~ First Day of My New Life ~

I would call this post First Day of School, although it is more like First Day of My New Life. As you may have noticed, I've been missing from blogger for a few weeks now. I took a mini break while I prepared myself and my children to go back to school. 

For ten years now, I have been preparing to change diapers, accommodate constant feedings, break up fights, go on trips to the zoo, prepare for first days of school, teach children, and much, much more. This year didn't go that way, and I needed two weeks to prepare myself for it. Yes, I purchased mountains of school supplies as usual. I cleaned out closets of clothes that no longer fit or were too worn out to wear back to school. I bought new clothes and shoes and sneakers to replace those I'd tossed. I filed paperwork and registration forms and PTO memberships. I counted out lunch money. That was all the same.

 The Morales Kids' First Day of School

What is evidently different is the number of my children who are going to school this year. Four. That means all of them. My oldest son grew from kid sized shoes to men sized shoes. My baby is spending his first day ever away from Mom. All of my babies have started school now. (Did I mention my step-son will be starting his second year of college this fall and be graduating this spring?)

My oldest woke up at 6:00 this morning. He was too excited to fall back to sleep until 6:30. My daughter followed shortly after. Pretty soon, all four were awake and dressed with teeth and hair brushed, book bags on their shoulders and ready to walk out the door. I snapped some photos (like the one above) and headed out the door with them.

Upon our arrival at the school, I handed out supply bags (you know, all those tissues and hand sanitizers and Clorox wipes and Ziploc baggies they need so many of). "My bag is too heavy. I can't carry an extra," my oldest complained as I passed him his supplies. "My shoulder is going to fall off." (I doubted that.) 

As we made our way to the doors of Elementary School, my daughter took my hand and didn't let go. We dropped off the baby first. He tried to hide behind my legs, but he did a big boy job of sitting with his classmates after a few short moments. That's when I snapped this shot:

 Gideon's First Day of Kindergarten

He's such a big boy! However, as I gathered up the supply bags for his brother and sister, he ran back over to give me the smooch goodbye he'd been too big to deliver before, in front of his classmates. He smiled and waved as he ran back to his seat on the stage, lined up with the rest of his class.

Hannah didn't want to let Mommy go. After a smooth and quick delivery of her older brothers to their respective classes, she decided she needed Mom to stick around for awhile. I gladly obliged and promised to stay until her class dismissed for P.E. upon her tearful plea. As she settled in, I assisted her teacher in collecting the many packs of looseleaf paper, glue sticks, and tissues from the kids in her class. She finally warmed up to her teacher, her first day, and she smiled and waved as she left for P.E. I said goodbye to her teacher and went on my merry way.

Thus begins my new life. I am a stay-at-home mom/author who now has no kids at home during the school days to come and has no excuse not to be sitting with butt-in-chair writing magazine articles, devotions, chapters for future best-sellers and more. I begin this new season with joy and hope, yet I can't help but sigh as I ponder the fact that no one is arguing over which cartoon to watch next, who gets the last ice pop or whose turn it is to play the Wii. 

Oh look! It's time to go pick them up already!  TTYL!