These two wonderful ladies both started at a new school on Tuesday. First day for 6th graders and Freshman with a sort of orientation and making sure they know where all their classes are. It was great to hear about their day when they came home. I’m glad the schools do this for them.
While Michelle and Natalie were at school our new washer and dryer were delivered! Yes, both machines had been limping along and we finally decided to put them out of their misery when the washer door couldn’t close and therefore couldn’t wash anything. Luckily Hubby found ones on sale that could be delivered in just two days. They are so different from the ones we are used to but it’s kind of fun. Also, they hold so much more and can things things washed and dried a ton faster if necessary (which we learned the day I forgot to wash Natalie's softball pants for practice).
Then it was the real deal: all of my children heading to school with a true schedule and all the students in the building. They were all up and ready to go EARLY. It is one thing to know that your oldest child is driving two of her younger siblings to high school with her but it is a much different thing to see the three of them get in the car together and drive away. It was like a piece of my heart broke out of both sadness and pride. If you're reading this, Kate, thank you for making that first true day of school easier for me.
May this school year be the best one yet! 9th, 6th, 10th and 11th grades!
And I just have to say I thought it was so fun that Danny chose to wear a sweatshirt of his dad's that has sentimental value for us. 23 years ago I took that sweatshirt with me to Taiwan to have something of my future husband's while I was far away. And now our 15 year old is choosing to wear it to his first day of his sophomore year of high school.
Natalie had to say goodbye to the wonderful Shelley before school since she would be heading to the airport in between the high schoolers getting home and when middle school got out. It has been not only a huge help to have her here but also pure delight to spend time with such a neat person. "Thank you" doesn't seem like a phrase strong enough!
It was strange to be home alone that first couple of days that I was. Thank goodness the dog was back! I noticed I had a strong desire to get things done without taxing my healing. Enter, getting things “done” like working on my children’s photo books, planning our next vacation, listening to the books Dopamine Nation and The Last Love Note, reading Last Child in the Woods and High by David and Nic Sheff, whose story was depicted in the amazing movie Beautiful Boy. I had to giggle that even my watching of tv was like a to do list — work on finishing tv series like The Resident and Riverdale or watch a movie like Hello, Goodbye, and Everything in Between just to get them off my Netflix watch list. Then I reached the point where I was taking recommendations from my middle children like listening to a book Danny is reading for Language Arts called Mexican White Boy and watching My Lady Jane when Michelle found out I had read the book. And Netflix fed me the movie Love in Taipei and you know I had to watch that right away when I realized they actually had footage from Taiwan. Of course, if I had known it was based on a book before pushing the play button I would have had to read that first but luckily I didn't notice that until the ending credits.
Hubby took off work to go to my two week post op appointment with me. I seem to be healing as expected and need to rest another two weeks about like I have done the last two weeks. My first outing into the public arena was to attend Back to School Night at the high school that evening. Michelle was a great guide, spotter on the stairs, and helped me decide which classes to go to (hers or Danny's) on a block by block basis. It was uncomfortable and exhausting but I just love getting a feel for what their classrooms and teachers are like.
Another thing that’s new: I turned 44, or as Michelle put it, I’m 4 times as old as Natalie now. lol Natalie has been a huge help around the house (even pulling weeds), Michelle made me a birthday cake that was absolute perfection, Hubby bought me flowers and made us a tremendous steak dinner after attacking both Costco and King Soopers on a Saturday, Danny mowed the lawn, Kate bought me perfume and lip balm, and S.O. brought me Smashburger for a birthday lunch on my front porch. I feel very spoiled, especially after the dinners and flowers friends have given us recently. I am one lucky human.
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