First Day of School

Mary and I returned to Nevada the night before school started.

Educational milestones for the Jones kids: Tyce entered high school, Mary Rachel rules the school in her last year of elementary, and the twins started kindergarten.

Tyce: Gets up at 5:45 a.m. to make it to Seminary at 6:15 a.m. He is on Basic's freshman football team and practices for 2 hours after school every day. His classes include Spanish I, English, Algebra, ROTC, Biology, and band. There have been some bumps along the road but I am hopeful that they will work themselves out. Several people have described him as a social butterfly. I'd prefer him to be a scholarly snail.

No, these are not leggings.

But I am glad that he is friendly and honors his church commitments without issue.

Mary Rachel: Asked her teachers to call her Rachel this year, which surprised me. I don't know if I can ever not call her "Mare". She loves her team of teachers, all very nice ladies. She also likes her new GATE teacher. I found out that a boy has a crush on her and told one of the teachers that Mary Rachel was the girl of his dreams.

Let's move it, dream girl!

Cameron: Has Mrs. DelGiorno for morning kindergarten. She says that he is very obedient and attentive in class, which is a huge relief to me. I will continue to work with him on fine motor skills but he can write his name pretty legibly. She thinks he will do just fine in class. He's not currently medicated for his ADHD because it seemed that the meds exacerbated his tic.

Before school started Cam's snorting was unbearable. It was truly horrible to hear and seemed to be almost painful for him. He couldn't stop and even told Bryce, "I'm afraid I'm going to be snorting until I'm an old man." I warned the teacher about it and really worried how that would affect Cameron's ability to make friends. 

When Bryce gave each child a father's blessing before school started, he blessed Cameron to be healed from his tic.

And a miracle happened: Cameron hasn't snorted since.

I don't know if he will truly stop long-term or if this is just a short reprieve like we had this summer, but I am so grateful he can start the year as a normal little boy.

Free to be me!

Harrison: Has Mrs. Henn in morning kindergarten. I thought both boys had Mrs. Henn until Bryce went to the kindergarten Meet-and-Greet while I was in Colorado; he texted me to say they had different classes. I think separating the boys is really better for them, so they won't be compared to each other (or compare themselves to each other), and they can make their own friends.

Harrison is a smart cookie and a real sweetheart. I told him, "You are getting so big and so strong and so smart. I am proud of you!" He gave me a hug and said, "Oh! Now I have tears in my eyes!"

Don't cry, shunny! Gimme a kish!

It's so weird that I have three kids in the same school. That's three times the fundraising, three places to be for open house. But they are also the three Musketeers (at least for a few minutes every morning).

And they're all really happy--deep down inside.

That night we had a special Back-to-School dinner. I got the idea from Secrets of a Super Mommy. I made alphabet soup (homemade!) and first-initial bread sticks.

Alphabet soup with vegetables, beef and barley. It was really good.

Does anyone know if Pillsbury makes actual bread sticks anymore? I went to two stores and finally ended up with crescent rolls. If I'd have known my "easy" plan would've been so hard to execute I'd have just made my own dough.

Crescent roll bread sticks before they went in the oven--they worked out fine.

Dinner is served!

We had root beer floats for our Family Home Evening treat.

So that's how the school year is going so far. And what am I doing with my free time? I put off the yoga class and it's a good thing I did because it's been quite an adjustment getting people where they need to be; I've had a few meetings and a few urgent errands that would have interfered with class. So for now I've been taking care of the house and trying to stop myself from spending money. They need to have bouncers at the door to keep me out of Target.

But back to the kids--they are great and I love them so much and I pray with all my heart that this school year will be wonderful for all.