First Day Jitters

Summer is now over. 

As of Tuesday the girls are officially in school. Yes girls, plural. Both kids are in school now. We are back at the same charter school we have been attending. Phi is now in 5th grade and Louie started kinder. This means that we are starting another year of homeschooling. Each girl will have a big group session. Louie for 2 hours and Phi for 3 hours. And then each girl will have a one on one 50 minute session with their teacher each week. Everything else will be at home with Joey and I. This is Phi's last year being homeschooled and Louie's first. 

I can't believe that this is Phi's 8th year of school. She started at just 3 years old. Over the years she has proven to be such a smart girl. I feel really lucky to get the chance to homeschool her. To get to be with her while she is growing up. Next year she starts junior high and things will undoubtedly change. So this year I am going to cherish it. Even the times with the tears and frustrations (aka Math). I am going to cherish them. 

And my baby. My teeny tiny little baby. It is so unreal that Louie is in kinder. How is that possible? For the last week or so I have been pretty sad about this. I felt like the carefree innocence of childhood era of Louie's life is over. She would have responsibilities and schedules.

It also felt like an era of Joey and I's life was ending. All our kids are in school. There are no more little ones. We are no longer that new family starting out. We are deep into parenting now. We are in the thick of it and next comes the teen years and then that's it. The first part is done and that's kind of sad. Mostly because I can't believe that Joey and I are old enough to be in that phase.

I am trying to turn my mentality around and see this as a really good thing. That this can be the best part of parenting. Although my parents will tell you that grandkids are the best part of parenting.

I am so proud of my girls. Phi has made us so proud and we are all going to work together to make 5th grade the best year yet. And our Louie. I can't wait to see how she lets her creativity and imagination help drive her education.

So here we go again. Wish us luck. We are going to need it.