Back to School

Today is the first day back to school for the kiddos and it's strange not having them at home. I did get quite a bit more housework done, however, so that's a good thing. I plan to start working on their room and getting rid of clutter and clothes that they don't or can't wear and give the ones that are in good condition to Goodwill. Eventually, I will do the same with Baby D's room. I have a ton of baby boy clothes from 0-9 months that in good shape. I'm not sure if I will donate them or attempt to sell them on ebay. I think that I would rather donate, since there are so many people who need gently used clothing and cannot afford to pay much for them. Helping others makes me smile.

Today is Cami's first day of middle school and she has been so nervous about it. Alex is in 8th grade and they don't integrate the different grades like they did when I was in middle school. Each grade has their own hallway, class section, etc. It seemed very strange to me when Alex first started middle school since integration with other grades was the part that I enjoyed most and, as an adult and parent, I feel that they should be with all grades so they know what to expect in high school. However, now I've learned that the high school here is divided into sections, too, and most students stay mostly within their section. I personally feel that they should associate with all other ages since they will in their adult life. I suppose that's what college is for.

Ems is in second grade this year and she got her favorite teacher, so she is beyond happy! Alex and Cami tell me that Ems knows all the teachers at the elementary school and they, in turn, all know her and love her. When we go out to Wal-Mart, we invariably see someone from the elementary school and Ems MUST go up and hug them. She is an incredibly sweet, loving child and has the charm that all members of Nates family have. There are very few people who are immune to that charm. :-)

Alex is excited to see her friends, but she isn't happy to have gym first period. She started wearing mascara, eyeliner, and lip gloss (no foundation, powder, eye shadow, or blush for a 13 year old!) this year and she says that it will get messed up in gym class. She's worried about that, so I said that she could take her makeup to school with her and fix it if she must. I made sure that she didn't wear too much. Some young girls wear entirely too much makeup and it doesn't look good on them. I've tried to teach all my girls that less is more when it comes to that department. I wear very little makeup myself and hope that sets a good example.

Have a great day people! Please, check out my friend Kristal's blog, MommyLivesOnline. It's a blog "blog about coupons, free stuff, samples, shopping tips, reviews, and online deals." So, go see what she has!