The First of the School Days

I'm behind. I am getting so much done, though! Blogging just isn't one of them at the moment. We went to the Ogden Temple Open House as a family a few Saturdays ago:

It was beautiful and bright that morning. Bridget liked the new temple so much she declared she'd like to get married there. We won't hold her to it, but I wouldn't mind being in that spectacular endowment room with the wall of stained glass windows watching my sweet girl get married. :)

A few hours later we were back in Utah County watching our nephew, Jake, go through the temple for his own endowments.

What a treat! That's Jake with his Mom, Dena (Brian's sister), and his sister, Janessa. Everyone went to dinner afterward, but I had to hurry home and relieve our babysitter. That was a big day.

The next Tuesday, August 19th, Bridget started 3rd grade! The boys and I gave her a big send-off and took pictures. Every day since Emil cries because I don't take a picture of Bridget on the porch on her way to school.

Bridget picked out and bought her own lunch box this year with her birthday money. So practical. :) She and Brian went on their annual trip to Lagoon the day before school started. Bridget made the most adorable list so far (she's had some really great lists) of which rides she wanted to go on and in what order. 

There's Emil in the background, cooperating as usual. That first day, Colin asked me 100 times, "Where Bidgie?!" The first time I reminded him that she was at school he said, "Oh. I MISS HER!" It's true.

It rained on the first day of school! What about the hair?!!

I let these guys out of the van for a minute to say goodbye.

It was a very long first day for Mama and the boys. Emil and Colin have stopped taking naps and I'm on my 12th try getting Colin totally potty trained. Colin can count to 30, he can count backwards from 10, he knows all his letters, but pooping in the potty is his white whale, y'all.

The boys and I got four cupcakes at Dippidee (one for Bridget, one for Mama, one for Colin, and one "FO MO") to welcome Bridget home from her first day of school. I also bought three balloons. What a fun mom, right?

Here's what Shannon did. As if there are a million other kids in the neighborhood. I don't think about others, see. :)

Amy brought these beauties. There were at least two other moms there with big trays of cupcakes. Sometimes I like to remind people that I live in the best neighborhood.

There they are! Cute third graders.

Attack of the little brother. :) Notice Emil has no balloon. I tied it to his wrist and he still managed to unload it 20 seconds after I gave it to him. It went up into the sky and Emil looked at me with regret and pleading, but Mama needs a barstool to get the balloon inside the house.

Awww.

Sweet Bridget made it through the first day.

Yesterday was the first day of school for Emil and Colin. It was the ultimate test of my skills because Emil's bus was supposed to pick him up at 12:15 and I had to drive Colin to his preschool at 12:26. The boys and I ate an early lunch and used the bathroom a dozen times before I took them outside for a few pictures. 

Colin is such a good boy! He wants everyone to be happy and he shares and cleans up when he's asked. I know he's going to be a perfect student at his new preschool.

Emil has been confirming with me several times a day that only he and Bridget ride a bus to school. He is bigger. Bigger than Colin, specifically. It sounds rude, but I totally get him. When you have siblings close in age, it's nice to have something of your own. Doesn't get any close than a twin brother, eh?

I asked them to look tough.

Backpacks.

We waited and waited for Emil's bus, but we didn't want Colin to be late for school, so I finally put both boys in the van and rushed Colin to his preschool. Emil came with me to drop Colin off and that came to haunt me a few minutes later. Anyway. Colin went into the room like a boss (it's the same preschool Bridget went to) and blew me kisses goodbye.

When Emil and I got back to the house, the bus wasn't there and I figured we'd missed it. I drove back out of the neighborhood and the bus drove in. Bah. We came back to the house and I put Emil on the bus. On the way back from dropping off Colin, Emil kept saying, "Fun school. Cahnin pe-school fun!" Then Emil saw his male bus driver and the new kids riding the bus and he was not having it. NOT HAVING IT. Total meltdown. I ended up putting him in the van and driving him myself.

Emil has the same teachers as last year and he's in the same school. He started calling it "Miss Kerry's House" since Colin goes to a house. Emil didn't want to be at school even with all that stuff being the same. He cried and held onto my leg and hid his face from Miss Kerry. Huh?! Emil loves school! He loves the bus! What was happening?!!! Then Micah showed up and Emil turned off the tears immediately. He had to show Micah all the toys and where to put his name. Emil was a big boy again.

By the time I left, Emil was waving to me and saying goodbye. I was sweating.

Normally that would be the day for me, but we also had visiting teaching, piano students, Activity Days for Bridget and volleyball practice for Bridget. 

My cute volleyball player. I asked her if she wanted me to hold her glasses and she took them off and said, "I can't see a thing!" So the glasses stay on for volleyball.

And that's why I haven't had a chance to blog. Also, I'm obsessed with family history right now. I got my Ancestry account! It is the most fun treasure hunt ever. I was doing some research on Sunday after the boys were in bed and Bridget came over to my side and asked, "Are those your progenitors?" AHAHAHAHAHA! That's still making me laugh. :)

Now to start all over with another day...