change. fall. tomorrow.

we got back from an amazing week at the beach with our best friends in the world yesterday.

tomorrow school starts.

how did this happen? i'll have to say it wasn't my favorite summer ever. it was hard. and i wish some things had been different. there were lots of JUST SURVIVAL moments...hours...days (!) and i don't like doing things that way. it felt like that more this summer than last? how can that be possible? maybe i just blocked last summer out...or had lower expectations last summer...hm.....

anyways...

rebekah is going to middle school. this is INSANITY. she is getting more nervous with each passing hour. and the pit in my stomach is getting bigger and bigger. it's a good thing i didn't plan much for dinner tonight. i'm not worried about her at middle school - i know who she is and she knows who she is, it's going to be great. i'm just going to miss her. like crazy.

joshua is going into 3rd grade. a new teacher at the school. and his good friend that's been in his class every year isn't at the school this year, so he's a bit nervous and even quieter than usual.

bailey is going into 2nd grade. she'll have the teacher that rebekah and joshua both had. she's a great teacher and pretty aware that bailey is a unique bird, she'll have a great year.

no one has our FAVORITE teacher, mrs. sethi this year. she has walked our family through the last 2 years and made sure joshua (the year we were WAITING for lincoln and levi and i was depressed, and then preparing for our trip) and bailey (the year after we brought them home) were ok. she was my eyes and ears and pulse at school...and did an AMAZING job - WAY over the call of duty! but i can't wait to give her a hug!

and lincoln will go to another elementary school for the first half of the day for the ELL (english language learners - like ESL, they just had to name it something different) and will then be bussed to our elem school for afternoon kingergarten. he'll have the same teacher that rebekah, joshua AND bailey had! yes, she knows what she's getting!

the morning routine is going to be insane. lincoln has to be driven across town and dropped off at the same as joshua and bailey need to get to school in our neighborhood. and rebekah's bus (first time EVER riding a bus! we are walkers to our elem school) picks her up 30 minutes after all that.

big changes. it's all going to be fine. they are all going to do great. i'll be honest and say that i'm looking forward to some more time to have complete thoughts. and focus on sawyer and levi (who both NEED some more intentional focus!) in the mornings. and i think (i hope?) it will be good for both lincoln and i to have some time apart from each other - i hope it makes our time together more enjoyable and sweet. it's going to be a great year. but the transition is always ugly. and coming off an amazing, relaxing, fun week makes it that much harder.

i just hope i remember to wear sunglasses this year. i'm going to be a MESS!