It’s that much loved time of year again…. or dreaded depending on who you are and what you really think of the back to school season. Me, well I’m glad that the kids went back to school because it’s been a long summer (3 full months to be exact) and I think that they were ready to go back too.

The part where I make you jealous….

And because it’s that time of year I’m going to share my girls first day pictures with you just like the rest of the world! But you see, things are a little different over here because instead of the cute little girls in pretty skirts and dresses or little boys all cleaned up and in the fresh new clothes that will be covered in dirt by the end of the day, I have teens/tween.

Yes, I do not have a single child left in elementary school (I can only say that for a few more years and then Andrew will be off to school). So this means that in the first few weeks of school I will not see a single fund raiser brought home, no papers asking me to help out with school parties or to volunteer in the classroom, and I won’t see a HUGE list of all the things that my kids need in the classroom this year.

Are you jealous?

Well, don’t be.

Why you shouldn’t be jealous…

Because I have 3 teens/tweens… duh! All the money that I would have spent on those fundraisers and classroom supplies have just been diverted to other things like saxophone repairs, clarinet repairs, parking passes, AP class fees, art class fees, and the list goes on and on.

But you know what? It’s okay. They’re amazing kids and have always excelled and done well in school.

This year…

This year while your little one headed off to their first day of kindergarten or first grade I sent mine off to their first day of their senior year, and their first day of their freshman year, and lastly, their first day as a 6th grader in middle school. Lots of firsts this year, lots of memories to be made, and lots of tears to be shed (on my part really since the kids will be happy as all get out).

This year while you watch your little one with tears in your eyes walk down the aisle as they graduate kindergarten I’ll be doing the same thing. The only difference is that my little one will be 18 years old and moving on to a bright future at a school far away from home.

This year I will watch my middle daughter blossom in high school and meet new people, make new friends, and set out on a path towards her own goals in the art world.

This  year I will watch my youngest daughter change as she finds her way around middle school and all too quickly changes from that little girl and into a tween that is different than before….she’ll be more cautious about the way she looks and dresses and become more of a social butterfly than she has in the past (as long as she doesn’t talk all through class again things will be just fine).

Regardless of the path that they choose they’re still my little girls that I dressed alike when they were little (they hated it… I loved it) and always will be. Time will never change that.

And you…

What about you? Did you send your child off to school this year? What grade are they in?