Life's Little Adventures: First Day of School. . .

The first day of school is a total mix of emotions for a mom. I have truly enjoyed spending time with Ryan and Brandon this summer and it makes me sad to think of them gone all day long. Our house is going to feel completely different without them being at home and I'm not sure what Brooklyn is going to do without our chaotic schedule.

On the flipside, it will be so nice to add some structure to our schedule. Once school begins, bedtimes are in force and there's a routine to get homework, dinner, and football practice done. Another perk: my house might stay clean for more than an hour. We pretty much lived in a disaster zone this summer because we weren't home long enough to clean our house. We had activites each day of the week: playdates, library, waterpark, zoo, park, cabin trips and each adventure meant more of a mess. Something had to give and it was the clean house. . .I would rather spend time playing with my kids than maintain a spotless living area.

Either way, it really doesn't really matter how mom feels on the first day of school because Ryan and Brandon are BEYOND excited. They have been waiting since the 1st of August for this day to come. They want to see their friends and get to know their new teacher. I'm truly blessed to have kids that are excited to learn and who WANT to go back to school.

Nate and I chose to put Ryan and Brandon in the same class this year after weighing all the pros and cons. "Yes," there is some competition between the boys and "Yes," Brandon does easily "pout" or "get down" if he doesn't do things as well as Ryan. Ryan, on the other hand, doesn't seem to have a problem if Brandon does something better than him. Brandon is still my worrier and I think knowing his brother is around helps him feel more comfortable. They both have voiced that they would like to be in separate classes, but for now, Mom and Dad are choosing what we feel is best for them.

I can't believe I have 2nd graders!! I have several "hopes" for Ryan and Brandon this year:

I hope they both continue to be passionate about learning
I hope they make wise choices in regards to behavior and friends (it gets harder and harder the older they get. . .they are still at the age where they will tell me what the kids they hang out with say or do and I am sometimes mortified by this information. All I can do is hope they act the way Nate and I taught them to.)
I hope Ryan doesn't drive his teacher crazy trying to be "right" all the time and I hope Brandon continues to find the silliness in situations :)