School junkie

I admit it... I have a problem. I love school. Seriously. We've been happily spending ridiculously amounts of money school supply shopping, buying new backpacks... today is new shoes. We went to Conor's 2nd grade orientation and Riley's 1st grade orientation this week, where the halls were buzzing with last year's friends, smiles, yells, excitement. The principals were in the hall, directing parents and children to classroom, smiling and welcoming everyone and warmly greeting everyone they knew BY NAME (and yes that includes me, in all my pta-chairperson glory).

In the classrooms, the teachers had cute get-to-know-you activities ready for the kids to do, desks with nametags, new agendas. As soon as Riley's teacher saw us (because, of course, she was Conor's teacher the previous year and we asked to have her yet again), she smiled, ran over, said "And here's the Bowens!", where she hugged Conor and Riley like they were her own children.

And school is much cooler now than it was when we were young. Parents are in the halls and the classrooms DAILY - all over the place. They want you there, they ask for you to come - to have lunch, to volunteer, to read, to help with activities, anything. Riley's class has laptops this year. Conor's class is designated a teach 21 classroom, where they emphasize technology in the classroom, and it is gifted endorsed and is part of a team-teaching program. In both classes, the guidance counselors came in, welcomed the children, made sure they knew that they were there if they needed anything.

I love school. I guess that's why I became a teacher. And luckily, my enthusiasm for school has rubbed off on my children, because they are as anxious and excited as I was (okay, am) for the first day on Monday, to do all the cool things they did last year, to meet up with old friends and make new ones. And I am looking forward to it too - to put my name in the hat to be room mom, take over my former chair position on the pta, volunteer to come in to help, to plan the parties, to be the Friday reader.

I'm so thankful that we live in an actual community, where everyone knows each other, where the school is an extension of that. We (literally) run into teachers at our pool, on walks, in the grocery store. We call Riley the "mayor" of Towne Lake (the master planned community we live in), because no matter where we are, someone yells out "Riley!" and runs over to give her a hug. I love that EVERY school my children will attend until college is located right inside this little community, that last year when Riley had a bad day, her teacher took her over to Conor's classroom so he could give her a hug, that when Conor called from the nurse's office complaining of a sore throat (although he had not one other symptom to speak of) and I asked if I could drop off some cough drops, she said she'd keep him in the nurse's office for me until I got there, because sometimes kids just need to see their moms. I don't worry when they're gone, and I look forward to seeing them and hearing their stories when they get home. I love knowing they've learned something I would never think to teach them even though I'm a teacher myself.

Have I mentioned I love school?

Aunt Christy's Wedding

Last week we trekked three kids through four states and landed in Austin, TX to attend Josh's sister's wedding, which Conor and Riley were also in. The traveling was long, but the kids were wonderful and so adorable in the wedding... here are some pictures.

If you change your mind, I'm the first in line...

Honey I'm still free, take a chance on me...

Oh sorry, still singing all the songs from Mamma Mia, which I proudly dragged my less-than-excited hubby too last night on our date night.

Conor and Riley were both invited to sleepovers, so with a quick phone call to arrange a sitter for Quinn, we actually were able to go out to dinner AND a movie at Atlantic Station (which is actually where semi-hip people hang out, not dorks like us!) and were home in time to put the munchkin to bed.

To believe or not to believe...

It was bound to happen. Conor is fast approaching 8 and Riley is a worldly 6. I knew that eventually one or both of them would question the validity of Santa. Here's how it went down:

(over a GOURMET dinner of hot dogs and velveeta shells and cheese) - remember Josh is out of town

Conor: MOM, Riley says she doesn't believe in Santa.
Me: You don't?
Riley: No
Me: Why not?
Riley: I just think you and dad get up in the middle of the night and give us presents.
Conor: What!?! (and he was seriously shocked and horrified) That would cost like $2000. You're even lucky you got presents if you don't believe in Santa.

The conversation suddenly changed to something else, I think Conor moved on to "Yeah, we're luck we even got to be born" so I decided to let it drop... but I have a feeling there will be some bribery for Riley this year so that she can keep quiet and not let on to BOTH her brothers that there really is no Santa.

When Daddy's Away...

Josh is in North Carolina this week, which leaves the kids and I to our own devices. This means:

*pancakes for dinner (last night - and they were delicious if I do say so myself)

*early to bed - for my sanity

*Quinn walked around today with a cheesy picture of Josh and I from a Japanese restaurant in Hilton Head, kissing daddy because he misses him

*early baths - goes along with early to bed... yesterday afternoon I took the kids to the playground during the witching hour (right before dinner), where they promptly got dirty, sweaty, disgustingly sandy, and required a bath as soon as we hit the door to the house

*we watch things on tv that Josh would certainly not be interested in watching - last night, the kids and I sat on the couch in our jammies and watched a "Jon and Kate plus 8" marathon on TLC

And now for your viewing pleasure, here are a couple little gems. One is of Quinn imitating Conor's guitar hero but with his very own Wiggles guitar, jamming to a Wiggles tune, one is of Josh and Conor golfing, and one is of my little beauty Riley just being her.

Countdown to school...

It's hard to believe but our first day of school is right around the corner. Conor and Riley begin August 4th and Quinn will start preschool the following week. In the meanwhile (less than three weeks, that is), we are trying to enjoy as much pool and summer fun as we can. Conor has been playing golf regularly. He did a week-long camp and has been attending twice-weekly kids clinics, Riley has been invited to more birthday parties than I know people. This weekend she has a roller-skating party, followed by an invitation to go to a Braves game with the birthday girl and her parents and a sleepover (her first!). Quinn is quite the fish. Put a speedo vest on him and he is off, swimming around like he's one of the big kids. Late next week we head to Austin, TX for Aunt Christy's wedding, and the sad reality is that when we return, we'll be in our final week of summer break, which includes Conor's surgery (he has to have his adenoids removed) and two orientations.

July 10

First, a shout out to my mom - Happy birthday! Wish we could be there to celebrate and eat cake (one of the four main food groups, right!?!).

But since we couldn't, we sent her a birthday tin of Cheryl's Cookies... a close second right. What's the sense of exercise if you can't splurge!

Today I took Riley out for some girl time. First we went and had our toes done. I had mine done once, Riley had hers done three times (not kidding). She couldn't sit still when she was waiting for me to get done and messed up her little flower on her big toe twice, so the nice lady working there redid it each time. Then we went to pick out presents for two of her friends since she was invited to two birthday parties on Saturday. Miss Popularity. At least she will have beautiful toes.