School is back in session!

School is back in session!
.... And I laugh at those who don't have kids in school that think my time will free up with all the kids at school all day. :)  I've been busier than ever the last three weeks!

Ok so yes I do have more free time, but I've been filling it up with lots of good stuff.

Homeroom mom, PTA volunteering, Carline, exercise, cleaning, carpools, grocery shopping, and vacation planning!  Ashley asked me why I didn't have hobbies like a friend of her's mom has, and I told her I do, they are just different- and that's ok.  I like and enjoy the time I spend at the school volunteering.  I enjoy carpooling and listening to the interactions of the kids with their friends.  I enjoy the planning that I put into vacations- from the plans for everything here at home while I'm gone, to the planning for my time away.  All of that is my hobby. :)  Now the cleaning and grocery shopping- well us moms still have plenty of that to fill up our time too.

I can't believe Rich and I leave one week from tomorrow!  I'm so excited and know the kids are going to have a great time here at home with our friends that are staying with them.  I've been working on getting all the details for them written up, things organized and everything I can think of to make it easier on all of them here at home, and that alleviates me stressing out about it when I'm a thousand miles away and can't do anything about it. :)

I just unloaded a bunch of pictures on the family blog- newtonaaaa.blogspot.com of the kids birthday's and other stuff that happened in August.  Last weekend we went down to Dallas and played at Six Flags over Texas, and the Great Wolf Lodge.  I still have to get pictures off the camera from that little trip, but we had a fun time despite the 109 degree weather at six flags and had a fun labor day weekend.

The kids all have great teachers this year and I've been impressed with them so far.  Alex and Ashley have kept up with homework this first two weeks...  crossing fingers we can stay on a good level of getting it done on time for the rest of the school year. 

Alex is in 8th grade- His last year before highschool and early morning seminary.  We are enjoying not having to get up until 6:30.  Next year he will be at seminary at 6:30!  He is the sole tuba player in his 8th grade band at school and is excited for the science club to start up this year. He wound up getting classes together with some good friends and all of his friends all have lunch together so he is very happy about that. :)

Ashley is in 7th grade- She made the advanced math class and she and Rich have been spending a lot of time each night working on her homework.  I'm so glad that Rich has an easy time with math and can sit and help her work through problems and show her when she gets stuck on different steps.  I did do that math in school, but I can't remember any of it now and to explain it to her would be even harder!  She also has her good friend on the same team at school as her this year and has started cross country- so we have been introduced to School athletics with that. 

Alyssa is in 4th grade- She is now one of the big kids at school and has grown into that roll quite well.  She loves that they have spanish and get to learn some and has gone and learned all sorts of spanish songs that Ashley showed her on a utube channel that is targetted to kids learning spanish.  She was a little dissapointed that none of her best friends were in her class, but she is making new friends in her class and she still has recess and lunch with all of her other friends.

Angela is in 2nd grade- I can hardly believe my baby is no longer a baby at school.  She's been going to school for three whole years and doesn't want mom to walk her to class, or hover around.  She knows where to go and feels comfortable.  She came home and told us her friend told her she talks a lot at school.  For my girls that is so uncommon- they are usually more on the "painfully shy" spectrum of things and don't talk a lot.  I'm glad that she is feeling so comfortable at school that they get to see the spunky side of her we all know and love at home.