Back to School is Here

I've been seeing pictures of kids going back to school for weeks now.  I think we must be the last ones to start.  I have to admit I'm looking forward to three days a week on my own and two days with just Katherine.  I'll miss Graysen so much.  We've had a lot of time this year with just the two of us and have come to enjoy doing a lot of things we don't do when there's two of them.  Now I'll have Katherine two days a week on my own.  I hope I can keep one step ahead of her!

Emily and Ryan took Graysen Wednesday for her Meet the Teacher time.  I met them there since I'm going to be taking and delivering some, so I wanted to learn my way around.  The school is just a block from the apartment, so I'm familiar with it.  It's beautiful with the mountains behind it.

We were all kind of excited and didn't take pictures of the room.  So sad, because it was an awesome room, just full of exciting things.  Big windows, lots of color.  Graysen was excited over all the books and getting to pick out her box color for her cubby - purple. She went in shy and scared but came out really, really pumped up and ready to start.  Her teacher is Lori Boyles, and she is lovely.  Great laugh, huggy, obviously loves working with little children.  Graysen responded to her immediately.  I think she reminds her a lot of her mama.

She forgot to give Graysen her night-before-school envelope and ran down the hall to give it to her, and that's when I thought to take a picture.

The thing we were so excited about was the library.  Just looking in the window made Graysen jump up and down and clap her hands.  Little reading nooks, colorful displays, hundreds and hundred of BOOKS!  And already children inside learning.

She found the names of some of her friends on other doors.  Everly is just across the hall, and we ran into them leaving.

 I guess this is the combination cafeteria and auditorium and where we pick up in the afternoons.

Later, Emily and Graysen and I went to Issaquah for her to do something for work and for me to fax something.  We stopped for a treat at Starbucks before we left town.

 She really didn't want to bite this kitty but finally did eat his ears.  I only got an iced coffee that was just perfect.  Whatever Emily got had four names, but I tasted it and liked that too.  I was just in a mood to be pleased maybe.

Emily stopped by her office to check her schedule.  It looks really colorful to me.  She's going to work on changing it around to let her do more school pickups and time with the girls.

It seemed pretty busy to me, but everyone said it was a slow day.  Graysen got some spinning time while we chatted with Em's co-workers.  Such a nice happy place.

We had decided to go to PCC for lunch.  I had seen it but never been in, and I probably won't go back much because of wanting to buy way more than I can afford or need.  I didn't get any good pictures because we were too busy eating.  Emily and I got a sandwich and Graysen a slice of pineapple pizza.  We had a few containers of salads, and after choosing my favorite, I found out it was tofu. And delicious.  Everything was very fresh and yummy.  I didn't love the kelp noodles, but everything else was good.  They do cooking classes and are publishing a cookbook this fall.  In the meantime, there are hundreds of recipes if you want to get adventurous.


This was a really good day.  I love to hear the girls say that, especially if it started off confused or someone got their feelings hurt.  If we're in a good spot, someone will always, "This is a GOOD day," and this always makes me feel like I've done my part.

And today was Katherine's day to go to her new school and look around and meet the teachers.  For two years, she's been the little sister, the one on the outside looking in and envying the big kids playing on the playground and with the animals.  So today was her big day.

Now we have the weekend and Labor Day before we get into the routine of actually attending these schools.

Instead of going inside yesterday when we got to the apartment, we decided to walk up the street a little bit to a tiny little park.  They like the rock fountain and playing in the bushes.  Very fancy, but they love it.



Debby sent the blue kitty thing as a topper for Emily's tea cup to keep it warm, but it got stolen away for an adventure.  I was telling her earlier that I was impatient for the afternoon to be over so I could relax and be on my own, but the longer we stayed her and listened to the peaceful sound of the water, the more relaxed I got.  The girls played designed and played in their very own little house in the trees, and chattered and laughed for maybe 30 minutes.  I didn't have a book or my phone (charged), so I just enjoyed having no deadlines and no one telling me what to do.

They got a little chilly playing in the water and so wanted hot chocolate when we got home.  Then I let them have 30 minutes on the most exciting thing I've purchased lately - their "Pink iPad."  It's a Kindle Fire with a pink cover just filled with cute things for kids their age to do.  If I didn't limit it, they would never put it down.



And tomorrow is the beginning of September, always my favorite month but now kind of touched with sadness.  It's a sign of a new beginning anyway, so we'll see what we can get into next.