smile...it's picture day

i ran across this picture of levi. that's him, just goofing off for the camera. no, really, his eyes are fine. he does this to simply freak me out. here is what scares me -yesterday was picture day and i couldn't be there to micromanage...er...monitor his smile. every year since the kids have started school, i've been in the picture room, threatening them to "smile!!" when i'm in there i can be sure they look their best. because we spend a lot of money for a package of pictures that will sit in a drawer for the rest of the year. in that room, i can fix hair, straighten clothes, use the "mom spit" and my finger to wipe their remaining snack off their lips and cheeks. but, picture day was wednesday, which is the only day i have a scheduled meeting at work and i couldn't sneak away. i only hope that levi smiled a little better for the professional than he did for me.

first day of school

what? no pictures from the first day of school you ask?! that's right. i did manage to take a few in the kitchen before the kids went outside, but they weren't great. i gave the kids a few minutes to go outside to see their friends before the first day back to school. with about three minutes before we needed to leave, i, being a mom, grabbed my camera again and went outside. the neighbor boy, who is levi's best friend, started kindergarten at harvest that day too, so what a cool photo op right? i called the kids over only to see taylor's new white shorts are covered in blood. she fell on her bike, scraped her elbow and knee and "didn't know"... in the house i ran to iron another pair of shorts so she could at least go to school in clean clothes that didn't look like they'd been stuffed in a drawer.

it was a memorable first day for sure.

because of the crazy change that being back to school brings, we've been forced to drop the habits from summer. no more playing outside until dusk. no more eating ice cream in the spa at night. it's back to the routine. now we focus on homework, studying, and getting to bed at a reasonable time. everything else has to wait. in fact, the laundry fairy hasn't come to our house this week, i wonder if she knows there is a mountain that grows by the day? hopefully when she does come, she'll bring her sisters with her, the window fairy, floor fairy and bathroom fairy. we miss them. until then, i better get to it...tomorrow, cause tonight, i'm tired.