The First Day of First Grade and TREASURES!

I'll have to admit that I'm a bit smitten with my children. While some days, I feel I'm pushed to the outer limits, I'm pretty darn happy, regardless.

My first-born started REAL school last week... the first grade!! *dun dun dun* (dramatic music to heighten the experience)

You see, I was afraid that I'd look back to find eyes swollen with tears and a trembling chin. What did I find? Smiles, waves, giggles - the girl was socializing before we left the room!!!! 'Atta girl, Soph! You go GET that big ol' world and make 'em yours!!!!


She had to show off her iCarly messenger bag. NOT a backpack, but one like the "big kids" carry - a messenger bag.


Of course, it began as soon as we walked towards the building, right?


I'm so tickled that she loves her school - a far cry from the tears in preschool or the hesitance in Kindergarten. Her teacher's a redhead! Score!! The girl has learned so much in such a short amount of time, and we kept her reading all Summer so she'd be nice and ready. (I'll have to admit that she's a bit of a show off, too, when it comes to hear mad reading skillzzzzz.)

So, anyway, that would be the big and exciting FIRST DAY OF FIRST GRADE.


...and before I forget, there's something I have to remind myself of... (She gave this to me on a whim a couple of weeks ago. Pretty spectacular sentiment, eh?)


Now onto the little man. He doesn't start until September. I guess that's nice considering I get a little more one-on-one time with my 'baby' before he goes and gets all grown up on me.

When we go somewhere, ANYWHERE, the kid finds "treasures." It all started with our quest to find lost pennies. Walmart and Kroger have change machines where you can usually find change that people have dropped. It's usually just under the edges of the machine, so my children dart for it and then practically LAY on the floor to look underneath and find change.

This little fascination has moved onto finding any and all treasures - paper clips, feathers, bits of material, rubber bands, beads, whatever... I keep forget to empty his pockets, but will sometimes stash his treasures into my purse for safekeeping.

After we ran errands the other day, this is what we came home with:


3 caps, 2 rubber bands, 1 plastic grape, 1 gum-machine ring, 2 safety pins, 1 red feather, and 1 pink jewel. He also found a penny or two, but I'm not so sure what happened to those... perhaps I need to check my washer!