First Day of School—2025!

Okay, peeps.

It’s a whole, new world!

Not only is it the first day of school (squeeee!), but it’s also my first time publishing from a new platform on this here blog!

I’ve been having some technical difficulties with my old app for ages, and I think I finally have to move on, which I kind of loathe, but don’t really have a choice, anymore.

I’ve been using my old app for about a decade, so this might throw me. But if my kiddos can face new challenges today, so can I! (You like how I tied that in to the momentous school launch day???)

On that note…pictures!

Okay, this is going to be a whole new learning curve with the pictures and posting, so…bear with me if things look funny for a bit! I’ve got a close up, full body, and backpack shot for each kiddo!

How adorable are they??? Fairly stable and confident heading into the school year. Thank. Freaking. Goodness.

But, also: how wild and new and strange that now two are in middle school, and just one left in elementary?

It made me a bit sad to drop Little Man off alone. I think he was fine; it just looked a bit lonely when we got out of the car. Plus—no trio of siblings shots, because the girlies weren’t up and ready when he left!

Just one sister shot. :)

Okay, people. I want to say more about the mental state leading up to this launch, but this test case of using a new app to post has nearly made my head explode and I’m gonna have to hit pause for now.

OLD DOGS DON’T WANNA LEARN NEW TRICKS!

More, soon!

Over and out. 

P.S. Okay, I took a breather, and I'm back (on my dang computer, which I NEVER post from) to try and give this another go. But for the record: I really, really don't wanna!

Okay. In addition to the fun pics of the morning school launch, I'd love to rewind and share a bit about the mental state of the kiddos headed into the school year.

First up: Little Man!

At his age and stage, pretty much all you need in life is: a) to have a great teacher, and, b) to have a buddy in the class, and he hit the jackpot with BOTH.

He had the bestest reaction in the car the day we got word regarding his homeroom teacher, and things only got better when he realized he has some great buddies in the class, as well.

Of course, his challenge will be TALKING. Alllllll the talking, in all the world, all the live long day, ha. But I have faith he can zip it and continue to be the fantastic student he is, so...here's hoping.

Next up: Chicklet!

Now. Obviously, my beloved middleborn has a big year ahead of her, given the whole middle school transition! I knew things would be slightly easier for her, having grown familiar with the school and campus and activities, thanks to Chica. But I knew she'd still have her own anxieties to face.

That said...what a strange and unexpected blessing that we ended up having one of her close friends staying with us for the past four days (a whole long story that involved a death of a close family friend and this little girl's mom needing to go out of town for a funeral).

Although I definitely didn't have it on my Bingo card to add an EXTRA kiddo to my household gang in the final four days of Summer, it ended up being a blessing in disguise, as it gave Chicklet the BEST diversion leading up to the school year.

The girlies attended meet-the-teacher together, had three straight nights of sleepovers and four days of hanging together, and it kept their minds from their middle school anxieties.

When we went to stroll the hallways and locate their classrooms, they were a riot. Overwhelmed but just kind of go-with-the-flow in a way Chica was NOT when it was her turn to launch middle school. Birth order at its finest, people!

Okay...last up: Chica!

Goodness. What to say, here, except that we've reached the point where my eldest is the big man on campus for her 8th grade year, and it's surreal to see her growth and confidence--and the growth and confidence of her friends!

One major benefit of our insanely busy Summer is that Chica most certainly kept in contact with her friends, in a major way. So many of her buddies participated in the athletics conditioning over the Summer, so they saw one another regularly, and were up at the school regularly. I think it kept things from being scary when it came time to launch the year. Mostly because she didn't have a chance to have some space from her people or the school building, so it all felt very familiar.

Additionally, Chica is Choir Council President, this year, and had to be up at school for several hours, during a couple of the days last week. So she'd already broken the school year seal, so to speak, and everything felt very easy breezy.

It was a joy to see her walk the hallways with her friends, to witness how kind they all were to Chicklet and her buddy, and to know that she's heading into this final year of middle school with a solid head on her shoulders.

Okay. There's just one final "child" of mine who has to get used to the new school year, and that's this fur ball! SO much more on her in an upcoming post!

For now, just congratulate me on getting through this post on this new platform, and wish me luck in the future!

Also wish me luck with the kiddos' moods when they make it home...in a few, short minutes!

Happy First Day of Schoo, peeps!

Over and out (again).