Chloe is taking the time to do well on her homework, just like last year.
She has made a couple of new  friends and has relaxed.

 Kate is adjusting to a much bigger homework load.
At this school, you don’t count beans or fingers.
I plan to hook her up at Kumon math for a while to get up to speed.
Anyone have experience there?

Kassidy loves her new teacher and classmates.
She’s a happy camper all-around.

I am totally amazed at the turn-around since Monday.

Yesterday I needed a break from thinking about the events of the last few weeks,
and I went to a coworker’s house to hang out for a bit.

 We got to talking about this old door she brought back from Minnesota,

and started brainstorming about ways to re-purpose it.

Before we knew it, we were back at my house removing the white paint.

Next week we will be giving it a new look and turning it into a functional statement piece.

Have you seen any cool old door transformations?

This is the last time my kids smiled…yesterday before school.

After logging countless hours shopping for supplies and uniforms for the smoothest start possible,

I thought all systems were a “go” for the first day at a new school.

Everyone loved their backpacks and lunch boxes. Check.

Everyone eventually found shorts and shirts they liked. Check.

But, the morning of, complaints about how the uniforms either fit or itched or what not were flying.
Their hair wasn’t to their liking.
Drama.

The positive tone we had finally arrived at quickly reverted to fear and resistance.

As the girls pried themselves away from me before they were led to their new classrooms the look in their eyes did me in. I walked away with a quivering chin and a lump in my throat rather than introducing myself to some of the parents.

A half a tank of gas later I felt optimistic as I returned to pick them up in the low-riding van with some potentially better uniforms. I was confident they would give a good report because in general they LOVE school. I know, weird.

Instead, I was greeted with BIG crocodile tears. Moms, you know the ones I’m talking about.

They even cried over their favorite custard at Culver’s. That’s when I knew this wasn’t good.
One of them will be just fine, although she gave it the ‘ol college try to look upset like her sisters.

The girls came from a warm-fuzzy, happy go-lucky school with lots of frills and happy distractions, and it’s a big adjustment. This school is a traditional, back-to-basics school that emphasizes discipline and a strong work ethic. They are begging me to put them anywhere but here. We want better academics for them – better than AZ state standards which are nothing to brag about. In discussing the events of the day the one thing that I will go to bat for is not allowing any teacher to use strictness as an excuse to disrespect my child. She’s never cried over a teacher before, and this morning I requested her to be transferred to another class.

One of our girls cried herself to sleep while I prayed for her. I so hope today is better.

Man, change sucks. There, I said it. And we’re just getting started.On a happy note, I got a really cute haircut today.

Any advice for Mama? I’m all ears.Edited to add: right after I finished this post the Principal called and granted my request to transfer my daughter. Baby steps.

It has been a slow summer in every way.

Stabilizing our housing situation has been arduous.

I even closed my shop anticipating “the big day” to arrive, hence no pretty furniture pictures.

Well, the summer came and went. We are still in limbo with banks and paperwork that appears to vanish into thin air. I think ghosts work at Bank of America.

Mama does not like not knowing which nest her chickadees will live in, or which school to choose by which nest this year. It has been hard on the little women, too. They want to stay at the school they know and love, and it has been a challenge not to give in to their begging and pleading. I had already decided on a more rigorous school in our neighborhood, which I would have to uproot them from after getting into the school I want for them in the new nest’s neighborhood – which I was told could take a year.

Even though we had a long shot of getting in to the stellar school by the house/neighborhood we hope to be in, I registered them anyway for this year. Two weeks ago one of them got in. I was thrilled, but I have 2 more little chickadees to think about. Hmmm. We prayerfully decided to take the spot and move the other two later and I stepped up to the role of taxi for a while. Last week I was told they had spots for the other two. We couldn’t believe it, with a waiting list that is upwards of 800 people, we got in in a matter of 6 weeks? My friend whose family attends there said she doesn’t know how we got in so quickly.

We’ve been praying for doors to be opened and closed to guide us wherever we need to be,

so we accept this as an open door.

We will be commuting to the new school as long as we still live here. Today we met our teachers and I almost started crying. I had that feeling every mother wants to have that your children are in the right environment for them, socially, academically, and value-wise. Wow.

What’s even better, the girls stopped pleading with me to go to their previous school cold-turkey, and are actually excited to start on Monday. We celebrated by going for haircuts, to bath and body works for their choice of body spray, and for lunch. It’s a great feeling to have my chicks content to realize this new beginning.

We reminisced today about the school they’ve loved so much the last two years. On their last-day-of-school talent show two of them opened it up by singing God Bless America and the Star Spangled Banner, A Capella. It’ll make you smile. You’ll see Miss Kate-confidence (7) just walk up there without batting an eyelash that a couple hundred people were watching her. Kassidy (9) sang because getting on stage was a fear she wanted to overcome. She was nervously twisting the microphone and it lost sound for a moment so she lost her place, but picked right back up. Listen as she sings “as the rockets red glare….” It was her best moment and the hardest part of the entire song – I know I can’t sing it! I also think it’s SO funny that she started to say “glaze” instead of “wave” at the end. Hmmmm. I wonder how that word was right on the tip of her tongue? Sorry, Kassie!

I hope you enjoy their preciousness!