A Little Fun Here and There

School is almost here. Oh, how I long for school to begin so I can get out of this whirlwind. I remember vividly the whirlwind we were in after Ty came home. I know 'this' crazy, chaotic, busy-ness is temporary. But I need structure and routine to return to my life. I need a few minutes to try and get something done.

This year all 5 of the bigger kids will be in all-day school. Drop them all off at 7:40 and 8:00 am, pick them all back up at 3:15 and 3:30. Only Jacob will be home during the day. And he will be going to preschool 4 days a week for 90 minutes to 2 hours each day. I will have the time to go to the grocery store or iron some laundry or clean a toilet or even blog! It will be luxurious!

All joking aside, coming home after international adoption is just craziness no matter how you go about it. With our school-age boys, there are SO many offices to get to in order to get them added to insurance, into the doctor's office, registered for school, social security cards, citizenship certificates, the list goes on and on. The paperwork just keeps going.

And then there is the matter of adding a new family member. Adjustments abound. Everyone spins for a while. We have so many big needs going on at the same time. It is wild.

But, despite the craziness, there is a lot of fun happening too.

First soccer practice!

 This juke courtesy of Master Justin. To be honest, he got a little lucky, but he'll be able to hold his own just fine with the U16 recreational soccer teams.

Family outing to the Folsom Lake Puddle.

These three were being pretty funny together.

I love the way Jacob scrambles up the rocks to keep up with his sibs.

Bella is always watching out for the baby. So sweet.

We stayed until it was dark.

Free skate night compliment of the kids' future orthodontist.

"Mom!"

While I am counting down the hours until school starts, very soon I will miss this time with my kids. By the time we reach Thanksgiving break I will ache to have them home again. So I am trying to remind myself to really enjoy the last few days. Get in the pool. Play soccer in the front yard or at their practice before the rest of the team is there. Sit next to them while they watch a show. Stay up with the teenagers and watch them play their silly games or watch goofy videos. Just participate. This window of opportunity is closing. School brings what I seem to covet most: order, routine, and predictability so that I can keep everything running smooth and fit in my "me" time. But it also takes away half the day of opportunity to connect with my kids.