Back to School

Yes, the rest of you have been back to school for 2 weeks now. Today was our first day. It was wonderful for a couple of reasons:
1. The heat is gone-- yah 70 degrees!
2. Everywhere we went the last couple of weeks we had the place to ourselves-- no waiting in line at coney island or kings island.
3. Extra time with no crazy schedules to follow.
4. It took the whole summer, but these kids finally started playing together a little better. I'm not saying there was no fighting, just less. Audrey and Samantha even made up a little "sister" handshake with a song to go with it about being best friends.

So now here is my list of negatives about school starting:
1. It is just too quiet in the house. I would be SO sad today if I didn't have Lila to keep me company.
2. We now have 2 schools and no bus. So lots of driving for us.
3. Tyler's middle school STARTS at 7:15am. Ridiculous!
4. Usually I rejoice in the return to schedules, structure, routine, and some quiet time for mom. For some reason this year I just miss the kids and can't stop thinking about them. I feel a little lost for some reason.

We have had some struggles with school here in Cincinnati. Unfortunately, Tyler and Audrey can remember school in Arkansas and that is all they have to compare it to. If they could, they would both go back to what we had there in a heartbeat. Last night Nathan gave us all priesthood blessings to help us have the right attitude about our new school year. I finally felt some peace and I think the kids did too. They all woke up and seemed genuinely excited this morning.

As my kids get older, it is just so hard to let them grow and "stretch their wings", trusting they will be ok if I'm not always there. It is hard for me to send them to school with so many people with different values/morals. It is hard to send them into sometimes hard situations and not be there to protect them. I have prayed so hard lately that this will be a good year. I am going on faith- faith in God and faith in my kids. They aren't really alone because I believe the Lord is watching out for them. They can learn to make good decisions and set a good example for those around them. I have to believe that these experiences will make them stronger, more faithful, and better able to cope with real life later on.