I can’t believe it but we are back in school!  School started on Tuesday last week.  There was a lot of anxiety around here Monday night.  We did have some confidence in the form of Savannah going to ninth-grade her third year at the junior high.  She knew what to expect and was excited to be with people again her own age.  The twins also were excited.  They started first grade and were excited to meet their new teacher and see new friends and eat lunch at school! 

At the other end of the spectrum, Sarah was worried about starting junior high, Megan was worried about having orchestra at the junior high, and Mariah was just plain worried!  I am happy to report, though, that all went well and even my kids who were high on the anxiety scale Monday night came home happy from school on Tuesday afternoon.

I think it will be a good year.  Savannah has her hardest schedule ever.  She's taking Chinese, biology, geometry, honors English, geography, seminary, and master choir.  She is excited for the challenge, though.  I'm excited about all she'll learn!

Sarah found junior high to not be nearly as scary as she thought.  It turns out that a whole bunch of kids are 7th graders, as well – just about a third, in fact.  Cool!  She gets around to her classes just fine and can open her locker.  What more could anyone ask?  Lunch and the class after that with her best friend?  Well, she got that, too.

{Insert Back to School picture here – the picture I can’t get off my phone where I took the picture because my camera died from too much water/sand at Bear Lake.  :(  }

Megan is taking 8th grade orchestra at the junior high.  She thought it sounded like a good idea in the spring, but when it came time to actually attend . . . well, she was terrified out of her mind!  I convinced her to give it two weeks.  I told her that if she still hated it after that, then she could quit.  She was still terrified and fought it pretty hard, but by the end of the week, she had had all good experiences.  I’m keeping my fingers crossed!  “Regular” school is a piece of cake, of course, seeing as she is now in her seventh year at Brookside.  I’m thinking that Megan and Sarah should have been twins.  Sarah wants to still be at Brookside with Megan and Megan wants to be at the junior high with Sarah.  Heavy sigh . . .

Mariah, after some heavy anxiety, discovered that, yes, she would know friends in her class this year, and that, no, having literacy first was not the end of the world.  Hurrah!  We saved our CapriSun packages from our summer camping trips and Megan and I sewed it up into a bag for school. At the last minute, Megan decided she did not want as much attention as the bag would generate, so she switched bags with Mariah.  Mariah loves the bag AND all the attention.  She’s already had people take pictures of her bag at school and had her bag showed off up front of the class as a great way to recycle.  She’s soaking up big star status all because of her cool bag!

Cheyenne and Calianne like their new teacher and their class and everything is going well as far as I can tell.  I can also tell that they are worn out when they get home!  It is a long day for 6 year olds who were five last week.  I worry about them and try to go as easy as I can on them when they get home!

Bethany, Benjamin, and I are figuring out our new lives, as well.  I thought that I would have more time once school started, but so far, that has not been the case.  Maybe I will get caught up from all the summer happenings and then maybe I will have a minute or two . . . maybe?

Mariah started soccer this week and had two practices and two games.  She loves it even though she runs until she’s red in the face and her ears clog up.  She scored two goals in her first game.  Go Mariah!

Cheyenne and Calianne started soccer practices for their 4 on 4 league in Mapleton.  They really like their new coaches as they are accustomed to calling them “Mom” and “Dad” . . .

Speaking of Cheyenne and Calianne . . . My twins turned six years old!!!!!  On Saturday, we had a birthday party with pizza and games, a pinata and cupcakes.  It was great fun.  That evening we went with Grandma and Grandpa Gazdik up the canyon for a birthday party in the trees! 

We had pizza and cake and opened presents.  What lucky little girls! 

I told Kevin I thought it was  way more fun than it was six years ago.  My mom said that I’d probably say that on every one of their birthdays until I died.  I think she’s right!  . . . But, oh, what fun they are now!  They have been and continue to be such a blessing.