Winds of Change...WE HAVE A KINDERGARTENER!!!...etc.

Hi, my name is Mandy.
And I don't like change.

But, guess what? It happens. And regardless of the fact that I quite often want to lock myself in the bathroom when change comes around, (I know that is a very dramatic yet unromantic place to lock myself up...yet it is the first place that comes to mind...) I still can appreciate the fact that some change is exciting. And fun. And maybe even...welcome?

Well, let's not get carried away.

Anyway, in all seriousness, we have some fun new stuff going on around here!


This last Monday, I totally was planning on getting in the swing of a school-day-ish schedule (Bethany was to start kindergarten on Wednesday) so that we would have some practice being up-and-at-'em and actually, you know, being prepared to leave our house for once.
So, I'm feeling all in control, all on top of things and...you guys know the drill around these parts...Ben came down with a fever.
Poor little guy.
Seriously, it was so pitiful. One minute he's all full of life then the next he's all 'I cold mama, I want you make me comfy mama, I want watch somethin, I sick mama.' And into the couch he snuggles, on goes the tv, out the window goes mama's ambitious plans.
But at that point, she doesn't care all that much, just wants her baby to feel better.

And so began our week. SO, instead of focusing on getting into the swing of a new routine, we let our day just collapse around us and did some work on the current household project...yes, the big move. The take back of our master bedroom. The re-establishment of the playroom as it was always meant to be. The demolition of the last glimmer of hope I had that my kids are still babies and need me sleeping a few bedrooms away instead of a few flights of stairs away.
(That last one could just be an emotional response to what, for some reason, is an emotional project for me...just ignore.)

SO, we started taking stuff to the next level, a small piece at a time.

JC moved some large pieces of furniture out of the way so he could continue removing chair rail and doing patch work and start painting our future/past room!

Things started piling up in strange areas around the room...ever since this day, this room looks like some variation of this.

And our master bathroom (that we have never really been able to use as such) looks about like this. The new catch all.
Okay, it was always kind of a catch all.
Okay, my whole house has always been kind of a catch all.

The boys did this while we worked.
Okay, the boys did this most of the week.
I can't tell you how much I hated TV by the end of the week.
But, sometimes, it's what works.

Ben seriously felt miserable all week. Fever all week. He would never really let me sit and hold him, but always wanted me near. So...I took some pictures to keep myself busy.
James clearly did not want to catch what Ben had so he got some veggie consumption going.
It was so funny watching him go at this vegetable tray. JC had picked it up from the grocery store just to have around for the weekend. Easy snack.
Man did James go to town on it!
(Notice how I sneakily removed the ranch dressing from the center. Told him it was supposed to be empty in the middle. Like a doughnut.)

This picture is my consolation from the week.
He DID get up off the couch for at least a few minutes one time to do a puzzle! Yay!

Back to that Monday...Bethany helped JC wash off some of our air filters.
Then took it upon herself to get soaking wet. I think it was her way of striking out against the rigorous school days ahead.
You know how kindergarten is known for being rigorous.

So anyway...on that note.
The day finally came.
We had meet-the-teacher on Tuesday night, the night before school started.
And I was cool. Met her teacher, Mrs. Standage. Met the sub, Mrs. Tokoph, who will be there for the first month as Mrs. Standage is finishing up her maternity leave. They were both sweet, fun, lovely ladies. The classroom was crawling with fun and excitement!
We got home, got the kids in bed, JC headed out for some errands and I got to work on filling out some paperwork and making my first school lunch. :)
And...totally lost it.
Totally.
You really would have thought an evil force was trying to rip my child away from me.
I really remember kind of deciding that that was exactly what kindergarten was and that I had changed my mind and I was just going to have to homeschool all my kids forevermore. Even through college. And missions? Out of the question.
And then I got it all out of my system.
Finished filling out paperwork, packed a yummy cute lunch, took a shower, sat with my hubby for a while and went to bed.

Next morning was lots of (kind of frantic) fun. Isn't it funny when you're doing something for the first time? I wasn't sure how fast we needed to move, or how leisurely we could go...so we just kind of got our act together, did our morning stuff, made sure we had everything, and headed out the door! JC was so nice and took the first hour or so of the morning off so he could be there for her first day. Ben was feeling better that morning (some weird fluke that wore out by mid-afternoon...back to fever) so we all loaded up in the stroller and/or put on our walking shoes and off we went!

The camera had a blurry spot but in my rush/non-rush I didn't pay much attention.
Here she is, all ready to go! So excited, back pack and all!

Even with the sun in her eyes, she looks darling.
Her brothers are always there to support her!
(Yes, I know they don't have anywhere else to be but...still.)

Walking to and from was really funny...well, sort of funny, sort of exasperating and sort of overwhelming. See, the boys decided they were terrified of flies. And there were a ton of them out since it was all muggy and warm. It was kind of gross but you would have thought a swarm of killer bees was attacking. The screaming and crying was ridiculous. I think everyone in the schoolyard (and neighborhood for that matter!) thought the boys were out of their minds.

One of the moms in Bethany's class, who also happens to be in our ward, said, "Oh, that's so sweet, are they going to miss her?"

I think my kids are pretty close but I am not sure that a few hours' separation would ever inspire such wailing and gnashing of teeth.

(Unless you count me the night before.)

Panicked boys on the way home:

She was the slightest bit hesitant getting dropped off but I could tell she was going to be just fine. When it came time to go into class, she waved goodbye and walked right in...everything went great!
She has had a great first few days!
It sure is taking some getting used to on my part though! It is so strange to have your child away from you for most of the day, not knowing what exactly they are doing, when they are playing, learning, eating...not being the one to meet all their needs...it really is strange.
But good. She loves it and I am so excited for the year ahead!!

The week was super weird, considering Ben was really sick and we were just getting the hang of the new routine. I am definitely looking forward to when everything kind of falls into place and I feel like an old pro at having a kid in school.
Right now I feel a bit like an imposter in this grown-up-mom role. It's easier to fake when you just stay home with your kids every day! Hahaha

I can't imagine what it will be like once James starts having preschool three days a week after Labor Day.
And Ben starts up in this playgroup some moms in the ward are doing.
We are like...ligit.

My computer doesn't think that 'imposter' or 'ligit' are words.
Come on, really?

Anyway, life rolls on around here! New stuff around every corner. I think I just may be learning to like it!

A shot of the sky over our house on Bethany's first day of school.

Just thought it worth capturing.