thoughts from the deep recesses

Three kids. Three different schools. A BIG transition year for the Goins' family. Kyler - starting ninth grade/high school. Taking honors classes and running cross country. Isn't he looking like a man ? My poor heart just about bursts with pride at the amazing young man he is becoming... Savannah - starting seventh grade/junior high. Got her first phone last Friday. Taking honors classes. Suddenly she's become a young lady - no more little girl at our house. Wow. E. Bob. - starting fourth grade. Tallest kid in his class. In desperate need of a haircut. Looking forward to competing against the sixth graders in kickball at lunch recess.

We are officially less than one week from the beginning of school. This week I have gotten letters from both the high school (for Kyler) and the junior high (for Savannah.) My two oldest are starting new schools in six days. And wow, is that high school big. He has his first official cross country practice on Monday. Savannah has an ice cream social on Tuesday to get her schedule and meet her teachers. Kyler has freshman orientation all morning Wednesday. Let the madness begin... I love fall. I love the structure and schedule after the laziness of summer. But summer isn't even CLOSE to being over. And my babies are going to big, scary, new schools. So I'm hesitant and apprehensive this year. The thing is, no one really explains to you when you start having babies that they are going to grow up. Really - I didn't really give it a moment's thought. Sure - I'd seen kids grow up. Heck, I did it myself . But when I was changing diapers and wiping the high chair and pick...

Summer is almost over. Hard to believe. I've already lamented the passing of time this year - and what a strange summer it's been - but it doesn't make it any easier to see the days ticking away... The kids are at my parents' house this week. I'll go pick them up on Friday - and then they'll have less than a week before school starts. Seriously? Wow. So many fun things I'd like to do with them before they're gone again all day. We'll have to make the most of our weekends in September and October - enjoying the outdoors while we can before the cold and the snow hit. ***** We spent the last week in Manzanita - our annual beach trip with my brother and his family. My nephew proposed to his girlfriend while we were there. Which makes me feel exceedingly old. After all, he was just born. ***** I'm still walking. Passed the 229 days-in-a-row mark yesterday. Feels so good to have followed through on this commitment to myself. ***** Gracie is fully recov...

It's been such a strange summer. We left for our vacation nine days after school got out. We came home from vacation to a deathly ill dog - which I dealt with for over three weeks. And now we leave on Saturday for our annual trip to the beach. We we're done at the beach, the kids will stay at my parents house. And when they get home, they will have less than a week before school starts. (If you give a Mouse a Muffin, anyone?) Last Friday I piled them all into the car and took them to the lake - and I can honestly say it was the first fun thing the four of us had done together all summer (besides vacation, which was wonderful, but ended on a sour note because of the dog...) Add to this the fact that I'm not even sure what to do with a 14 year old, a 12 year old and a 9 year old that will keep them all happy... While turning 40 had it's own share of struggles for me to wrestle with - I feel like our family is going through it's own strange identity crisis. I'm not...