Back to School Fall 2012

Rather than wait and forget to do a Back to School round-up like I did last year, I have been diligently mentally flagging e-mails and other social media contacts with my friends and family in order to share in a post. Many thanks to friends and family for permission to post their pictures of all cutie kids.

I don't have a full round-up -- I'm waiting for an installment from the Idaho contingent ("but I posted them on Facebook, but you aren't on there ..." Yep, and not going to be, so please? e-mail?) -- but here's a few of the back-to-school pictures from a few of my crews.

There's been a lot of things happening out West this summer, not the least of which is Drew the Dude starting second grade in August. SECOND GRADE! What?! If you've been reading along, that makes Drew about the same age(ish) as some of my ramblings from old notebooks. We just had a conversations the other night about how I like mail - like letters and cards. Well ... apparently, HE just likes to call and likes leaving voice messages, but he does like getting mail too. I think he's sloooooowly getting the correlation between writing letters/cards and sending them and then getting stuff back. What he doesn't know is that I'm encouraging him to write me stuff, so I can save most what he sends me - so he or his descendants also have some old-fashioned pieces of his childhood to boggle over when they are "mature" like me.

Drew the Dude, posing in the yard/squinting in the sun

Drew was also recently recognized in his local paper, as one of 46 local school kids who participated in the 2012 "...County Library District Summer Reading Program, taking advantage of the summer months. They were able to complete challenges and earn prizes, working hard to not lose reading skills while they are on break."
Can you pick out the Cape Cod loving-kid in this photo? (which is courtesy of the paper submitted probably via the school)

Moving East, the St. Chuck Gang aka My Blondie Girls also got back to school in mid-August.

I was so blessed to spend some time with these three sweethearts back in January and my, how time flies. I can't believe that they are 11 and nearly 13! There is skating, soccer, sibling spatting, violin, viola, guitar, drawing, dancing, choir, cello, piano, orchestra, teasing, tempers, tantrum, and tears -- the latter especially from Ms. "StarGirl" on the momentous day. Here's a photo commemorating the first day of 5th and 7th grade, and apparently there was this interaction between mother Kari and her beloved eldest:

Me/Kari: "StarGirl, you're just going to school, not to prison!"
StarGirl: "It's the same thing!!"

This apparently was just one of several photos of her crying and wiping her eyes on her sleeve. I have a feeling the next few teen years are going to be eventful for the St. Chuck crew. (Poor Poor Noel. The only man in a house of four hormonal women.) I'd refer you to her new blog, but oh my ... the expletives! [Oh wait -- she shared the expletives somewhere else, the blog is semi-okay for this family-friendly site.]

Meanwhile, in the north, the Maine Crew got back to school after Labor Day.

According to Krippy:

"[Eldest daughter] headed back to the middle school for 6th grade .... She’ll be with her entire group of friends, have some of the same teachers, and will be having a new teacher for her math and science classes. Her band and chorus permission slips are already signed and she’s looking forward to just getting back to school."
Her Dude: "... in his last year at the elementary school ... as a big 2nd grader. He’s excited to do lots more math, be with some of his guy friends from first grade and check out all the non-fiction books in his classroom."

And her babies? Her twins? "... will be in the same kindergarten class this year, with the same teacher that both [their elder sibs] had. It was an easy decision to make, because I know that the teacher is a perfect fit for them both, and having them together to start such a big, wonderful adventure will be good for them both. "Another summer down - and in spite of all the tumultuous-ness and togetherness, everyone survived! Gold stars for all the parental units. Thank goodness for venting/sharing/therapeutic methods of choice!

Photos courtesy of parents, via e-mail, Twitter, and their blogs.