School Days, School Days...

Freshly sharpened pencils, the smell of new crayons, the crack of that new text book and crisp fall weather on the horizon. Well, three out of four's not bad. It's back to school time at our house!

As of this week, our school year has started in earnest. The public school students went back on Monday so I suppose it's time. In reality we only took a few weeks off here and there this summer. I've had it in my mind that we were a little behind due to the many moves of last year. Looking back though, I don't think we were any more behind than the year we evacuated for 3 hurricanes in a row. Now that was an interesting year! I think we were still finishing that year's math well into October of the following year.

Sully is sailing through the first chapters of his 6th grade math book and Nathan is already well into the second unit of his first grade reading program. So, I'd say we're off to a beautiful start. Our mornings are very full and both boys are, for the most part, cooperating quite nicely with the more rigorous work load. There are some parts of school they love and can't wait to do- the read alouds, science projects, history lessons and field trips and then there are some that leave them wishing it was summer break all the time. Don't we all!

I've been having a good time lately watching the boys and realizing that Nathan is older now than Sully was when he came along. When I think about Sully back then, he seems to have been so little while Nathan sometimes seems to be so big. I have to take a step back to see him as the little guy he is. I find myself battling with Nathan over some of the same things Sully used try but has thankfully grown out of. I remember being so frustrated and thinking that we'd never get through. Funny though, with the second child, I know it's only a season and will eventually come to an end.

The boys are participating in a play about Esther this semester with Kids Klub and I've signed up to organize the weekly games. My little thespians are looking forward to the show. We're taking a half day tomorrow (What ALREADY?) to swim with friends and will set up a time for an honor class we're planning to do on a monthly basis with these very friends.

The only thing I miss during this time of year is the pending autumn weather. We don't really get that down here. Back-to-school to me always meant buying some new fall and winter outfits that were too hot to wear during the first weeks of school but the reprieve of cool weather was at least in sight. Sweater weather is my favorite. To combat my longing for fall we'll be making a trip up to visit family in a couple of months when the weather and leaves have turned. For now, well turn our attentions to the school year and perhaps read some "fallish" books.