Ready or Not School Begins

First day of School

School has begun. And not just school--gymnastics, soccer, and clogging decided to begin the same week.  I was anticipating a transition, so other than a few bouts of insomnia oh say every night this past week, I have taken the changes in stride.  One thing I was not anticipating was more conflict with Sav.  (Which is very odd because Savanna has struggled with transitions since she was two years old so one would think I would have braced myself for it.) Savanna is a textbook "tweener."  She is very happy to be in sixth grade, loves her teachers, has a definite crush on a certain boy at school and is not embarrassed to talk about him in loving tones, and HATES most everything about her appearance.  Her clothes never fit right, her hair never looks good enough, her mom is always getting on her case about the dress code, she refuses to wear her glasses anymore, and her braces lost a band so everyone will notice!  Her self-conscious anxieties even spill over into her soccer clothes (too big, too baggy, too long)!  The excitement of the first day of school was doused with arguments about her outfit, and can't I PLEASE allow her to wear makeup to school?? The morning of the second day of school there were fights about borrowing leggings. The morning of the third day of school her jeans didn't fit right.  On Friday morning we spend 30 minutes trying to fix her hair. After wetting, drying, combing, pulling, and even cutting she finally settled on a do, and even then as she was walking out the door she wasn't satisfied with her bangs. She did thank me about 3 times though for helping her with her hair.

Not convinced she looks pretty enough

Finally a smile. What a beautiful girl

Fiora's not sure what the fuss is about!

Weston's excited for school

This is the last year I will have 3 kids in the same school.  The school fees just for elementary school alone this year seemed exorbitant, but I've been warned it only gets worse in Jr. High. And then hundreds of dollars worse in High school.  So I'm grateful we only had to spend circa 100 on clothes, 100 on supplies, 60 on class donations, 30 for orchestra, 305 for lunches, and a small $5 to join the PTA. 

The week prior to school starting I turned this

Into this

I love Utah peaches in August!  They are Heavenly. I can't wait til my peach trees yield fruit!

Since we have had so many fires in Utah this summer the sun always looks red and hazy in the evening. It makes for some beautiful sunsets and you can almost look directly at the flaming red ball.  Pictures don't do it a bit of justice but here is one anyway.

Jared took me to his lot in Timberlakes to do some four wheeling last Saturday. We went with Justin and Shawna and stopped for mexican on the way there. It was a good time!

Justin got the biggest taco I've ever seen

Super nachos with jalapenos, yum!

Justin and Shawna

Heather

Jared and Weston enjoyed a Father's son camp out this weekend, yep that was squeezed into this week as well. Weston had a great time, and I was a little worried about him because he has had 90 minute gymnastics classes Mon and Wed, and soccer practice Tues and Thurs, and school besides, and hasn't slept that well all week, but he is a trooper and loved the outing. Jared said they went out to eat, caught fish and grilled them at the camp site, shared treats, slept pretty well, and the next morning went on a fun bike ride.  They were 30 minutes late to his first soccer game but hey, soccer is every week and father son camp outs only happen once a year if that.  Jared said he had a really good time, love those memories!  

In the tent

One more thing. Here are some more fun pictures I didn't post from the Daddy Daughter activity last month.