Woke up nice and early this morning to get ready for our big back-to-school day!
And then we went and got them in their lines...
Our family decided yesterday to celebrate the end of summer break.
We first went to brunch. We've been wanting to do that for a while but getting there early enough to get a seat conflicts with our typical mass time so we rearranged our weekend to make it happen. Totally worth it! It was also a mini-celebration of Husband and I's anniversary which was last week. It was a great brunch, with prime rib, carving ham, a crepe station, omelets, and eggs benedict bar. Plus normal brunch options as well. A special occasion kind of thing, but delicious all the same.
Then we went bowling!
Last night we went to Unpack Your Backpack to get a jump on the school year. We got everything unloaded and we are ready for the start of school.
She and M are cut from the same cloth. First off, they have the same birthday! When M was in K and C was in her class, she wrote a little note and sent M a birthday treat and they did the same last year too. So they've bonded over their birthday fun! But they also have the same favorite food (pancakes) and animal (panda) so... it's going to be a good year.
Mrs. H's favorite color is also M's 3rd favorite color so that's good too.
I am excited about what this year will bring! One last summer weekend!
It's a darned good metaphor because I think both my kids bloomed as well. The program they went to this summer was for kids of all abilities ages 5-18. While certainly, kids on the older part of that spectrum are those who need care still, there were plenty of small kids as well.
C is just on the other side of neurotypical. And at our school, that can stand out. But at this program, he was a leader and a friend because he realized how much he could do. His confidence really bloomed. This was evident when he went to camp. And when we had the pool party last week. It's such a gift to me.
M has always been a flexible sister and sometimes when you have a sibling with neurodivergence your needs and wants become secondary. Here she met some people in similar situations as her and that was good I also think that she gained a lot of empathy for those who aren't just like her.
The other thing that was spectacular was how much the kids were exposed to people who had all kinds of diversity. I love our school community but it can feel a bit like a bubble. But for the kids to know and develop true friendships with people who didn't look like them: whether skin color or physical differences, is such a gift. To realize at age 10 and 7 the dignity of all people's lives no matter their ability or what they look like is something you can't manufacture.
The growth in my sweet kids is so profound and I know these are lessons that cannot be unlearned.
It wasn't a perfect summer or a perfect program. But nothing is ever perfect. It was a really good summer. And these kids of mine have grown considerably and I am so proud.
Now they get a few days at home before school starts.
I am very thankful for the last little bit here. I haven't had much to check in about because we've been enjoying summer together and soaking in every drop of fun we could muster. And I have been trying extremely hard to focus on my family and to put down my devices so there isn't even much to show for our last 10 days by way of pictures.
Okay, so I have been in my new job for a month now! Didn't that just fly by?! Yes, yes it did.
Well when I inherited my office, it wasn't set up in a way that worked super well for me. The biggest issue of all was that the only outlet I could plug a computer into was on the opposite wall as my desk... So about halfway through the day, I would either stop working on my computer for a while as it charged or I would use a rickety desk. It wasn't ideal.
Last week at my individual check-in meeting with my boss I asked if I could rearrange the furniture. She gave me free rein so this weekend, my family helped me transform my office into a place for me. Since our parish office used to be the rectory, all of us upstairs have bedrooms, but I think it's super cozy.
I took no before pictures because... that makes sense right? There's no way for you to see how it's improved. But just trust me, I am so very happy about it!
My helper team was also pretty happy about it. (I may have bribed them with fancy lemonades from Wendy's. And they were just as delicious as Billie Jo promised!)
Those bookshelves used to be against the wall where the seating was. And then the seating was in front of that.
Here's what it looks like now! From the doorway. (I ordered new curtains and they are coming today!)
It is a Jack and Jill bathroom and I actually share it with our Facilities Manager, but I started before he did and he more often than not, is getting a bunch of stuff done so not in his office.
I did buy new fabric for the bulletin board. The old fabric was loud and gave me a headache. Admittedly, simply moving the furniture around would have solved that problem so I wasn't staring right at it!
It's still folded up in my closet. So I bought the pretty blue fabric. There's a subtle dot pattern to it and I love it. I am a sucker for blues. The new curtains are sheer dark blue panels and they should be arriving today!
Otherwise, I shopped my basement for other things for the office. The lamp was an extra from my grandpa's apartment. (The other two are in my bedroom but with different lampshades. So it had just been sitting in my basement for a long time.) The Europe poster was from my bedroom at my parent's house and I think was last displayed at our rental townhouse we haven't lived at since 2012. But I have always loved it, so it's great to look at.
Even the picture frames on top of the bookshelves were already in the basement. And I brought C's community project church in because it suits and was also just chilling in the basement. My parents have two brand new office wastebaskets in their basement and I am getting those from them to graduate from the cardboard box and liner I've currently got. Plus a recycling bin, which I will have to empty myself since the church doesn't have recycling but it'll be worth it.
There are many positives to this office reboot. Firstly, it finally feels like my space and not like I am in someone else's area. But also, it gave me a chance to deep clean since we had to take everything off the bookshelves. It was gross but SO satisfying. Plus, now I know it's clean. And finally, I can leave my computer plugged in all the live long day and that is fantastic.
So here's to August! A fresh month, in a fresh office.
