Wrappin' Up Summer

My goodness, summer went by fast this year. I have to say, this has been a fast and fun summer. I think partly it was because there was a lot of travelling this year--that always makes time fly by!  We got to go on the magical Allure of the Seas with mom, Louise, Danielle and Brittany, and then we also got to go to Virginia for a mini-family reunion for several days.  After that, it was a long trip to Alaska, then a couple of weeks at home, then off for a few days of fun in Tenneessee.  Yep, I'd say we were one spoiled family this year.

But now the time has come to wrap it up and put our eyes back on school.  Everyone goes back one week from today.  Sam will be in seventh grade (and yes, I'm in a panic about it) and Benny will start fifth grade.  Because of some shuffling in the school district, Benny will be going to the former Middle School, which now houses fifth and sixth graders only, instead of remaining one more year in his beloved (and safe) elementary school.  I'm not happy about that at ALL.

Anyway.  Today was the day we went back-to-school-shopping.  We loaded up on pencils, notebooks, paper and crayons.  How I dread the day neither of the boys need crayons anymore.  What's a school year without crayones, scissors, and glue?  Sam has already passed that milemarker---but Benny still needed those things.

And wow--look what we found.  A BEATLES pencil pouch!  Benny was thrilled and lit up like it was a brand new tropy or something.  Such small things can make the "going back to school in a new building with new kids and new faces" thing a whole lot easier to bear.  Thank goodness.

So, one more week of staying up late and sleeping late and lazing the days away.  Soon we'll be up in the dark, off on the school bus in the wee hours of the morning, and in for afternoons of homework and agendas and papers to sign and soccer games to go to.  But it's time. We've had a nice break.

Open house next week.  The boys are excited to see who they have in their classes.  They are all hoping to see some friends!  More on that when the time comes.

In the meantime--get ready for school!