New school year

Monday morning my childern ever so eagerly readied themselves for their first day back at school (after the oh so long two week break from their last school year). I know I put all six kids in the picture, but it is only the back three (the ones that have their hair done) that stay at school. I figured since this is what I load and unload twice a day to and from school that I should include them all. I always plan on taking my camera to school, arriving way, way, way before the bell and leisurely take individual shots of them on the playground and standing in their line and maybe even with their teachers. . . .and then life so kindly slaps me in the face. It is all I can do to get them up, dressed, lunches made, backpacks packed, teeth brushed, sunblocked(protect my lily white skinned children), prayed, and out the door. Then once we are there I must keep my wits about me while I find three separate lines for my children without loosing any of my younger three. Hence the hurried group shot in front of our door on the way to our first day of school. Waylan is now in 1st grade, Wyatt is now in 2nd grade, and Josie is so happy to now be a 4th grader. My parents just returned from Aruba the week before and brought my children T-shirts. You can see my boys excitedly sporting theirs for the first day of school. We are on day four and so far everyone is happy with their teachers and having a great start to the year. I, on the other hand, am not so thrilled to be back on the race track of life trying to keep up with the school requirements. I never imagined that I would hate homework more as a parent than I did as a student. Come to think of it, I never minded homework as a student. I was kind of a nerd like that. I don't enjoy keeping three kids on task to do homework and listening to three kids read 20 min. a night while trying to make dinner, keep three smaller children happy, clean up after dinner, bathe children and somewhere in the mix of it let them play and be children. Some days work out better than others (those are usually the days I made a crockpot dinner earlier in the day).