Back to School Feast 2017-18

These men were just too handsome.

Sterling and I talked about our family theme for the year and were a little conflicted. I really wanted to emphasize family history--hang up pictures of cousins and grandparents and give a huge emphasis on the family support that we are so lucky to be a part of. I've just read a lot and felt that this is just so important for kids to know and feel. But I also really wanted the theme to be on love or kindness. After reading lots of articles, and discussing it and praying about it, we finally picked one on Kindness. Like last year, we wanted it to be a simple enough concept that we could regularly refer back to it throughout the year and try to cement it into our children's minds and have it improve our family and our home's atmosphere. Anyway--here we go!

The kids spent the morning (we have 1 o'clock church) helping me make paper flowers for the bouquet--isn't it lovely? We also tried to be fancy with a tablecloth and bright hanging decorations. 

I swear it looked so much prettier and more festive in person!

The pretty flowers.

The drink was a huge success. I think I said this last year, but I want our Back to School Feast to be memorable and important, but not as extravagant and stressful for me as some of the people who I got the idea from, because that is just not me. But fun drinks are easy --this one is even easier than I imagined--and the kids were delighted to have a straw and it looked sooooo pretty in these blue mason jars I bought over four years ago for a wall project that I have yet to do. I remembered them when we repacked them to move and decided that we needed to use them or throw them. It was the perfect touch and the drink was so good! 

Our theme hung up on the wall. It is not really how I imagined it when I started working on it. But by the time I realized that, I had put so much effort into the lettering that I just left it. It is by Elder Wirthlin. 

Kindness is the essence of a celestial life. Kindness is how a Christlike person treats others. Kindness should permeate all of our words and actions at work, at school, at church, and especially in our homes.

I really loved that quote because it said the word 'kindness' three times...multiple reminders for the kids. It referred to Christ, which I felt was important to keep in there. And it listed school, church, work, and homes. We've already had several conversations about it and the kids have the first two sentences memorized. The word 'essence' is still a little hard for them to grasp, but the word 'celestial' spurred a whole conversation that I realized they didn't know but are totally old enough to understand. Good stuff.

And then, after the Back to School Feast we had fathers blessings. My favorite thing and we were lucky enough to have some new med school friends in our ward come and give Sterling a blessing as well for his big Step 1 test coming up (tomorrow!). So blessings all around with ice cream afterward, perfection!

The actual back to school morning:

He told me he stood that way specifically so I could see his new backpack. :) His first day of Pre-K! He goes Mon/Wed/Fri and has a lovely teacher Ms Avogadro who is from England and has the prettiest accent. He's only been one day but he seemed to LOVE it! Plus, they have an airplane in their playground, so he was completely won over.

I pulled out another tooth of hers right after blessings on Sunday. She asked me to feel it again (this has been going on for a few weeks and I always tell her it's not wiggly enough) and I said "wow! That is really loose!" and so, we pulled out the floss and in one tug and without any tears it was out! 

This girl started Kindergarten and she's only been one day so far, but she was gone for such a long time!!!! What am I going to do without my Ruthie all day long?!?! 

She was so excited for school. SO excited. I heard her outside our room this morning at 445am. She was fully dressed (even her new shoes) and her bed was made and she was chatting to Will about her first day. I promptly sent them all back to bed in probably not the most pleasant way, as the baby and Molly had traded waking up about every hour. But an hour and a half later she got up and was still just as enthusiastic and thrilled to get ready! Funny sidenote, last year in PreK some parent brought the wax covered Babybell cheese for a snack. So when I asked her what she wanted in her lunch the first day, she picked that. She asked me about three times the night before and four times the morning of, if I had remembered her cheese in her lunch box. The anticipation!

Awww, that girl. How did she get so tall and big? How did Will get old enough to not be home with me? How is this even happening? I love how excited they are and I am so happy that they are looking forward to such a great, great year. It's just crazy. And it was a really weird feeling to hear about Ruth's day and just get a snippet of a few activities and realize--she was gone for six hours and I didn't even now what is was like! She seemed just as happy when she got home so I assume it's great. Part of me wants to climb in her backpack and peak around all day at her going through her school day. Will goes for a shorter day and they are placing a really big emphasis on PLAY and no homework and no real focus towards academics, but more learning through play. Since PreK is a grade here, I am very happy I managed to find one that was only three days a week (unheard of! Thank you United Methodists! You saved me again! That is also the church that had Ruth's school in Miami.) and also that realizes that kids should just be playing. I think it'll be so good for Will so that he's not just jumping into full-time, homework-laden Kindergarten here (that really should be 1st grade). 

Here's to the start of a whole new chapter of my mom-life, a whole new world for my kids, and a wonderful year for the Haws'!