Life With Three

Sweet sisters

Sacked out siblings.

Oh, Daddy...

Both of the kids had their Back to School open houses this week. Kylee is overjoyed at the thought of returning to preschool and practically pranced from room to room as we visited her teachers. Eight of the twelve kids from her class last year will be together again this year. She is excited and ready to go!

Connor, on the other hand, is a bit more reserved at the prospect of being a first grader. I must admit that it was a little weird to walk down the FIRST GRADE hall at Doniphan tonight. We met his teacher, and I think she's going to be great. He was happy to see that some of his best buds from last year will be in class again this year.

The end of summer is, well, the end of summer. The kids are growing a bit tired of each other, the pool has lost its luster, the library isn't as exciting as it once was, and most days, it's just too hot and humid to go outside. Add into that that my energy level is about nil right now, and you have a ton of fun. The kids have been very patient and have done really well with life just needing to focus on Hadley right now.

I was reflecting on how school started at a good time...here is a glimpse of our day today...

Connor and Kylee decided to play in the hose for awhile this afternoon. Kylee came in to change clothes and I noticed that she had her underwear on backwards. I commented on this, to which she replied (quite sassy-like and disrespectfully) that she wasn't going to turn them around. I sent her to the step for a time out. Of course, I am feeding Hadley at this time, so Kylee has to put herself on the step (I have often wondered if the impact of time out is lost when you don't physically plunk the child down on the step...but you gotta do what you gotta do). Kylee marches herself to the step, wearing only her backwards underwear. About 5 minutes later, I call her into the family room (I am still feeding Hadley). She sasses me again and has no sooner gotten off the step before she's sent back to it. After time out #2, we reach an agreement. She goes to change and comes out of the bathroom with her underwear on not only backwards, but also inside out. I give up.

A couple hours later, we are getting ready to leave for Connor's Back to School night. I want to look presentable because, after all, this is the first time many of his schoolmates and their families will see Hadley. My daugher selects a pair of hot pink leggings and a pale pink tank top to wear. I decide it's not worth the battle to try to convince her that perhaps that isn't the best clothing combo I've seen as of late. I notice, as we are getting ready, that Kylee is not wearing any underwear at all. I ask her to please put underwear on. She tells me she doesn't want to, but obliges my request anyway. Back to the laundry room she goes to change.

We arrive at Connor's school. In the process of getting up to the school, Connor runs into Kylee with the stroller (it was an accident). We recover. We are perusing the gym and all the various tables of information there...I am feeling pretty good about getting all three kids out by myself (Brandon joins us after work). Connor looks at me and says "Mom, Kylee has her pants on inside out." Sure enough. Seam showing. Hot pink.

Oh, brother.

We made it through the open house. I am hoping that those who saw that Kylee's pants were on inside out also noticed us pushing a newborn baby in the stroller (I feel like we're entitled to a good three months of "newborn haze").

Life has changed, and once again, I realize that it's going to be awhile before I look like I have it all together (probably longer than 3 months). And that's okay.

I asked Connor tonight, "So, Buddy...why aren't you excited to go back to school?" He replied "Because I'll miss home."

That's what it's all about. Crazy as it might be, it's home. And we are so very, very blessed.