Pep Band Premier!

This isn't the greatest picture, but I think its fun. And if we end up at LCS for years and years, it will be special to look back on. We had our first home football game on Friday, which means Pep Band! There were a few glitches that we'll work out, but the kids were GREAT!! They are talented musicians, really neat kids, and many are quick to pitch in and help moving and setting up equipment without even being asked which makes my job MUCH easier!

Update...

Just a quick update from our house....actually, from my office! The kids are in school all day long, but I only teach in the mornings. So, in the afternoons, I usually hang out in my office getting all of the work done that should have been done this summer. Once I get caught up, I hope to use the time a little more productively, but for now I'm still playing catch-up.

The kids are coming around slowly but surely. Andrew is great - and has been since day #1. He now insists that I drop him off at the front door so he can go in by himself like all of the other kids. Then, I go around the curve and park, then the rest of us get out and walk in together. Funny guy! Alex is doing alright, but would still rather be home. We're making sure we get plenty of snuggle time in the mornings and the evenings, and I go down to see them all at noon recess each day. Amanda is still not sold at all. She is realizing how good she had it with homeschooling and she wants to go back. One bright note, though, (no pun intended!) is that she is getting to play the cello which she has fallen in love with!

We're all really looking forward to a long weekend and a short week! The band has their first Pep Rally and Football game this Friday - that will be fun!

Thanks for your prayers - keep 'em comin' please! The transition is still very difficult, but we can see God working.

TGIF

The kids had never heard of "TGIF" before - and have certainly never appreciated it! When we were snuggling this morning before getting ready for school, we taught them what it stood for and it sure has lots of meaning to us today! We've survived the week and it actually has turned out well....the kids all had a great day today and are settling in nicely. We stopped at a big McDonalds playland after school to celebrate. It was fun for me to see the three of them playing together again!

We are going to do absolutely NOTHING all week-end and I am looking forward to that for sure!!

Better

I am happy to report that things were better today for all of us. We are all growing and learning a lot through these changes. The faculty and staff have been very faithful to pray for us - they are a great group of people who love the Lord and love teaching, too.

D-Day

Today was D-Day for us .... the first day of school. We survived, but it was a little rough at times. I told someone that it was very much like sending your kid off to Kindergarten...only I am doing all three of them at once - and I have had an extra 10 years to get attached to having them around!

First thing in the morning, we gathered together in the entryway of the elementary school with all of the kids, staff, and parents and prayed together and sang together - and I cried and cried. I found one kid crying at lunch time and the guidance counselor said that another one was crying and asking for me in the afternoon. At one point in the afternoon, I found myself locked in a bathroom stall crying myself!! :-) For those of you who are homeschooling now, let me encourage you to CHERISH the time you have with your kids....no matter HOW crazy they are driving you and how much you have to battle with them to get their work done!! Anyway, for the most part, everything was good, although a couple of the kids had some rough spots to work through. And, by the time picked them up, Andrew said "Mom - that was SO AWESOME!! Could we come back again tomorrow?". Leave it to Andrew to lighten the mood for all of us!

Please continue to pray for our adjustment. We still completely feel that God has placed us there for a purpose, and that helps us to get through the tough times.

Ta-da!

Here he is with the new glasses! He is doing VERY well with them so far...takes them off every night, puts them on every morning...and has only ALMOST lost them once so far. He has 2 pair -these rounder ones, then he has a more square pair that are just like Daddy's! Thanks, Dr. Williams!!

Irony

OK, I think it is pretty ironic that now when there is SO MUCH going on around here and I have lots to write about....I also have ZERO time to write about it. :-) I have been at school every day this week - 5th grade band camp, plus faculty meetings and trying to get things somewhat ready for the first day of school on Monday. The kids and Bruce have been great - Bruce took off Wednesday to stay with the kids, the boys have tagged along and been very patient, Amanda has made a few extra meals. Good team work! :-) I start on Monday with the Jr/Sr High kids, and then the Elementary kids will start on Tuesday. We're all stocked up on convenience foods to pack lunches (although no more Spaghetti O's....they weren't really a big hit after all) and thanks to Grandma, we're all set in some fun new clothes to wear, too!

Spaghetti O's and Coke Zero

I knew things were going to be changing around here, but already there are things happening that I didn't see coming. Yesterday, there were two of them. First, I ALWAYS have can of pop sometime in the morning....Coke Zero - either Vanilla or Cherry. But, we started band camp at LCS and yesterday and I was out of my routine. At about 2:00, I realized that I had NOT had any pop all day so far....and you know what, I was OK! Might just be the start of a new GOOD habit. Then, yesterday afternoon I was grocery shopping to get organized for packing lunches and guess what I found in my cart.....a can of Spaghetti O's! When I got them home, Andrew had to ask me what they were - I have NEVER bought Spaghetti O's. I'm not a total health food nut, but I do work hard to try to keep us eating fairly healthy, but I really don't think any of my kids have EVER had them. Wonder what other changes we'll find today. :-)

Did you love Facing the Giants?

I just found out about a new movie coming out in September. It's by the makers of Facing the Giants, so if you loved it like we did, then you'll be excited about this!! It is a message about divorce-proofing your marriage and looks to be another good one! It says they also made another movie called Flywheel....have any of you seen it?

Glasses!

All 3 kids had eye appointments yesterday and Mr. Andrew came home with a prescription for glasses!! We have known for a full year that this was coming, so it wasn't a surprise at all. Just in time for school!

Back to school.....BIG TIME!!

Back to school has BIG meaning at our house these days! After 12 years of being out of the classroom, and 11 years of homeschooling, the kids and I are ALL going to school! I accepted a teaching position at Lincoln Christian School and the kids will be joining me there starting in 2 short weeks. We are excited, nervous, thankful, scared, overwhelmed, and a myriad of other emotions...but are feeling a great sense of peace that this is just what God has planned for us. I wasn't looking for a job, and we weren't really looking to send our kids to school, but all of the pieces (and there were many!) have just perfectly fallen into place to make this work.

It will surely be a major adjustment for us in many ways, and we'd appreciate your prayers during this transition. We can't wear our jammies all morning long, we'll have to pack our lunches and won't be here to have lunch with Bruce each day, our dog Molly is going to have to get used to being home alone a lot more, and I'm going to have to write up lesson plans and turn in report cards. I'll have Pep Band at the football and basketball games and the kids will have homework to do. All that, and I have NO idea when I'm going to do the laundry or clean the house...I better get on the FlyLady website and get to work on my control journal!