It's all about the shoes

The shoes tell it all.

It's back to school time.

Clearly, Vans are the bomb this year.

Last year they were all wearing Converse.

Rowan & Lily at the bus stop - both getting ready to start first grade. We're sad that Miss Lily isn't in Rowan's class this year, but thankfully, being cousins and all and living just around the corner, they'll still get to hang together all the time.

My little man is officially a school kid...kinda hard to believe. Half-day kindergarten at Hermosa Vista. He's a Skyhawk and wears a sky blue school spirit shirt on Fridays. We're used to red, white and blue at Hale. My girls are Hale Heros. Since I'm a couple days overdue in posting these pics, we now have three days of school under our belt. I have to say that today was the hardest day for me yet. Yes, the fact that the bus never showed up on day 1 was disheartening...but we dealt with that. (By the way, I'm driving him to school now and he takes the bus home.) But this morning when Ryan and I dropped him off at school, I almost cried. We got there about 10 minutes before the first bell so that he could have time to play a bit if he wanted before lining up on the "yellow circle" where his class meets to walk in. But after he laid his new backpack down on the sidewalk, he looked around so confused and sad. He asked me if I saw any of the other kids in his class on the playground. Sadly, with a new school and a new kindergartner on the third day of school on a playground packed with kids and no sisters around for support, I had no idea who any of them were.

He couldn't figure out what to do. He started for the busy playground twice, then came back. He thought about just waiting in his class line, but that didn't look too appealing with only two kids waiting there. I knew that he wanted to play, but I think he was just intimidated about jumping into that jungle with no one he knew. I tried encouraging him to go play, but he just stood there silently, looking around, then plopped right down on the sidewalk with his hands on his cheeks across from his yellow dot and waited. With a small frown and furrowed brows. He looked too sad and lonely. I wanted to stay with him. So did Ryan. We were trying to get off to the temple, though, and I knew that today was just one of many days that I'd be leaving my little man on the yellow dot to face his kindergarten world. So I gave him a hug and started off.

Thankfully, just as I said that, my cousin Dyan came up with her little guy, Jay, who is in Easton's class. He was the lifesaver. After a little coaxing, Easton got up with Jay and waited in line with the one face he knew in the crowd. I knew that once that bell rang and his fantastic teacher led him into class, that he would be fantastic and love his day. And that's exactly what happened. When I met him at the bus stop after school today, he was all bounce and smiles. Without prompting (since I've asked so many questions about day one and day two), he told me all about day 3. "I had recess, ate snacks, colored one picture...and I got to pick this (showing me a Buzz Lightyear lolipop thing) from the treasure chest! Probably next Friday we get to do that again. And that was all I did." Hmmm...not a bad report from the four-year old. I was happier than ever having him with me all afternoon. Just like last year. Just he and I. I love those times.

My cute girls (plus our neighbor friend, Riley, who's like a fourth daughter) waiting at the bus stop. They were so good to indulge me for a few quick snaps of the camera.

Is it me, or does Rowan look extra smart sporting her glasses? I'm still getting used to seeing her in them. It's such a change. But she seems to be loving them more and more and is keeping them on pretty much all day now. I guess they must be working...good thing. Rowan is our social butterfly - always trying to arrange play dates and make sure her schedule is packed with fun. She came home on day 1 with the phone number of a new friend, Taylor. She's already got quite a little posse of friends from her early learner kindergarten and kindergarten years. But hey, you can never have too many friends, right? Rowan's also excited that our new friends, the Hughletts, who just moved in about a month or so ago, have a little girl Rowan's age in her class. Her name is Brooklyn and we love her to death. She's a doll and so is her mom, Lisa. They moved here from Michigan and bought a house in Harris Park not too far from our house. I've already made a new friend too!

My sweet Afton. A fourth grader, sporting her "yay 4 Saturdays" shirt on the first day of school. I like it. It seems so Afton. She has Mr. Dominguez this year, her first "man teacher." Although she was pretty upset when she got her teacher assignment earlier this summer (she did not get the teacher she was hoping for), after day 3, she seems super happy with it all. She says he's really nice and even lets them eat snacks while he talks. Amazing in the world of a fourth grader. Plus her best bud, Lily, is in her class again this year, which always helps. I hope her teacher challenges her enough this year. Afton is so dang smart. She's a straight A student across the board and has literally been breezing through every grade so far.

OK, she's growing up too fast. Look at her! Miss Barrett Ally, almost twelve, now the head of the school as a sixth grader. She's on top of her world and lovin' life. She's became a voracious reader this year, which I love, and no doubt will be a little fashionista as she grows up. She's already got the fashion bug itch, and has "i wanna be a teenager" written all over her face. Thankfully, she's as sweet as they come. We've gotten pretty close this past year, closer than we've ever been before, really, and I'm loving that. I love that she and I are great friends and I hope that she will always treat me like that. Come junior high, I guess time will tell...but for now, she's such a gem.

My sweet kids...good luck this year. Be kind. Make friends. Study hard. Have a blast!