Week 17 was full of Hellos and Goodbyes
(and aaaall the emotions that go with them!!)
We officially said Goodbye to Summer Vacation,
and Hello to this handsome First Grader!!
He has been worried about this day since the end of kindergarten (and especially these last few days) so we were both eager to get the day going and see what First Grade was all about.
I was relieved and glad to see him looking so confident and happy.
Oh, how I love you, my sweet boy!!
I was relieved and glad to see him looking so confident and happy.
Oh, how I love you, my sweet boy!!
I said "Hold up one finger for First Grade!".
And, in typical Oliver fashion, he said "But it's my fourth year of school so I should be holding up four!"
Smart kid :)
Daddy has Wednesdays off now (Woohooo!) but he did have to go in for his final uniform fitting (!!) so we snuck in a quick picture before he said Goodbye.
Summer sensed that it was a special day and so she put on her most beautiful dress.
She was feeling quite happy about it all until she realized that "going to school" meant that her big brother was going to leave her.
I was already feeling sad, but knowing that they were sad about it too just broke my heart.
(But, it is nice to be reminded that behind all the bickering that goes on, that they really do prefer to be together :))
Thankfully, saying Hello to a special friend makes a lot of things better :)
(But, it is nice to be reminded that behind all the bickering that goes on, that they really do prefer to be together :))
Thankfully, saying Hello to a special friend makes a lot of things better :)
His very own desk :)
And one last peek through the classroom window for me before I walk home, wiping the tears away as fast as I can so the other two don't notice.
I can list a million reasons why this is a good thing (although none in this particular moment), but I was surprised at how hard it still is to just leave him there and walk away.
(It is his fourth year of school, remember? :))
These are the parts of life I just don't want to do.
Later that day a friend shared this article.
It doesn't change much, but it does feel good to put words to all the swirling emotions that I was feeling. Maybe you could use it, too :)
And then we said Hello to a different kind of morning.
It sure is quiet around here without Oliver! :)
(It is his fourth year of school, remember? :))
These are the parts of life I just don't want to do.
Later that day a friend shared this article.
It doesn't change much, but it does feel good to put words to all the swirling emotions that I was feeling. Maybe you could use it, too :)
And then we said Hello to a different kind of morning.
It sure is quiet around here without Oliver! :)
We said Hello to Molly when she came for a morning playdate.
The kids (and the mommies) had so much fun that we didn't say goodbye until after dinner!! :)
The kids (and the mommies) had so much fun that we didn't say goodbye until after dinner!! :)
While we were together, we said Hello to a Unitrans Bus Ride (free AC!), a fun ride in a glass elevator (and other adventures on campus) and Chipotle :)
And at snack time, we said Goodbye to our cookies with some milk :)
Oh, look! There is a baby under my table!!
Hello, Rowan!!
But of course, our favorite Hello comes on Friday evening when Daddy's car pulls up to the house-
Everything is better when we are all together!!
Fun Discovery of the Weekend: Family Musical Chairs (played with pillows)
I have not laughed this hard in a long time and surprisingly, we had no injuries!!
Hello, Real Life.
This is Oliver throwing a temper tantrum because he wants to be a grown up.
On Saturday night,
Jenn and I got to get away together for an evening with some of my girlfriends back home :)
I never love leaving my family,
but let's just say that this Goodbye was much easier for me than it was for Elliott, poor guy.
I had a lovely time reconnecting with some of my oldest friends (Hello!), but when it was time to go, I had to say one of my hardest Goodbyes ever, to my little sister who is leaving for college in a few days.
We walked to the car so she could show me all the fun things for her dorm that she had picked out with my mom and I just stood there in the back of the open mini van and cried. And cried. And cried some more. I looked at her, so prepared and ready to go, but all I could see was the seven year old girl in her green St. Anselm's sweatshirt who loved to play school, help in the kitchen, dance and snuggle with me.
How was it already time for this?
Have I told her everything that I wanted to say? Does she know how much I love her?
And for the second time this week, I was confronted with the swiftness with which life goes by.
The passing of time is a strange thing.
And... so is taking a Sisters (and niece!) Picture in the back of a mini van at 10 o'clock at night :)
Goodbye, to our precious Emma. We will always be here for you. And wherever life takes you, know that we will be praying for you, cheering you along and looking forward to the next time we will get to say Hello.
Thankfully after so many goodbyes, the rest of the weekend brought us more Hellos.
We said a very grateful Hello to Grandma Gloria
And I never tire of getting to say Hello to this face :)
Have I mentioned lately that I LOVE her.
And the guys said Hello to a toy that we haven't seen since last Christmas
(and we even let the boys stay up a little late so they could finish it together)
Hellos are great.
But there was one Goodbye that was more fun and exciting than all my Hellos of the week.
And it was getting to send out these babies:
And Goodbye Week 17.
(Only 3 more to go!!)
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