fall favorites and a first day re-cap

Even though it’s not technically Fall for another few weeks, my mind is just in Fall-mode once September hits. And then when school starts, there’s really no turning back. We had a wonderfully packed Summer but now I’m ready for my favorite Fall things.

… just to name a few. :)

My kids started school yesterday. I now have a 2nd grader (Andrew) and a 3rd grader (Emily). Not entirely sure when that happened since it really feels like yesterday that I was 9 months pregnant, tearfully waddling to the bus to put my then-Kindergartner (Emily) on it.

Unfortunately, we had a very rainy first day. Well, maybe unfortunate isn’t the correct term but to a photographer, it sort of is. ;) I did get some shots in the morning because despite being breezy and gray, the rain thankfully held up until a bit later. I relied on my iPhone for others.

top-left: As you can see, the boy was freshly mohawked for the big day. Second year in a row. He decided on a Wimpy Kid tee and some new Converse.  Emily wore a new birthday t-shirt and the denim skirt we picked up for both girls so they could match. This photo was taken when I showed up at school to watch the kids get off the bus. I have done this every year for the past 4 years and yet they are always surprised to see me standing there. I love how Grace tried to get into every shot with her brother and sister. She really loves school and can’t wait to start her own routine. In the meantime, we shopped, played games and baked to keep busy.

top-right: Andrew spots his little sister at school and blows her a kiss.

middle-left: New kicks for the 1st day!

middle-right: With two of the Miller kids off to school and Grace happily running errands with me, I made my first pit-stop: Starbucks. I promised myself a Pumpkin Spice Latte to kick-off my favorite season. I enjoyed every last foamy sip and then promptly came home to run 2.55 miles to alleviate some of the guilt. =P

bottom-left: A back-to-school-first-day-tradition: cookies! I made Chocolate Chocolate Chips with M&Ms. Yes. I did eat some batter. No, I don’t feel that guilty. Remember, I ran. I wonder how many snacks I can use that excuse on?

bottom-right: Some after school shots. Grace and I walked to the bus in a light drizzle and it ended up coming down in buckets as we stood there waiting.

highlights:

Both kids LOVED their teachers!

Both kids are with lots of friends plus each has a brand-new-to-the-district student in their class.

Andrew was excited that his table earned the most stars yesterday. If he’s excited about stars, I’m excited about stars.

He thought it was funny that his teacher didn’t recognize him with his new haircut until a bit later when she said “Oh! You’re Emily’s little brother!” (He has Emily’s teacher from last year).

Emily is in love with her new agenda planner the school gave the whole grade. A child after my own heart.

She thinks it’s the coolest that you don’t have to ask to use the bathroom. “You just sign yourself out and go!” Ah, 3rd grade. Offering a little more independence than 2nd.

Andrew’s teacher gave him a Lifesaver.

Emily’s teacher gave her an apple.

I have always been a fan of our school’s lunch menu but it’s been changed and it’s even better now! They are offering even more fruits and vegetable sides and dishes like Asian Vegetable Stir-fry, Honey Mustard Chicken Wraps and Greek Salad. I still love my inexpensive lunch containers that help me create cute, compartmentalized lunches but it’s nice to know the hot lunch option at school is healthy and a nice back-up in a pinch.

Make sure to pop back in towards the end of the week (I’m thinking Friday) because I am going to Blog about a new binder organizer I’ve been working on and I’ll show you how to get all the tools you need to create one for your family too!