First day of school

The first day of school was the 15th. I'm horribly late posting pictures because my stupid computer quit working again. So here's Chey who all of a sudden likes pink, Dylan aka Mr. GQ, Cassidy the beauty queen and Alissa the moody.

These are half-asleep pictures of Dylan and Chey.








And the best dressed kids in school!





Cassidy with the wonderful Mrs. Garrett. :)

Meet the Teacher

Last night we got to go meet the kids teachers. We were a little nervous that Cassidy wouldn't get Mrs. Garrett, the most awesome teacher ever. We were ecstatic when we found out that she did get her. Cheyenne's teacher seemed a bit scatterbrained and easily distracted. Dylan's teacher seems really nice and very bubbly. She was recommended by Mrs. Garrett so I know she'll be great. Then there were the parents in both of those rooms who decided they deserved the teachers undivided attention for the entire hour allotted for meeting the teacher because clearly their child is more important than any other in the class. Mrs. Garrett, on the other hand, had big hugs waiting for each and every one of us when we walked into the room. We took our video of the Yankees game to share with her and she was just as excited as we were that we got to go. She was just as impressed as I was at the footage I got of Jorge Posada making the sign of the cross over himself and then in the grass several times after the singing of the national anthem. (Really I think it was the most amazing thing I saw during the whole game. Why don't we ever see that side of the player on the news?) Mrs. Garrett actually teared up when she saw it. She's a baseball fan too! She told us that Cassidy's name was the first one she looked for when she get her student list and that she was prepared to throw a fit if it hadn't been there. :) She has an amazing way of making you feel like a part of her family. I consider it a huge blessing that we moved when we did and my children have such a wonderful lady in their lives because of it! We defiantly won't be moving till Alissa gets through first grade. Every child should have a Mrs. Garrett in their lives.

Yardwork

The fact that my kids were hard at work pulling and throwing away weeds was amazing. The fact that Jeremy was actually the ringleader and not on his ever growing heiny was nothing short of a miracle! This was however the scene when I awoke Sunday morning. Of course, I was smart enough to immortalize the event in pictures as it may never happen again.

Now I know....

EXACTLY what my Mother was feeling when she said, in desperation, "I am so ready for school to start!" I have even been know to repeat that phrase numerous times a day in the last few weeks. :) There is a light at the end of the tunnel. The kids, well 3 of them, will go back to school the 15th. That's just 10 short days from now! We ventured out Tuesday to get their school supplies. As you can see the backpacks were the most exciting thing. Note to Mother's: Dragging 4 young kids around in 100 degree heat all day is no fun for anyone.

The Price of Children

I'm sure we have all read this a thousand times. For me it was a huge reminder of my abundent blessings at a time when I am feeling totally overwhelmed and inadaquate as a mother and wife.

The government recently calculated the cost of raising a child from birth to 18 and came up with $160,140 for a middle income family. Talk about sticker shock! That doesn't even touch college tuition.

But $160,140 isn't so bad if you break it down. It translates into:

* $8,896.66 a year,

* $741.38 a month, or
* $171.08 a week.
* That's a mere $24.24 a day!
* Just over a dollar an hour.

Still, you might think the best financial advice is don't have children if you want to be "rich" Actually, it is just the opposite. What do you get for your $160,140?
* Naming rights. First, middle, and last!

* Glimpses of God every day.
* Giggles under the covers every night.
* More love than your heart can hold.
* Butterfly kisses and Velcro hugs.
* Endless wonder over rocks, ants, clouds, and warm cookies.
* A hand to hold, usually covered with jelly or chocolate.
* A partner for blowing bubbles, flying kites
* Someone to laugh yourself silly with, no matter what the boss said or how your stocks performed that day.

For $160,140, you never have to grow up. You get to:

* finger-paint,
* carve pumpkins,
* play hide-and-seek,
* catch lightning bugs, and
* never stop believing in Santa Claus.

You have an excuse to:
* keep reading the Adventures of Piglet and Pooh,
* watching Saturday morning cartoons,
* going to Disney movies, and
* wishing on stars.
* You get to frame rainbows, hearts, and flowers under refrigerator magnets and collect spray painted noodle wreaths for Christmas, hand prints set in clay or Mother's Day, and cards with backward letters for Father's Day.

For $160,140, there is no greater bang for your buck. You get to be a hero just for:
* retrieving a Frisbee off the garage roof,
* taking the training wheels off a bike,
* removing a splinter,
* filling a wading pool,
* coaxing a wad of gum out of bangs, and coaching a baseball team that never wins but always gets treated to ice cream regardless.

You get a front row seat to history to witness the:
* first step,
* first word,
* first bra,
* first date, and
* first time behind the wheel.

You get to be immortal. You get another branch added to your family tree, and if you're lucky, a long list of limbs in your obituary called grandchildren and great grandchildren. You get an education in psychology, nursing, criminal justice, communications, and human sexuality that no college can match.



In the eyes of a child, you rank right up there under God. You have all the power to heal a boo-boo, scare away the monsters under the bed, patch a broken heart, police a slumber party, ground them forever, and love them without limits, So . . one day they will like you, love without counting the cost. That is quite a deal for the price!!!!!!!

Love & enjoy your children & grandchildren