Back to School

I'm sad it's taken me so long to record some of the special things we've been doing this fall. Ever since Em and I walked away from Bloom, I feel like I've had a lot more time and energy to focus on actually blooming as a mother and homemaker. More time to make and do quality things and memories for my children. More time to just be with them. But, though my home is cleaner, I am less stressed, and my children are happier, it's been hard to find the time to post about it all. It's true. I can't do it all. It is so freeing to admit that.

After our coast trip, we wanted to start the school year off with something special. I've always loved reading about Stephanie Nielson's Back to School Feast, so we decided to adopt it as a family tradition. (Living so near our extended families, it is really important to Taylor and me that we have some nuclear family traditions).

So, the Sunday before Kindergarten began, we held our First Annual Back to School Feast. Blaine kept saying, "It's my special day."

Taylor made us his ummmmazing Shepherd's pie (I keep begging him to blog about it!) and broccoli.

We had fancy dishes and goblets filled with bubbly.

(Love the red around his lips from the shepherd's pie!)

After dinner the boys hunted for letters that I had printed up (from here).
Blaine put the letters together to spell:
That's the theme for the year. Blaine is miles and miles ahead of where he used to be in terms of this, but it still needs attention.

After our little discussion on the theme for the year, Blaine got to open his presents.

We gave him a little alarm clock and a lap quilt I made him out of fabric he had begged and begged for at the fabric store once. It is garish and gaudy and dragon-tastic. Barf. But, for once, I decided to let him choose.
We finished up the celebration with a father's blessing.

I love this tradition, and I can't wait to have the whole table filled with children, off to conquer another year. Sometimes I am overwhelmed by the idea of more children, but most often, I hope to be so lucky to have a whole gaggle to share this life and home with. (I'm not sure how many are in a gaggle, but you get the point.)

Classic first day photo:

Awesome.