The Saturday 7

1. The transition back to school this week went so well. The girls are loving every second of it. Lucy's been whining that she doesn't want to come home after school and she doesn't have enough homework! (We'll see how long that lasts.) Waking up early has been as hard as I expected - especially for Lena. But by the end of the week, all 3 kids were going to sleep much earlier and easier (praise the Lord!), so hopefully I won't have to literally pull Lena out of bed every morning as she continues to adjust. They missed 3 weeks of ACS, so they're playing a little bit of catch-up, but it's just a matter of completing important missed assignments. I think they're both on track academically with their peers. Lena's a little behind on reading and Lucy may be a little behind on math, but she's ahead in English. Since we used the same curriculum as ACS for those 2 weeks that I actually homeschooled them (and since we move at a much faster pace since I only have one student and she naturally understands the English concepts), she's actually a chapter ahead. She loved that she just got to read while her classmates did English all week. Thank you so much for your prayers. We're looking forward to a great school year!

Cinnamon rolls for the first day!

2. The first day I had a little bit of anxiety after dropping them off, wondering if they'd be scared, if they'd be able to pick up where they left off with their friendships from two years ago, if they felt like I abandoned them. But they came home so full of smiles and stories and excitement to go back the next day, that I was immediately reassured that we made the right decision. And as the week went on, I just felt the biggest sense of relief. I'm so happy not to be responsible for their education anymore! Haha. I was scrolling through Pinterest the other day and felt practically giddy every time I scrolled past a post like "How to integrate fun into grammar!" or "Follow these 5 easy steps to teach the history of America." I just wanted to squeal, "I don't have to pin you! I don't have to try to remember these things! I don't have to look you up years down the road when I actually need you!" Hahahaha. Seriously such a load off my shoulders!

3. One more thing that confirmed our decision was this:

On Friday, Lucy brought home a whole report on the state of Michigan. Look at that neat handwriting! Look how she followed the directions and did everything to completion! This is the "Bible Lands Map" that was the straw that broke my back a few weeks ago:

Those are all random numbers and symbols that had nothing to do with the map. (She was supposed to label the bodies of water.)

Do you see the difference?? Lucy is very smart, but she will not try when I'm the teacher. At school, she is a model student. Similarly, Lena's reading is already taking off after a week of having someone else work with her. Whew!

4. I've really been enjoying my time at home with just Levi. I watch Ruby 2 days a week (and love it), but the other 3 days it's just him and me. We've been playing games, doing play-doh, building tracks, going to the park, and -his favorite- watching whatever he wants on TV instead of having to take turns with the girls. Haha!

He loves Spot-It, but insists that we take turns finding the match so I don't beat him.

Cheetos in the pick-up lane (wearing a white shirt 🤦). And yes, he desperately needs a haircut . . .

I've also been playing a lot of Words with Friends and scrolling through facebook. He plays by himself really well, which is a totally new concept for me (ahem, Lena).

5. Actually, speaking of which, by the end of the week Lena started being especially clingy. She's always been my leech (another part of the reason I need her to go to school #introvert #stoptouchingme), and this is honestly the longest she's been away from me on a daily basis. When she went to ACS before, she was just in preschool, which was only two full days. Now she's doing all day every day and it has triggered some intense "mommy withdrawals." Wednesday night, she had a full blown meltdown and refused to go to Awana. Lucy never wants to go, and Levi wouldn't go without his sisters, so they all stayed home. I had rented Aladddin and had big plans to sit on the couch by myself and watch my movie while binging on junk food in my quiet, peaceful house. Instead, this happened:

Levi literally sat on my shoulder for most of the movie while Lena was nestled against my side. I'm trying to show her grace and affection because I know it's a huge adjustment for her, but it honestly makes my skin crawl after a while! This morning while I was in the shower, she came in to use the bathroom, then declared, "I'm just going to sit in here with you until you're done." Lol. The kid has some serious attachment issues.

6. I've got nothing else. Enjoy these pictures:

Nash man is 1!! And he has the best cheesy grin in the world.

So proud of her "insect marshmallow."

I found this beautiful selfie on my phone. She's getting so old!

One night this week I walked past a window on my way to the kitchen, saw my reflection and thought, "Holy cow! I look 6 months pregnant!" When I got to the kitchen, I thought "Hmm. I should make some brownies!" #fatandhappy #browniesnotbabies #notpregnant