First Day of School

(I do realize I need to finish our vacation photos/post!) But the kids are back to school! 

Leah is in the 2nd grade (Unit B!) at Ridgeway Elementary with Ms. Basham. Sam said "don't put her in the same dress she wore the last 2 years." To which I said, "It still fits!" But she did get a new first-day outfit. 

The big kids were not interested in new back-to-school outfits, though James has been favoring collared shirts. He's also going by Jim. And Jim is in 6th grade/his first year of middle school at Jefferson Middle! 

Amelie's school starts an hour after his & so she didn't even have to wake up until after they left (& thus is not in the group photo.) Sam bought doughnuts for the first day breakfast. 

First day of 9th grade/high school! Amelie's a freshman at Hickman. 

She went to jump start day yesterday, which was just a half day with her homeroom (or as they say, Ac Lab - short for Academic Lab.) I guess it wasn’t officially the first day but I did take a picture. The bus has been basically on time so far - less than 10 minutes late. There’s only one other kid at her stop so far. 

After school update:

Leah says they weren't doing too much - just getting to know the routine. She got into an argument on the bus because another kid said boys and girls were in different generations. James got involved, even. 

Apparently Jim asked quite a few questions as they were going over the rules in RTI (I think also basically homeroom.) He’s got trombones first period with his cousin & all his friends from elementary school. He said he got lost “like 3 times” which is “honestly not that bad.”

Amelie came home in a good mood, too - she found her friends at lunch and wasn’t phased by the long line at the metal detector in the morning even though it made her 15 minutes late to her first period. She stopped taking Band and so has Art for the first time - it’s out in a different building & she almost missed the bus home. 

Big Trip! Part 1

We took an epic family roadtrip / tour of several National Parks this summer. 

Vital stats: 

• 3,102 miles
• 27.5 mpg in the new van 
• 8 states 
• 2 lost teeth
• 3 nights camping 
• 7 hotel pools
• 3.5 audio books
• 5 National Parks
• 48 state license plates (everyone but NH and RI!) plus 6 Canadian provinces and 1 Mexican state 
• $4,016 spent (including $387.28 on gas, $1,752.02 on hotels, $1,179.03 on food)

When we got home, I asked everyone what their favorite part was. 

James: Getting home

Leah: Camping

Amelie: Badlands

Dad: Mount Rushmore 

Mom: Wildlife (& the kids getting along!) 

Sam made (and typed, and bound, and tabbed) an itinerary for us before we left:

We mostly stuck to it!

I was tasked with sorting out the dog for while we were gone, and plans A & B fell through & he wound up with Holly!

Here's the new van all loaded up & ready to go - the tent & some other camping supplies are down below the suitcases. 

The kids in their crocs before setting out on day 1: