It's back to school for the Greding kids!
I've been DREADING it for the weeks.
No more lazy days of "oh, I'll do that tomorrow" or late night movie nights, or last minute sleepovers.
We are now filled with "Are you done with your homework?" and "Oh my gosh- we are SO late!"
waa waa
:(
BUT, I put on my big girl panties and tried my best to make a great first day of school for my kids... and me!
First-- the breakfast...
So, I gave up the Super Mom dream of pancakes, bacon and hash browns for my kids' first day of school kick off and just went with donuts.
I will not feel guilty. I will not feel guilty. I will not feel guilty.
At least they were fresh-- I sent Dan to the donut store at 5:30 am!
Second-- the lunches...

I always try to make the first day of school lunch extra special.
I like to include all of the kids' favorite snacks and even decorate their lunch sacks a little. Patrick and Chandler would KILL me if I did this to their lunches, but Scarlet definitely loved the cuteness of it!
Oh, and how cute are these Lunch Lines? I bought them at The Paper Source. The jokes are dumb-- really dumb, but that's what I like about them. :) Just a fun little note from me and a silly joke-- a fun little addition to any lunch!
And yes, I even stick one in my Senior's lunch.
Sorry, kid. Your mom is a dork.
This was Dan's contribution to the festivities.
He's a cute Dad.
I love that I'm married to a man who would stay up late and create a chalkboard message for his kids' first day of school. SO sweet...
Okay-- So here are the official BACK TO SCHOOL front yard pics of the 3 "bigs".
The chalkboard frame? It's a decal from The Paper Source.
As soon as I take Keiran's first day of school pic (September 6), it's headed for the front of my refrigerator.
I love it.
Scarlet brought our usual first day of school basket of apples to her teacher.
This has been a tradition since Patrick's first day of school 12 years ago! All the kids have presented their teachers with a basket of apples on the first day of school in grades K-5th.
Come to think of it... I have MANY more years of this tradition!!! :)

Wednesday Jones and Keiran came along to see Scarlet off to school.
I LOVE that KK brought his Lightening McQueen lunch box... just in case he needed it!
Then the after school snack--
I LOVE a caramel apple!
Love.
All in all, it was a great first day and my kids are happy with their teachers and their schedules (except Patrick -- he's not a fan of his math teacher-- deal with it).
Here's to a GREAT 2011-2012 school year!!!