off to school.

'tis the season for packing lunches and 16 glue sticks (i've stopped asking) and traipsing to the bus in sneakers so fresh you can smell the new.





i'm quite certain we just started summer holiday, but time has been more slippery than usual as of late. plus also for reasons unbeknownst to my brain, the Educational Powers That Be shrink our vacation a wee bit each year. so. yesterday morning, after whole-wheat pancakes and much flattening of hair, the four olders trundled off to school again.



(mr. fifth grade)



(eighth grade)



(third grade)



(first grade)

this is her eek!firstgrade! look, but do not believe it. the rest of the time she was doing this:









however.


there was one small person (plus one mama) who was less than ecstatic about the commencement of school. little m spent much of the morning hanging out by the window to watch for his brothers and sister. we'd coax him away with puzzles and play doh and memory, but soon enough he'd scoot right back, as if certain the intensity of his vigil would bring them home.




but God knew just what we needed. my girl jenn & her sweet crew sent us a bucket of happy to keep small hands and imaginations well occupied.





(aren't chalkboard surfaces the cleverest thing? sadly, in my unpacking excitement i managed to thoroughly smudge up j's beautiful penmanship.)




(cooper household, thank you. your timing was impeccable.)


at 2:30 the biggers winged back home full of homework and first-day tales. little m was clam-happy. we had snack and bikes and play and an evening of together, and this morning? we pulled it all off again with only a few short minutes of window-time.


with friends like y'all and a God who sends mercy by the bucketfuls, i suspect we just might survive this school year after all.


:)



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visit em's lyrical space for more imperfect prose.