Back to School?

Hard to believe it is time for school already --- back-to-school sales, teachers decorating classrooms, team meetings are well underway.  AND ... for the first time in 21 years, I will not be a part of it.

Will I miss the teachers.  No doubt.  I love the friendships formed, the way we always were "there" to listen, the great ideas shared, and the professional growth.
Will I miss OKE? ABSOLUTELY!  I can never thank Malynn enough for my support while we established our new little family.
Janet - how will I ever be able to survive without your humor and subtlety? (especially your "special" b-day treats during planning time) 
Taylor - Will I be suffering from ADM withdrawal and creating my own "football fields" in my sleep? (hmmm...let me think about that one)
4th grade team - will I miss your lunch conversations - and catching up with boyfriends, weddings, & babies?  You bet! Guess I'll just have to come back to visit sometime and catch up on all the good gossip!

Will I miss the paperwork.  Nope - sorry! That's an easy one to dismiss!

Will I regret staying home and being a teacher to these 3 little guys?  NEVER!  Seems like the Lord gave me 21 years in the field of education so I can apply what I have learned to my new small group.

Here's a little bit of our latest lessons at home:


Anatomy - we often sit together on the floor and have "surgery". Everyone giggles as I reach into their tummies and pull out trains, Veggie Tales, dirty diapers, and anything else they suggest.  I ABSOLUTELY LOVE having everyone looking up at me and laughing --- wish I could record the giggles and play at the same time... you'll just have to use your imagination!

 

Rest time! After a busy day with our new coloring books and a snack of Cheerios, we all settle down for a quick rest while watching Bubble Guppies!!! It also gives me a chance to change diapers while everyone is still (quiet moments are few and far between!).

Make believe - we were all hiding under the table when Daddy got home! Everyone was so excited to see him that we couldn't stay under the table for long, but once in a while, we had everyone together for one picture. Notice how Morgan has already managed to get Daddy's cell phone - good thing Dad can lock the keypad!

Hide-and-Seek - Lately we have discovered fun uses for laundry baskets. They can be used as boats, as "private spaces", as platforms from which we can jump (yes, I know, not the safest choice)... and in this case, the basket was used as a place for 5 people to hide! Uncle Scott and Cousin Rebecca joined in the fun, too!

Community Pets - I guess many elementary classrooms have pets.  We have 2 frogs (thanks, Becca) and our beloved Golden Retriever, Shelby. For those who are wondering if she gets along with the babies, YES! I had to take QUICK pictures as the entire crew decided to sit on the dog! After a BIG lick across the face, Shelby decided to stand and leave the fun. She sleeps really well at night and gets as many power naps as possible.

I have to leave you with a video clip. I was in the kitchen trying to recover from a dinner when I heard giggles and belly laughs coming from the front room.  I had to grab the camera, and thank goodness, caught some of it on film.  James has recently discovered that his sisters are very good at playing and interacting!  Words can't replace the sound of laughter... ( for 1 1/2 minutes).  I don't think I've posted a video for a while, so if you haven't seen us in action lately, enjoy the show!