Well... Daddy has been home for 2 weeks now. We are all so happy and re-adjusting back into life. Of course he isn't back working full time quite yet, so I guess I can't say things are all back to normal. It is nice having him around daily though!
However for the next few days he won't actually be here. He was lucky enough to be able to get a security gig at a State Fair around here (well it's more like an hour away... but it is one we go to every year) Since it is an hour away he will be staying there for the five days it is going on. :(
It is great for some extra money, but it stinks that he is already away again. Oh well... we are no strangers to this game and we suck it up and march on. We did a year we can do five days! The kids and I will go to the fair at some point and visit him ;)

SO school started! WOW I have two first graders. I can NOT believe that my tiny baby girls are in school all day this year!!! Pre-school was an adjustment for us all, and it was hard for them. Since they were always with mommy... however they managed to come around fairly quick and then loved it. To the point where they didn't want to leave when I got there to pick them up.
Then came Kindergarten, everyday of the week. Oh boy! Not to mention Daddy had just gotten orders to deploy and would be leaving just two weeks into their school year. Big changes in their little worlds and it was very hard for them. They were scared to death... wouldn't let go of me, crying every day, I had to tear them out of the car each morning to hand them off to the aid. It was awful :( Just as they were starting to cry less..... Daddy left, and they cried more. I felt horrible, like they were thinking "great daddy left and now mommy is leaving us here" .... "Is she not coming back either?" UGGGG.
We made it though... they came to find that they loved school, they made friends, and loved their teacher and class aid. They began smiling each day and having fun. They did great!

First grade started, and mommy was very nervous. I was so anxious about those first day of school tears and having to leave them crying. HOWEVER... my big girls surprised me! They did awesome, not a single tear! The best part was... we all were together as a family to drop them off for their first day :)
Things are more normal in their worlds again, daddy is home and life is good. They are used to their school and their friends... and getting so grown up!

~Little, Big Girls~

Of course the other two couldn't be left out, they had to get in on these photo ops too, and daddy had fun with the angles. The two littles take after him with their goofiness ;)

It was a beautiful day, and school is right down the road so we all walked the girls up. When we got up to the school I could sense the little bit of nervousness they each had in their bellies. E was getting a little closer to my side and I thought "uh, oh" BUT we hugged them and brought them over to where their class was waiting with their teacher and they smiled and stayed right there. We of course got a few more photos before they waved and went right into school like such big girls!

This MUST be a dream... they were just born!

And so it happened... they are another year older, they started first grade, and they LOVED it! They came home smiling, with nothing but good things to say. And now.......

.........They want to take the BUS!

***GULP***TEAR***

They are getting WAY too BIG!!