We'd like to interrupt this summer vacation....

Here it is...the middle of summer. And we are heading back to school after a two-week furlough. Today the boys were able to go attend a "goal-setting" conference with each of their teachers. We dropped off school supplies and wrote out checks for fees and pictures! It confirmed what I was taught in high school Economics.....there is no such thing as a free lunch. Or in this case, free education! I really don't mind helping out my kids school. I understand that there is not enough money for them. But, we just wrapped up a school year one paycheck ago. That paycheck had to cover end of the year costs. Such as pizza parties, teachers gifts and fees for activities they completed the last few weeks. Said paycheck also had to cover two new backpacks, oodles and oodles of school supplies, 2 pairs of shoes, new clothes and a snazzy new haircut. It just would have been nice to have more time to prepare financially and emotionally for this week! We aren't the kind of people who have money to spend on a whim. Every dime we spend is budgeted. Which means, we are going to have a fun month. Creative accounting.

Enough of that....Collin's teacher read one of my favorite stories to the moms and kindergartners. It's called The Kissing Hand. It's a story about a raccoon who is afraid to go to school because he will miss his mom. The mom raccoon tells him the secret of the kissing hand. That's all I am going to tell you. If you want to know more...read the book!! Anyway, besides making me cry, it made me think. Where has the time gone? I know it's a little cliche, but really. Where did it go? Collin is too little for school. It's weird. I don't like change. I wish I could just freeze time. But, on the other hand, it's so fun to watch them grow and learn. So, Wednesday morning I will be letting go. Letting Collin go to big-kid school. Letting him make his own friends and his own decisions. (at least while at school) Think of me on Wednesday. It's gonna be a long day!!