With school starting in just a week and a half, I'm trying to put all of my effort into 1) pulling our lives out of the chaos called summer and 2) making the most of these last long days with my boys. Summer is so hard with everyone home and no outside schedule, but it's also wonderful because no one has a bus they can miss and everyone has a playmate. I love seeing my kids more often because during the school year, I get to missing them. They are gone from 8:15 to 4:10 every day, and that is just a lot of time for them to be away from me!
I wasn't organized enough to make a comprehensive Summer Bucket List at the beginning of summer, but we've made a mini one for these last few weeks and we're working on checking things off. So far we've made it to a new park, visited my dad at work and had ice cream, gone swimming, and had intentional play dates with friends from across town. We still need to go to the zoo, go camping (Friday), and hit up one more specific park on our list.
I've been really trying to put work on the back burner so that we can do these things on our list, and hopefully the kids can see and feel that. They are such troopers about hanging around the offices while we get a few things done or being dragged through IKEA while we pick up more organizing items. We've tried to pay them off with way too many sweets and too many shows, so weaning them off of those things as school starts should be a blast. ;)
Easton will be starting second grade this year, and Kesler will officially begin kindergarten. He feels like he has already gone to kindergarten because of summer school, and I guess that's a good thing. The first day should be old hat for them both, and I think I'll be able to keep myself together.
Knox will also be starting school this fall. For the first time in our family, we'll be paying for someone to go to preschool. We've always done a co-op of some sort with friends, so this will be a new adventure. He needs school supplies and a lunch box, and today we get to meet his teacher. He is really excited to be like the big boys, and I think it will be good for him. He'll be there twice a week, and I'm sure he'll enjoy it. My productivity should go up while he's gone too, so I'd say that's a win-win.
And on that note, time to get going on our Monday. Not only do we have lots of summer fun to finish off, but we have a ton of back-to-school prep to accomplish as well. Best of luck to you if you're in the same boat this week!
