First Day of School!

...and the boys are off!

It's a bit sad this year, not only missing Jenileigh but the fact that this will be the last year the younger boys will be in school together. They are big buds. They had a great day and were so chatty on the way home talking about their first days. John is committed to not pulling any below the lines. He got a collection of them for "inappropriate talking" which he thought the first time meant he had said bad words, which he knew he hadn't and was upset more about that than the fact that he got into trouble at all. He gets it now. No talking when your not supposed to. I think this 5th grade year will really prepare him well for middle school next.

Long Week

This has been a long week at the end of a very short summer. The boys all start back to school tomorrow and I will hopefully be able to post their traditional first day back photos. Davis goes into 11th, John into 5th and Michael into 1st. This will be the last year that John and Michael will ever be in the same school. Kinda sad, dontcha think? Jenileigh left around 3:00 pm  to head back to college. She came home Friday afternoon. She missed her exit and drove about an hour out of the way, a mistake I doubt she will make again. Anyway, since we drove to the mountains midweek last week, we aren't having too much trouble with separation. She will plan to come home on weekends, at least until Kenny leaves for NY.

So, I will be driving the younger boys to school as the bus was not the best situation last year for them. That should be okay, especially since I plan to meet a friend downtown and walk for an hour or so after I drop them off. I really need to come on home and catch up on all the laundry that has accumulated over the summer. It is amazing how bad it can get. I did manage to get all of Jen's done Saturday so she had a bag full of clean stuff to take to her dorm room. She seemed excited to get back to classes and all the activity on campus. I guess my next project will be to organize what is left in her room, box up stuff, get rid of clothes she doesn't want anymore. It makes me sad and tired.

Storms are rolling in. I love summer storms.

Jen leaving to go back to college.

Moving to App

We move her on Wednesday. What will I do without my girl here? Can she really be this age? I feel my heart breaking.

John on his way to tennis

Teenagers

one of the few times we get to see all their teeth. yes!

this was a few seconds later. ups and downs of siblings.

Finally figured this thing out!

Jen singing Wicked, "I'm Not That Girl". Excuse the shaky photography please.

 

 

And then there's Cinderella in "Into the Woods".

I can't believe this...

http://news.aol.com/story/_a/cartoonist-doug-marlette-dies-in-crash/20070710164709990001

I actually met this man a few months ago. He spoke at our elementary school and I spoke with him and helped him carry a box of his books to be signed to the front of the school. He was so kind and funny. He personalized the autograph of a first edition of The Bridge thusly:

"TO JEANNETTE-      

    FELLOW DESCENDANT OF COTTON MILL WORKERS! BLESS YOUR HEART!        

                               DOUG MARLETTE"

This is exactly how he signed it, all caps and with the mispelling of my name. Who was I to correct him, right? Anyway, with all his success and celebrity he took time with everyone who wanted to talk to him after his moving speech. He was a Pulitzer Prize winner after all. What a sad day.