Summer is over, school is here!

Every member of our family, except Gordon, is in school of some sort. Gordon is kind of put out about this. When Evelyn started school a few weeks ago, he also asked to get all dressed and have a water bottle so he was to "a-go school." He still asks me multiple times a day where she has gone. Then Jilly started her neighborhood pre-school group, and all the neighbors got to hear a good old-fashioned temper tantrum while I half-carried/half-dragged Gordon away from my friend's doorstep. Thankfully that attitude lessened this week.

  Evelyn was anxious for first grade, she didn't sleep well the few nights preceding the first day of school. She was afraid of being bored, having to get up early again, and not knowing who her teacher was (we found out the night before, like everyone else at her school). She did just fine though, and is now in the swing of things. She doesn't come home super excited about school, but doesn't complain a lot about it either, so I guess she's okay with it. After the first day, she was really excited about the prospect of having hot lunch at school. She got her first opportunity yesterday when I forgot to load her lunchbox in her backpack. When I picked her up from the bus stop, I expected her to be happy or excited about the hot lunch she got. Instead, I was greeted by a cranky, stomping little girl. I tentatively asked how lunch was and she said, "It was horrible! I hated it! I never want hot lunch ever, ever again!"

Wow. I have intense children. Does anyone think she was a little disappointed?

She didn't like what was served, only the strawberry ice cream cup and apple juice that came with it. So I'm definitely on the cold lunch bandwagon for the foreseeable future, except on pizza days.

Jilly has a pre-school group that meets twice a week for two hours. So far she has enjoyed it, but I guess this last time there were a few tears toward the end, and she said she was just ready to go home. I'm glad I couldn't send her to kindergarten yet (she missed the cut-off by a week). She enjoys being the big girl in the house while Evelyn's gone, and still needs lots of play time, both alone and with a few other kids. I'm sure she'll be ready this time next year.

Ben started his coursework yesterday, although he's been teaching for nearly a month at another university. He's one busy guy. I should also mention that he was recently put in as the ward Primary Chorister. Really. Now he's got to learn all the primary songs.

I am taking one course at the community college here this fall. After the summer session where I over-loaded myself with classes and had the stress to match, one feels like a breeze. It'll be slow-going to actually earning a nursing degree, but I'll get there eventually.

Gordon will continue his home-school, where he learns how to manipulate mommy into doing what he wants next, building trains and 'castles', riding his bike, tormenting his sisters (namely Jilly), and listening to music (new favorite pastime, we're 'The Killers' fans right now).