Milestones

The Charter school and preschool started this week, so 4 of the girls are back in school. This afternoon as they were gone I was so enjoying the quiet that I hardly knew what to do with my time. I always get a bit choked up the first day of school, even the 9th time around. It's one of those markers of time passing, and a reminder that life won't always be the same as it is right now, for better or for worse. And even on the hard days I know there will come a day when I'll miss all the chaos at least a little bit. Anyway, the girls were pretty excited to get back in class. Anya has good friends in her preschool class, and it's right here in the neighborhood, so it's really convenient for me. Sierra has all of her favorite friends in her class this year, and an awesome teacher, Mrs. Brooks. Emma seems to like her teacher, Mrs. Swanson, so far and she hasn't had homework yet, so that has eased her transition. Lexi is in the middle school, so she gets a locker and changes classes and everything. Next week she starts at the Treasure Valley Math and Science Center, which is a regional program for more advanced math and science classes, which will be a great experience for her. Christa starts next week as well, continuing at the Math and Science Center and then at Riverglen JHS for the rest of the day. I'll have an official Junior High student-Yikes!   

Other recent milestones:  Paisley's 3rd tooth broke through, and #4 should be there any day. She is crawling all over the place and sitting herself up really well, eating baby food, and will not hold still for diaper changes.  Anya has mastered keeping herself dry at night and earned a Toucan Webkinz for her efforts.  Sierra lost another bottom tooth, that makes 6 baby teeth gone.   Emma had her first stitches this very evening.  She cut the bottom of her foot on the lid from a can that was in a garbage bag that was waiting by the door to go out to the garbage can.  She stepped on the corner of the bag just wrong and the lid sliced right into her poor foot.  She screamed and cried, but we just laid her down on the rug in the foyer and Ryan stitched her up right there.  Many thanks to my dear neighbor, Tina who happened to have come up to get something from our house right before it happened, and who took the three younger girls down the street to play for a few minutes while we took care of Emma.