First Day of First Grade

We sent Austin off to first grade today. He will have Mrs. Zanol at Skyline Elementary. We met her at the open house last week, and she seems very nice, although it makes me feel old when my kids' teachers are younger than me. Austin was very excited to go back to school, which is a pleasant relief for me, as in the past the start of a new school year has brought him (and me) some distress and anxiety. Although, I was telling Keith last night this is the first year since he was 3 that he hasn't had to start a new school. He went to Skyline last year, so he knows what to expect, and I think that is helping a lot. Last night we set his alarm clock, but this morning he was up before it went off and kept asking, "Mom, when is my alarm going to go off?" Then he went to lay back in bed and wait for his alarm to go off so he could officially start his day! The other day he said he was ready for school and "ready for it to be winter." Well, I don't know if I'm ready for that, but I'm definitely ready to have you in school ALL DAY LONG! Woo hoo! I love Austin very much, but out of my three kids he is the most active and high-maintenance, and I've been looking forward to this much needed break for myself for a long time. I also have to say I'm proud I survived the summer without too much insanity. For the most part, we did a lot of fun things, and I'm a little sad to see it end, but we're ready to be back on a schedule and learning lots of new things.

I can't write about "first days" and not mention that Daddy had his own "first day" yesterday. He started a new job with MacDonald Miller, a large mechanical contractor, one of the largest in the Seattle area. This job is a HUGE blessing for us, and we know that it is a direct result of much prayer, fasting, and attending the temple. I cannot say enough about how blessed we feel for this opportunity, and we fully recognize the hand of the Lord and Heavenly Father's blessings in our lives.

As a side note, I have to say that those of you who know about Austin's fetish for cell phones, will laugh when I say the first thing he spotted when Dad walked in the door last night was the new cell phone clipped to his side. He was so excited, "Dad! You got a new phone!" That was quickly followed by "Can I go see your new van?" Of course, Keith had to give Austin a tour of the new work vehicle.