First day of freedom.... I mean school....

It's a little late in coming, but I've finally gotten around to posting my life again!! After all, who can resist the first day of school pictures?

Jake started Kindergarden this year, he was so excited!! Although a little bummed when he found out he won't eat lunch at school until next year.

There he was, off on his own. He didn't have any seperation problems. I think he learned that from brother, who didn't even want me to walk him to his door. (I snuck behind him, just to make sure he made it). I did really well right about to halfway thru the parking lot, then the gates opened and I couldn't make it to my car fast enough. Although I know every other mom is doing the same thing, I'm not a crier, so this was tres embarrasing!

The next day, just so you all know, I woke up, sent the kids to school and smiled my whole way to Eggs in the City with my darling husband for our first "kids at school date".

Jake's First Day of School

Okay, This one actually happened a couple of weeks ago, but I'm a blog slacker. Jake started his second year of preschool! Instead of Sunshine square, he is going to a friend's house, whom he just LOVES! Miss Beckie is his new teacher and she is doing an incredible job! We are shocked at how much Jake is retaining this year in regards to letters and sounding out words. He is loving his new friends and his new school. In the picture are blue bunny and puppy. He loves those two things. On the first day they got to bring a little bag with three things that mean the most to them. Jake brought a picture of his family and these two animals.

A Real mommy.....again

So this morning I had a "real mommy" moment. Those moments when you think to yourself, "wow, I guess I'm a real mom now."

This morning I packed my first school lunch. Yes, thanks to year round school, I have sent my oldest child into the world until 3:30. As I was putting mayo on bread, I was reflecting over the many "mommy" moments I've had in the last 6 years. So because this is the only record I keep of our family, I am going to record them here. For those of you adverse to sappy, this might not be the post for you to read.

My first mommy moment came when I had my face peed on by a newborn. I distinctly remember thinking, "wow, this is really my baby". At the time, I'm sure I thought that would be the last and most important time of experiencing that feeling. It was official, I was a mom. However, as the years fly by, I am realizing that not only have I had many of those moments, but I will have many more. So, without further adieu, the mommy moments.

1. Getting peed on
2. The first night I had to stay up all night, worrying about a sick child and wondering when exactly you call the doctor on call.
3. The first time little arms wrapped around my neck out of sadness.
4. When they switched from calling me mama or mommy, for the slightly more demanding, MOM.
5. The first peanut butter sandwich I cut the crusts off. (Which I have never done since, seriously, if they don't want the dang crust, then can tear it off themselves!)
6. The first soccer Saturday, which lawn chairs, snacks, and a parka, because it was snowing.
7. Crying in the car on the way home from dropping my first off at Kindergarten.
8. Going downstairs, at midnight, to warn those kids, AGAIN, that if they didn't turn off those lights and go to bed, there would be serious trouble.
9. Going downstairs at 12:03 and taking the light bulbs out of their lights so they had no choice but to go to sleep.
10. The first time I realized, why in the world would I clean the house everyday? It's just going to get messy again tomorrow. A good clean twice a week is plenty.
11. And today, which, as always, feels like the pinnacle of mom-ness, I made a school lunch. I packed it in a lunch box and sent it into the world with my once very small baby.

I know there will be many more mom moments to come, but each one feels like a milestone that is a crowning victory for making it through baby-hood, or toddler-hood, or whatever stage we have just come out of. They are some small way to measure the days and years of my life right now. Although trivial to some, to me it signifies a life worth living. That a couple of cookies and a juice box can indicate to me that we are moving forward is a wonderful thing. The mommy moments help me focus on the little things in life, and all those little things make up a big thing, happiness.