Back to School (or, Alllll By Myselllllllfff) (or, I Think I’m Alone Now) (or, IT IS SO QUIET WITHOUT KIDS)

Well, friends.  This week marks the beginning of a whole new era in the life of the Allisons. Six and a half hours a day, five days a week, my kids are out of this little nest from which I type.  They’re all in school, leaving their mother to wallow in this now-oh-so-very-quiet nest.

Ha.

Y’all, I love my kids something crazy.  But I also really, really enjoy quiet sometimes.  And school.  And teachers.  And quiet.

So, the stats.

We have a third(!) grader(!) who was VERY ready to get back into the swing of schedules and predictability and learning.  Last week, he told me that this past summer was the best yet.  When asked to elaborate, he said, “Well, vacation was good but not TOO long.  And we went to the library a lot.  And I really, really loved that calendar you made me.”  The kid may look like his father…

We have a first grader who was not quiiite as stoked to return to the classroom but who, fortunately, can easily be lured into the school building with the promise of rectangular pizzas and corn dog nuggets from the school cafeteria.

And we have a kindergartener!  Elizabeth went to one full day of school last week for her staggered entry day.  And today, she’ll be with her full class for her first day of for-real kindergarten.  She’s equal parts excited and nervous and is armed with her much-loved locket.  And her equally-adored (and adoring) big sister who (hopefully) walked her into her classroom this morning.

It’s a big year.  A school-year that has been long-anticipated and prayed over.  Things always seem to be shifting and changing around here.  This year is certainly no exception, and I’m pretty pumped to see what God has in store for us.

But for today?  Today, I’m pretty sure that His plans (or, ahem, my plans) involve sitting and resting and drinking an extra celebratory cup of coffee.  In silence.  Blessed, glorious silence.  That is, until the clock strikes 3:45.  Then, all bets are off.