PYPER'S FIRST HIGH SCHOOL GAME/ PEP RALLY/ DRAMA

  Sometimes a really cute, really popular boy, decides he likes a really cute girl.  Sometimes that really cute guy has an ex girlfriend.  In really bad situations, that ex girlfriend happens to be on the same cheer team as the cute new crush.  So the cute new crush gets talked about behind her back, and totally obliterated on social media.  Her parents freak out and try to help, but can't.  So then, those parents sit back and watch.  But sometimes a funny thing happens... those parents realize that the little tiny girl they had been raising, isn't so little anymore.  Those parents watch as their daughter decides that nobody is going to push her around. Those parents get to watch their daughter fight back fairly... and win.

 Then slowly, but ever so surely, people realize that the cute new crush is her own person... and they kinda dig it.  She makes her own decisions, and does things her own way.  She may look weak, but she is so strong... and they dig that too.

 Pretty soon, things don't look so bleak.  The cute new crush, realizes that you have to navigate the world, the best that you can.  You have to be kind, and patient, but not be afraid to kick a little ass when you need to.  She decides to be exactly who she is.  She's going to hang out with her mom and dad in their bed while talking on her phone (even when they beg her to leave), because that is her happy place.

She is going to get far more enjoyment laughing at herself (while reenacting a horribly failed back tuck in the middle of the halftime show) then anyone else will get laughing at her.  That's just who she is.

 Then one day, the mom realizes; her daughter will be just fine.

SING SING SING

Dale (to me):  I hope he's not a douche, and is nice to her.

Crew: douche douche douche douche douche (in a sing song voice)

Me:  Crewz, that's not a nice word.  Please don't say it anymore.  Dad won't say it again either.

Crew:  Ahhh man!!! You made me sing a song about a bad word!

FIRST DAY OF SCHOOL

 At this moment, I am not responsible for a single thing. 

 I don't like it.

 I know that there are people who LOVE when their kids go back to school.  I'm not one of them.  I like the lazy days of summer.  I like sleeping in, and hanging out with my kids.  Truth be told, given the choice, I will always choose to hang out with them.  I don't do girls nights, or group activities.  I don't meet people for lunch, or go to the movies (very often).  I don't even really have a lot of friends. (however, the friends I do have are fantastic!) None of this makes me sad.  It's what I want.  This is how I choose to live my life.  I enjoy my time spent with my family.  

 But right now, my house is painfully quiet.  I can count on my fingers how many days I have been without at lease one of my four kids... for the last 14 years!

 So much of who I am, who I have been, is tied up in their cute faces, and their fast paced lives.

 I wouldn't change ANYTHING about the way I have chosen to raise these kids.  I'm proud of the people they are becoming, and I'm proud of the role I have played in that.

 But today, my little guy, my lubba me bubba started all day kindergarten.  My heart is a little broken.

 I definitely didn't make it out of the room in one piece.  He has spent the past year telling me that he IS NOT going to school.  That he's going to stay with me.  If I could have kept him home, I would have.  Instead, I tried to make him excited about the first day.  We took him shopping for a back to school outfit at H&M.  He was so excited when he found a suit jacket.  He said he wanted to look like Prince Hans (from Frozen) for the first day of school.  Ok little man, whatever you say.  

 So today, I start a newish life.  I need to try to figure out who I am when I'm not actively engaged in being a mom.  I need to figure out... me.

 Pyper is in High School (9th), Elle is in 7th, crew is in 1st again (remember when he was in speech therapy? Well, he is a little math genius, but his reading skills really suffered because he couldn't sound out words the way everyone else did.  He has now been released from speech, and we decided to have him repeat 1st grade.  I think we will be really happy that we did.), and Tyke is in kindergarten.  Wow.  It really does go so, so fast.

 I hope 3 o'clock comes really fast...

DESTIN, FLORIDA!!!

It's been a long 10 years... but the white sugar sands, and clear blue water made it worth it!

 We drove 12 hours, and found our happy place on the Emerald Coast in Destin, Florida. 

 Elle discovered a new found love for finding sea creatures... gross.

 SUNS OUT, BUNS OUT!

 These kids had SO. MUCH. FUN.  The water was crystal clear, and they spent HOURS searching the ocean floor for all kinds of shells

 Pyper is good at a lot of things...

Hip hop is NOT one of them.

 She figured it out when she got a face full of sand

 Every once in awhile, storm clouds looked a little ominous.  But the weather was amazing.

 hermit crab races took place nightly on the kitchen counter.  Yeah, I know.

 Pyper read... a lot.

 This is a real picture.  I didn't stage it.  They like each other a lot.  

 We stopped counting sand dollars after she hit 100

 hahahaha! She's fine.

 I know they belong to me... but man, they are pretty humans.  We had the best week.  Truly.  We stayed in an amazing place right on the beach.  It had a full kitchen, so we bought all of our meals at the grocery store.  We had ZERO plans, and aside from goggles and nets, we didn't spend a dime on anything.  We didn't need to.  It was heaven to just play on the beach, read, talk, relax, and float around for hours at a time with our nets.  My kids were the perfect ages to really enjoy it.  Can't wait for next year!