm really going to need that jacket, and it was so soft inside. They might sell out." The girl had been in that school building less than a hour and  was already familiar with the daily climate of the classrooms. Amazing! You know, I had no idea the school district integrated climate mastery, or perhaps purchase justification into the 6th grade curriculum. But from the number of Moms I saw writing checks, I felt these kids had mastered something! :) I held my ground. But I have to say those were some good looking comfy jackets...

Oh. I have a 7th grader now.

Lord help me.

Please!!

And

THANK YOU so much for that girl!

Big, little or a bit of both, I love her so much my eyes mist just thinking about her

and I truly wouldn't want her or things any other way! :)

Vacation 2010

Our family spent last week on the Texas coast with my sister and parents.

It was the longest family vacation we have had since moving to Waco over 8 years ago and we loved every minute of it.

We had lots of fun in Corpus and in Port Aransas. As soon as I get unpacked I want to blog all about it. :)  But first things first. Off the vaccum the sand out of our suitcases!