The night before the big day!

We have had a great summer! We have had a lot of fun and a lot of freedom. We have slept late, gone to bed late, had a messy house, made smoothies, baked cakes and such, built forts, played with cousins, had birthdays, taken trips, caught bugs and butterflies, learned dives and back flips, rode in an ambulance, got 3 staples in our head (Emma), played with Annie next door, read a few books, watched a lot of TV, got to hold a roman candle, got to go up in Sears tour, watched hours of Cardinals baseball, got our ears pierced (Claire), ran, went to the Y, went to Festus, played with friends, spent countless hours at the pool, did lots of "shows" and got great tans, BUT NOW IT IS OVER!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Now we are back to a routine. A morning check list of :

get dressed

brush hair

eat breakfast

brush teeth

get lunch

get folder and back pack

get water bottle

get clothes and shoes for after school practice

get shoes on

and run out the door!!!

There is no time for lounging around in pajamas or tolerance for un-brushed hair and teeth! We must get there on time to avoid the dreaded pink tardy slip which is really more of a reprimand for mom that it is for the kids, let's face that fact. And tomorrow we will have to be more than on time. We will have to be early if we want to get a parking space.

Although I will miss our leisurely pace I have let a lot of things go that need my attention. My house is getting a little out of control. Particularly my basement. We need to purge a lot of things and clean with a shop vac if ya know what I mean. Your average Hoover cannot handle what is down there! I need to organize closets and drawers. My girls want a room upgrade that got started this summer but will involve painting their room which I quickly realized would need to wait until the fall. And I plan to make more freezer meals so that homework hour is not so tough with me trying to help all 3 and cook over an open fire. So there you have my to do list for the fall, along with do 2 Bible studies every week, walking the dog, train for a half marathon, help Scott with Acuity stuff, do laundry, wipe toothpaste out of sinks, drive the Gilbert Toodie (our van's name) shuttle, dust, vacuum, play tennis and watch the news. I do not read as most of you know but I do love to keep up with current local events :) Which brings me to my next list.

And along with my list of to-do's comes my list of worries. I am a little worried about my Emma this year academically and socially. She is worried too. I hate this for both of us. I am trying to not jump to conclusions because it is only the night before school starts and not the 3rd quarter, but I also know she is not where she should be. I am afraid that she has fallen behind this summer and I blame myself. I have nagged her to read, I have taken her several times to the library to find something she likes to read, I have brought 20-30 books home for her to try. I have extended effort. An effort that has proven to be unfruitful. She has no interest in reading. I have given up. I am praying that her teacher will not be shocked by her lack of ability to read. I also pray that she can foster a love for reading that I have been unable to do this summer. I joke a lot that I do not read. I probably need to clarify that. I do read. I was an excellent student. I just don't read for fun. I read to learn what I want or need to learn. I am resourceful. I have never been one to read fiction or get "lost" in a book. Maybe my Emma is the same way. I don't know, but I worry about her.

Maybe she will love to watch the news!

So as I fall asleep tonight I will be praying for my Emma. She is also worried about some "playground issues" that kept her awake last night. She is a very complex kiddo all wrapped up in knit pants, mary janes, crazy teeth and bangs. I know God understands her and created her as complex as she is for his glory. I know he knows what is best for her and I trust him with her although it is hard.

Each school year brings a new set of challenges. Each year they are older and even more complex. It takes more than a new backpack to get them ready.

We can do this! Goodbye summer! See ya in the morning, school!

Double Digits and a Golden Birthday!

I really cannot believe this. How did it happen? How did she get to be 10! Claire had her "golden birthday" today. She turned 10 in 2010! I could go on and on about how big she is and what a great kid she is, but I won't. You already know!

This afternoon she used some of her birthday money to get her ears pierced. She really wanted this. Scott and I took a long time making this decision. Going back and forth about what age is right/wrong. Can she take care of them? Will she want to wear gaudy, big, trashy earrings?, Will there be earrings all over the house? We ultimately decided that we would leave it up to her. We said it would be fine for her to get her ears pierced if she had the money to. We did not want to give it to her as a gift because I wanted it to be her choice. She got the money and off to Claire's we went! Claire's is the piercing house of the mall! After Scott signed his life away and I approved the hole placement, they were in. She was very brave. Just a hand hold was all she needed. She even had an audience as we ran into Melanie and her kids there and they just had to stay and watch!

She chose some beautiful CZ studs as her starter pair. She has to keep them in for 6-9 weeks and I told her diamonds go with EVERYTHING!

Doesn't she look so big? And beautiful?

After she got her ears pierced she had a birthday party with 4 of her closest friends. We met at Dewey's for pizza.

Even 10 year olds like to watch their pizzas being made. Luckily it was not very crowded so the kids got to stand up here the entire time we were waiting on the pizza

After we had pizza we went next door to a new pottery painting store. The kids each got to paint something. They all did a great job and Scott was so glad the mess was not in the art center at home.

Claire and 2 of her friends tried to make a plate look like tie-dye. I think they used Raphaella's shirt for their inspiration. I am excited to see how they are going to turn out.
After everyone was done painting we headed back to our house for presents, cupcakes and play.

Claire chose lemon cupcakes with lemon frosting and strawberries. Olivia said, "Mrs. Smout those cupcakes look like store bought ones!" It may have been my proudest moment as a baker! Here she is blowing out 10 candles and hopefully making a wish.

Scott and I love Claire's friends. I am not sure if it is because they are getting older, but they are so sweet to each other and love to carry on conversations with us that we enjoy. After we cleaned up the cupcakes we watched them playing 4 square out of the kitchen window and it was amazing how they got along, no fighting, someone would get out and go wait in the line to rotate back in. These girls are also very good about including Emma and Sam. They played some Jenga too and then it was time for their parents to pick up. I would say it was a perfect 10!