All the Firsts...

Whew!  It's only Wednesday but this feels like the biggest week!  EVER.

The week started on Sunday when we painted Aubrey Kate's nails for the first time. 

I know.  But listen, I am not a nail-painting girl.  I'm just not.  Really, I don't think I'm that fancy of a person.  Although my Boho-never-wears-makeup-and-rocks-glasses-and-a-messy-bun-and-still-looks-gorgeous friends would say I am fancy.  

Maybe it's the maxi skirt.  Or the mascara.  

But it's never the fingernail polish.  Because I just don't.

So these are the sacrifices we make for our children.  We buy them Sophia the First hot pink nail polish with sparkly crown stickers to go on top.  We smile at the gazillion gasps of delight they make.  And wonder when if they will always love all the girly-girl stuff.

But the truth is, the Sophia the First nail polish was not created to withstand actual children.  Or a bath.  Because it all washed right off in the bath tub Sunday night.  Leaving us with no other option than to paint them again Monday morning.

Because I rock.

Before Monday morning, came Sunday night.  When I might have written and rewritten this chalkboard 104 times to get everything on it.  Really.  Cuteness should not require this much work.  

Although, it was worth it because look at my girl there!

Rhys does not know how to NOT be in the picture.  So consider him the First Day of Kinder Mascot.  

Chris got up around 6 am Monday morning and discovered both of our children in the living room.  Awake.  Aubrey Kate was almost back to sleep but she was fully clothed and ready to start her day.  Later, she explained that she was simply too excited to sleep.  Zero clue how long she'd been out there but based on Rhys' exhaustion level, I'm guessing 5 am ish.

Rhys was asking to take a nap before we'd even left the house for school.

There are oh so many ways AK is just like her daddy.  Granted, because she spends 90% of her time with me, her mannerisms tend to be more me.  But her ingrained nature?  The way God put her together?  That's all Chris.

So when she's too excited about school to sleep, those are the moments when I can say, "Oh look, there I am!"  Because I loved school.  I would still be in school if college was free.  It's just that good.

Once we got to school. this was what she thought of my continued use of the camera AND having assigned seats.  "Last year, we could sit where ever we wanted to."  Said in the whiniest of voices.  

Yeah, well, this ain't last year, Buttercup.

Her teacher sent me this picture.  I swear, this is the first picture she's EVER had taken at school when she was actually smiling.  This teacher must be magic.  Or have M&M's.

The day was OKAY.  Not great but okay.  She didn't want to say her name out loud (you know, to introduce herself to the class) because she doesn't like saying her name out loud.  I never realized this was a THING but then, as I thought about it, she never actually introduces herself to anyone.  I always step in to eliminate the awkward silence between someone asking her her name and her CLAMMING UP.  So apparently, this isn't a shy thing, although, it might be an introvert thing (because small talk is EVIL) but it's an Aubrey Kate thing.

Not introducing yourself means your name is removed from the list of potential classroom helpers.  She was upset she didn't get to be a helper but not enough to say her name.

Thankfully, that only lasted one day.  By Tuesday, she had introduced herself and all was, once again, right with the world.

Overall, this year's transition has been a BREEZE.  No tears.  No tantrums.  Complaints, yes.  Frustrations, yes.  But not a single breakdown.  

God is good.

Can we just take a moment an look at home much she's grown in the past year?  Bless.  I can't even stand how gorgeous she is.

Then came last night when I needed to get everyone in the house (but me) ready for school.  That's two backpacks and three lunches.  All ready to go.  

Chris' lunchbox is the Cars one.  It doesn't light up anymore which is just a darn shame.  AK kept her Princess theme but Rhys wanted Superheros.  I found the Spiderman backpack on clearance and got the lunchbox during Tax Free weekend.  

There was much rejoicing when I presented them to him.

Mom win.

This sign took far less time.  Praise be.

LOOK AT HIM!  He was so excited, he could hardly stand it.  His first chalk board!  Aubrey Kate kept jumping up and down over her excitement for him.  Bless her.  She really is just a precious soul.

So, of course, we needed a picture of them together for his first day.  

Now, look at my little man in his backpack.  I can't even.  He's so cute.

His favorite thing in his classroom is by far the tool bench.  And, yes, we have one of those at our house but the one at school is NEW.  New wins every time.

He went right in to his room.  Literally, and I do actually mean literally, every other kid in the classroom was crying and some were all out screaming.  Like bloody murder screaming.

Rhys was completely unfazed. 

I kissed him on the cheek, he waved bye and then headed over to the tool bench.

LIKE A BOSS.

His teacher said he was just a rock star.  Real quote there.  And she has a deep Southern accent.  Like Scarlet O'Hara.  Only she's a native Texan and truly y'all, Texans do not have the same frilly, sweet Southern accent we have in the deep South.  She's precious.

When I told her how much she sounded like home, she said, "Well, I hope my accent brings you some comfort from home."

She's my favorite.

I did, however, say a prayer of thanks she is not AK's teacher.  My daughter tends to pick up accents in a FLASH and around here, that accent gets made fun of.  I'd rather avoid that if possible.

Anyway, Rhys never cried.  Never complained.  Never ate a bite of food too.  But overall, he was outstanding.  His favorite part of the day was the playground.  Clearly.

And now for his picture from last year.  Sweet mercy.  When he loses those cheeks, I'm going to die.  My baby.

For my first day without the kids, I went to the gym, hit the grocery store, got the oil changed (finally.) (adulting is so hard.  ugh.), and WENT TO THE BOOKSTORE.  

I then drove to AK's school where I parked my car with it's fancy new oil, drank my DDP with Cherry from the fancy grocery store and started reading A BOOK.  

Even with only 15 minutes worth of reading time, I was blissful.  And now I have discovered a whole new reason to love school.