springdellgirl: School Has Started

Summer ended rather abruptly this year...it was so darn short!! Our summer was 100 % relaxing. No big trips, zero schedules, just pure rest, relaxation, and free time. It was as beautiful thing. It came to an abrupt end due to the fact that I was madly trying to get things ready for the Funky Junk Antique Show in Sandpoint, Idaho which you can read about here, in the midst of all the back-to-school shopping hoopla, and trying to squeeze in some fun before we were back to the regularly scheduled grind. It passed by in a blur and now we are back in the thick of it again.

This year we have:

...and Bryn will be in preschool again this year. It doesn't start for a few more weeks but boy is she excited to go back to school and see her teacher and all her friends again.

Bryn walking Ailey in to school. Ailey has been a little nervous about being the only one at the elementary school this year. It has always been a comfort to her knowing that her big brother was there if she needed him.

Here's Ailey feeling nervous but grimacing for the picture. Ha ha. Kameron was so nervous for middle school he kept telling me he was going to throw up...from the night before all the way to school when he was dropped off. He kept telling me he was going to throw up. Luckily he did not. But let's say his first day of school smile is a bit of a grimace too. Ha Ha. Even Reilly was nervous and told Tyler who was dropping her off that morning "Why can't you just homeschool me?!" Aaaahhh what?? That was unexpected...and short lived. Crazy kids!!

Every year when the kids go back to school Tyler and I go out for breakfast with Bryn so that she doesn't feel left out and sad. She loves it and so do we. It was a little bittersweet this year since we realized that with Bryn starting Kindergarten next year it will only be me and Tyler out for breakfast. Weird.

Bryn had a great time scarfing down a cinnamon roll the size of her face...as she kept saying "This cinnamon roll is as big as my FACE!!" and scrambled eggs and hashbrowns. She loved it!!


Yep! Pretty much as big as her face.

The kids all ended up having a GREAT DAY!! They came home excited and full of news. Kameron LOVED middle school (which was a relief.) He kept saying "It is SO MUCH MORE FUN than elementary school AND you can chew gum!! I've got to get me some gum!!" It helped that his best friend, Jonathon, is in nearly every class with Kam and has his same lunch. He also had quite a few of his friends in most all of his classes. Score. He thought that his teachers were really "cool" and he is excited about all the things they get to learn and do this year. He is in advanced classes for most of his subjects and they do get to do some really cool things. Hopefully his middle school experience will be a better than Reilly's. (We are still recovering!!)

Reilly is really happy with her classes too. She was thrilled to get my friend, Hollie's, husband as her math teacher because apparently "He is the only teacher in the whole school that teaches math the way I can understand it!!" Perfect. Reilly is in a bunch of honors classes this year as well and that should keep her very busy. I am secretly thrilled that all the Dance Team drama/demands are over and I think that she is too.

Ailey likes her new teacher and was happy as a little clam with her new class. She is thrilled to be a big 4th grader and to get to learn to play the recorder amongst other things. (Me not so much.) I'm glad that she is excited and loving school. So it was win-win-win!! They celebrated with Taco Bell Happy Hour Drinks and Nachos after school.

Now we are back in schedule city. The break was nice while it lasted. So far Reilly has early morning seminary (which I fully count as an extracurricular) and is taking piano. Kameron is playing the trumpet, hoping to make jazz band, and just started cross-country on his school team. Ailey is taking piano and ballet. Bryn is taking ballet and swimming. The days are full...and I pretty much live in my suburban...but it's nice to see these kids learning, growing, and developing their talents.

Speaking of talents...

These two girls participated in the world's cutest Primary talent show. It.Was.Adorable. I loved seeing all the kids *perform* or display their various talents. Ailey and Bryn displayed their recital pictures and costumes and then performed. Ailey played Ode to Joy on the piano while Bryn danced a GLORIOUS free-style ballet routine. Ha ha!! It was awesome.

We had a celebrity in our midst at the Funky Junk Antique Show. Viggo Mortensen was at the show, in our booth, and chatting it up with my Mom (who recognized him.) Stacey and I sadly did not. CLEARLY he did not look like the above picture in all of his Lord of the Rings glory because I'm pretty sure I would've noticed that hottness coming. My mom also neglected to even tell us this juicy tidbit until...in the words of Duck Dynasty...HE GONE! As in LONG GONE. It was tragic. A betrayal. A cross my mother will have to bear all her days. Don't EVEN get me started on the reaction of her grandchildren (my kids) who are only the biggest Lord of the Rings fans. Ever. Ever. Ever. Her response...she didn't think it was a big deal and we were busy. No.words.

I was told he was accompanying his elderly mother. In the dark recesses of my memory I do recall seeing a man about his age accompanying an elderly woman who may or may not have been Viggo Mortensen. I choose to believe it was him. Did I think for one minute "Hey! That could be Viggo Mortensen." Not remotely. What I do recall thinking when I saw the guy who may or not have been Viggo Mortensen was this..."I hope that when I am a wizened old crone like that lady that Kameron will take me to antique shows like her son is doing!!" True story. I will add to that "And buy me cotton candy...because it is DELICIOUS."


Maybe Viggo came whilest I was snarfing this. It's possible.

You might be asking yourself...How many pictures will Kristin take of herself with cotton candy this year? We are up to about six so far. It's hard to say folks...it's fair season here. There will probably be more. If Santa ever comes through with that cotton candy maker I've been asking for for years along with that hot dog roller it might be infinite.

On a much less fun note... Kameron had his kidney checked. That was QUITE a process. Unfortunately it's still not working quite like it should be. Each kidney should be doing 50% of the work and Kameron's are at 47% and 53%. It "kind of" looks like there "might be" some scarring. (exact words of the pediatric urologist) So unfortunately surgery may still be in his future. He goes back in for another check in 6 months. Damn broken arm. (They are still saying that all this kidney trouble is due to an infection he got while having surgery on his arm!!) So annoying. But...he feels fine and is doing great otherwise. So. Yay.

The kids are back in school... Bryn has yet to start preschool... and we are enjoying every last drop off this beautiful weather by being outside as much as possible!!