Tuesday, August 26, 2014

Change always comes bearing gifts. ~Price Pritchett

Kindergarten is coming.  Taelin is going to be doing morning kindergarten at the same place that she did preschool.  She knows the teachers, knows the school, has friends...there isn't much changing in that regard.  But our schedule is changing.  Instead of going 3 full days, which has been the schedule for the last 3 years, she will be going 5 half days for kindergarten.  All this means that my schedule as work as changed too.  I am so incredibly lucky to have such an amazing job and boss that has given me the flexibility that let me make good decisions for our family.  I really wanted to be able to volunteer in Taelin's room so I decided that I will have Monday off, then work Tuesday-Thursday morning and then all day Friday.  The Friday isn't ideal, but it is what has to be because of staff meetings and professional development.

So, naturally, because I am me, I have been feeling worried about this change.  My 4 full days off in a row will be gone.  Sleeping in, snuggling in bed reading books,  making homemade waffles will no longer happen on Friday, which was our tradition.  I just kept feeling like there was all this "wonderful" ending with a huge "unknown" looming in it's place.

But Monday I got a glimpse of the gifts that might be coming.  I am not supposed to be working on Mondays, but the beginning of the year is just crazy and it demands flexibility.  There was a district thing that I had to be at that got over at noon so Joe (being the most awesome husband in the universe) stayed home in the morning with Taelin.  We made a huge list of things that she could do independently while Joe worked and I went off to my meeting.  At noon after the meeting was over, I grabbed my bag and said goodbye to my co-workers and headed to my car.  I was home 20 minutes later and Joe was out the door a few minutes after that.

Taelin told me all about her morning as we made lunch together.  After lunch, we did some chores around the house and then ran to the grocery store.  We came home and watered the garden and ran through the sprinkler.  Taelin showered up and we snuggled up on the couch with our homemade chocolate cookies made the day before and made a stack of read books so high that it eventually tumbled over.  We folded some laundry together (I wonder how long she will love folding laundry?) and then figured out what to make for dinner.

It was an absolute perfectly boring, regular afternoon with her.  I loved it all.  An suddenly that unknown looming is a little less unknown and a lot less looming.  My morning honestly went so fast that I hardly felt like I worked.  And when I got home, I wasn't exhausted from being at work and it wasn't a race to make dinner/eat dinner/clean/shower/bedtime.

I don't know why I don't figure it out.  Change always ends up being ok.  Things end but those ends are new beginnings and I need to remember that when change is coming.  That way, I can enjoy, savor and celebrate the endings instead of missing them worrying about what is unknown.  Maybe one of these days I will remember that in the right order. Maybe.

Sunday, August 10, 2014

Photo a Day July 21-Aug 10

This week marks the start of the 2014-2015 school year for me and we are having a lazy day at home before I gear up.  I thought it be best if I got caught up on my photo organizing which means getting caught up on my Photo A Day!  We have been cramming summer into these last few weeks of July and first weeks of August since we got such a late start due to illness.  Beach trips, a baseball game, swimming almost every night, the drive in and mini-vacation to Great Wolf Lodge with an ear infection thrown in the middle of it because apparently we were too healthy.  

Anyway, we have had a lot of fun.  School may be starting up but we will have good weather for awhile (fingers crossed) so our summer fun isn't over...we just have to schedule it a little differently!

july 21, 2014
Mr. Hopkins finally was on the carousel

july 22, 2014
cuddling on the couch

july 23, 2014
puddles

july 24, 2014
kindergarten backpack purchased

july 25, 2014
baseball game family picture

july 26, 2014
ear infection = disney store shopping

july 27, 2014
black eye thanks to a slide

july 28, 2014
scrapbooking together
july 29, 2014
mama and taelin beach day!

july 30, 2014
playing at the park
july 31, 2014
beach day with Lucy and Tina!  they had so much fun!

aug 1, 2014
school supplies purchased!  this girl is ready for kindergarten

aug 2, 2014
drive in time again!

aug 3, 2014
pool fun!

aug 4, 2014
beach day with Nana!
aug 5, 2014
that bowl is going to take forever to dry!

aug 6, 2014
new pink boots!  yeehaw!

aug 7, 2014
mini-vacation to the play in the water

aug 8, 2014
all showered up and ready to drive back home

aug 9, 2014
Maddie turns 7!
the matching outfits were NOT planned but sure were cute...

aug 10,  2014
hard waking up