the first day

Today was the first day of school. 

I didn't get pictures of the kiddos this morning because the rain came down.  hard.

 

I drove the kiddos to the bus and headed to a nearby coffee shop where my new PTA duties included hanging out and answering questions from "new to school moms" at an event called crying over coffee.  There I learned two things:  (1) I do not enjoy small talk and (2) I have already managed to over-extend myself with the volunteering.  In case you were wondering, nobody cried.

 

I returned home to a dark and quiet house and outside the rain was still coming down. hard.  I turned on all the lights but then it felt bright and cold so I packed a bag and went to the gym.  There I remembered how much I love running on the elliptical machine.  And how I missed listening to my music.

 

After the gym I drove to the thrift store to drop off donations.  Then to the library to check out several books that david had requested.  And to the grocery store for food with which to pack all those lunches.  And still the rain came down.  I grabbed a quick lunch and went to my sewing space - but with no kiddos pulling out fabrics, or asking me to spell words, or screaming that the others were not playing fair - I must admit I was a bit lost.  So I settled on reading this amazing book for an hour and then I cast on for this simple yet elegant sweater.  And after folding yet another load of laundry it was time to drive on back to the bus stop where the rain continued to come down.

 

And gather my hungry, tired, and wet but very happy kiddos.

 

Everyone had a great day.

We all took warm baths and ate lots of homemade pizza, peaches, and ice cream.  And spent the evening cuddling on the couch while the kiddos fought over whose turn it was to tell mom all the exciting things that took place at school.  Ezra sat next to me and read while waiting for his turn to speak.  David kept track of how many minutes each kiddo spoke - to keep things fair.  And Abigail jumped on the ottoman for extra attention.  All was back to normal. 

And tomorrow this mama will be ready for a little knitting and sewing. 

Comments

[Andrea]

Sounds like a lovely day (I love the rain). I can barely imagine a time when everyone in my house is old enough to be off at school all day and I have time to run errands and go to the gym, let alone read and knit in silence :)

[Lisa Q]

Sounds like it ended well! I love those pictures of the kids getting off the bus. I'm glad you didn't have any crying over coffee. I'm sure today will fall into a rhythm easier than yesterday did...new beginnings are tough on everyone. Enjoy the quiet.

[beki]

That sounds like a pretty good day to me!

[Heather]

Sounds like the perfect first day. The first picture is so lovely.

I am also not one for small talk. Just too much to do :)

[Suzy]

Sounds like a nice day. My kids started kindergarten and pre school this year (just mornings). My first day alone was yesterday and I opted to go to the gym also.

[leslie]

such a bitter sweet time.

glad everyone had a wonderful day!

[kristyn]

I'm in the home alone boat with you (for the first time in 12 years!). I had a good day just staying around home. so glad everyone had a good day!

[darlene]

sounds like your day was complete when your children returned home, even amidst the banter!

[Michelle]

Such a lovely narrative of your day! I adore The History of Love. I found it to be a very original format that was like a breath of fresh air. It can really tug at your heart and I found the brother and sister entirely captivating. By reading what you wrote about your day, it sounds like you will really enjoy the book.

Take Care,
Michelle

[Jane]

What a nice day! And sitting on the couch waiting for a turn to talk? Wouldn't happen here, but I wish it would.