Obligatory Back To School Post

Yesterday, all four of my girls started back to school. 

Let the games begin.

This year is quite a game changer for me.  For the first time in 19 years of motherhood, and 9 years as a Stay At Home Mom, I am kidless. Kidless and not at work or in full-time classes.  I am home, kidless. All day long. 

I think I hear the Mormon Tabernacle Choir singing "Hallelujah" as I run through a field of daisies. 

I know, I know. I have the life.  I'm not going to lie - it's awesome.

And I'm not going to lie - this will likely be the only year I have this little luxury before I head back into the workforce. 

But, enough about me and my kidless days. The first day of school is the main event here!

Pink was ready to go into fifth grade with her new "Trapper Keeper" (the things kids get excited about) and a good friend she absolutely adores in her class this year. 

Tink is a "senior" at the elementary school. Third grade marks the last year before heading over to the next school. She gets a locker and a daily planner which basically means she is totally mature and ready to conquer the world.  

CB is going into the 13th grade ... not that the 13th grade actually exists. In a school like hers, there are no "grades" per se.  She just keeps going to school until the age of 21, so she has 2 years left before I completely freak out. 

The big change for CB is that she gets to sleep in quite significantly. Last year her bus came at 6:30 am, but this year it doesn't pick her up until 8:00.  Only problem is it's running late and overlapping with the elementary school bus which is a little bit of a debacle, but it will smooth itself out. If this is our biggest problem this year, I'll consider myself lucky. 

Last, but not least... Rella-Cakes is FULL day for the very first time.  First grade here she comes!

I didn't have my act together to get a morning photo of all four girls.  Pink's bus came first and I was barely able to snap an action shot of her walking to the corner. 

I tried to plan ahead for the other girls.

CB made an appearance on the front step...

and just kept on walking...

Fear not, I fixed her shirt so she didn't have the "Pee Wee Herman hiked-up pants" look. 

I remember walking into the house after they all boarded the bus, and thinking someone was still home.  CB, Rella... someone was upstairs pattering down the hall or playing with their toys.  It was an odd sensation to have the entire day stretched out before me without any little voices calling my name. I vacillated between "This is so freakin' awesome!" to "I hope they are okay," to "Crap, I miss them," to "This is so freakin' awesome!" This carrousel of emotions continued until they arrived home; three separate buses at three separate times from their three different schools. Everyone returned to me with smiling faces and stories of their days... and a boatload of papers for me to complete.

The best part of us all being apart is that when we come back together?

It's just that much sweeter.