I no longer have to shop the toddler or little girl sections. I ignore the baby section on Pinterest for the most part and if I pin something there it’s for my work, not my home. The girls start going to bed at 9, not 7:30 (we stager bedtime for sanity). I didn’t have to buy water paints or play dough this year for school supplies. Only one gives me a full on the mouth kiss before she leave the house. The other three give me various styled hugs or cheek kisses. Only two would pose for first day of school photos. This is my last year of being an elementary school parent!
I do have two budding musicians in the family with Meg on her second year of the sax and Mita starting the violin this fall. (We are fortunate to have a strong school music program, a rarity anymore I know.) Those two are also on the soccer team and I am shopping for soccer balls and cleats this year. Enu is at the top of the intermediate school as a fifth grader and Elle wants to be in Karate. New things are being tried and they are challenging themselves wonderfully.
They are growing. I miss some things. I’m really liking other things. Things like Meg and Mita can walk to and from practice together and they both have study hall to get homework done there and not so much at home. They are all funny. Really funny little people with thoughts and ideas that they are open to sharing with us (still, hopefully always). We can discuss current events and a bit of politics with them and they are forming their own ideas.
Bittersweet my thoughts this morning. My growing family is amazing.
( Don’t forget to enter my Scholastic Book Giveaway!)











September is a great stock-up month. I have this issue withclearances, I see something on clearance and I think I need it or I come up with an idea to use it for the next year. This has saved me money over the years, but it can also be a bit of a clutter problem (ask Hubby). This year my goal is to not clutter up, but buy responsibly. So far, so good. I got Elle’s next years safetyswim vest for $13 with free shipping from Land’s End and Stainless Steel water bottles on sale with $2 shipping. I am trying to cut out the cheap plastic… but steel is pricey! I thought I would share a few of my go-to places for saving money and starting on Christmas and Birthday gifts for the next year.





