Back to school 2012-2013

Summer break has come to an end, and last Monday as I walked the youngest kiddo to his Kindergarten class, I felt it again. That anxious feeling of the kiddos growing up so fast. Time passes in the blink of an eye and I have no more babies at home. They're growing, their personalities are blooming and their attitudes are growing just as big as they are. Just call me Melancholy Momma, and pass me the Starbucks so I can Pin(terest) to my hearts content. The end of Summer break is always a point of reflection for me. As much as it is a changing point in the kids lives, it is also one for me, as we gear back up for the busy-ness of homework, dinners, chores, practices, rushing here and there. This back to school season is a bit of a change, as I'm still settling into my Stay Home Momma gig. Most Moms find that they love staying home when their babies are, well, babies. I've been known to do things backwards =) Hi, I'm Jen. Mom of a 7th and 5th grader, and Kindergartener. Bring on the band concerts, dance classes, football and baseball games, play dates, Holidays, and all of the lovely Kindergarten firsts. I SO live for this stuff.
First day of school!

First stop, Drama Tween's school. The dog on the shirt is because it's her last year of elementary, she's a 'big dog' this year.

Second stop, Bambino's middle school. This is definitely a step up for Momma, as last year was his first year of middle school, and all I ended up with was a photo taken while I was still seated in the car, with the window rolled up.

Lastly, Freckle's elementary school. First day of 'real school'! His preschool career in an actual school was approximately 9 days, so I wasn't sure how he'd adjust. He was a champ, and walked right onto the playground like he owned the place. (psst-he cried for a minute on the second day)

Our family loves a good adventure and a place to explore, so we loved the Nelson Ghost Town/Eldorado Mine area. The day we went was a stroke of luck as far as the weather. With usual 100+ temperatures in the desert, it was overcast and a cooler 86 degrees, making it tolerable for us to be outside and explore. What's left of a historic old mining town are remnants of old buildings and the original mine, as well as other interesting features such as old vehicles, an array of antique collections such as signs, old furniture and jukeboxes, and remnants of an airplane 'crash' scene from the movie 3000 miles to Graceland. There is a main building where visitors are encouraged to check in. Within this building is a snack bar, a museum or artifacts from the mine and photos of movie scenes that were filmed around the area. The employees are helpful with facts and any questions you may have, and they offer guided tours of the actual Eldorado Mine. For once, I actually remembered to bring my camera with me, and we got some nice family shots. I'd love to be able to hire a photographer to travel with us everywhere we go, but my kiddos are getting pretty good with handling the camera.

Photos, because photos are better than words sometimes =)

These are from the past year.

Son turns 12! Honor Roll since Kindergarten, baseball year round, Archery Club, plays intramural basketball and indoor soccer at school, plays the clarinet in band, and is a great big brother.

Daughter turns 10! Cross country, dance classes, bowling club, and loves to raise money for causes. The middle child and the Mama of my kiddos. Guess its because she has brothers only!