School has started

Well, I am not done with my thoughts on the trip to Ethiopia but I am so slow about writing it all that I am not posting anything about real life around here. So I will now bounce back and forth.

Preschool started for both Cole and Lexi this week. I have to tell you, I don't know who is more excited about it- them or me. They are having so much fun and are so very, very excited to get on that bus and get to their class. Cole has friends that he calls by name and Lexi brought home her first homework assignment today. They are so excited to see me and "tell" me all about there day though they are really short on words at this stage of development.

Abby and I have our time together in the morning but so far most of the time the kids are at preschool (only 2. 5 hours Monday through Thursday) I have been running errands for our rental property and life in general. So many things that got put off or half done this summer while having all three kids with me virtually all of the time.

Being a stay at home mom is such a blessing. I adore my children and enjoy them very much. It does not come without negatives, too, though. I get a bit tired of whining, crying, and fighting. All three kids are so close in age and not fully able to express themselves with words so the end result is that I play mediator more than mother these days. At times I feel guilty for just wanting to put myself in time out rather than them. I try to stay consistent, knowing that this is a phase that one day I will wish I could have back. I also know that being consistent with the rules and consequences will shorten the severity and duration of the phase, or so I hope!

So it is official. School is back in session. I am a bit more sane. They are a bit more sane. And we are all excited to see their little sponge brains soak it all in.

What are my school kids doing right now:

Cole- counts to 10 but usually skips the 7, knows all of his colors, identifies many numbers and letters, knows his name, knows his teacher's name and is nearly toilet trained

Lexi- counts to 5, is an amazing artist drawing faces and coloring in objects, starting to sing "Jesus Loves Me"

Ah, it all goes by so fast!