1st day of school!

When we first looked at our house and fell in love with it, I immediately then drove by the elementary school assigned to us and.......wha wha wha.  From the outside it was the complete opposite of Ryan's picturesque 2 story, brick beauty back in our old, adorable neighborhood.  This kind of looked like a medium security prison:)  I called Grant in exaggerated fake tears saying 'no way....we can't take our kids out of their precious school and send them here, no matter how much we love the house'.   He, who is used to my tendency to over-dramatize things, was quick to put me in my place by insisting we tour the school first before counting it out based solely on looks.  Terrible of me, I know, but I couldn't help it.  Thankfully, cooler heads prevailed and after we toured the school, met with the staff, I was 100% at ease sending the ladies to the 'ugly duckling' school.  And now, I couldn't be more thrilled - there are many aspects I actually love more than her previous school (which was the cat's meow to me at the time).  You live, you learn.  Anywho....the girls were very excited about the first day (Ryan a little more realistic with a 'woo hoo' accompanied by an eye roll) but the Reesers was a ball of smiles.  Thank goodness, my heart could not have handled resistance and tears.  This is the first chance the ladies have had to ride the bus.  I used to dread the idea of them doing so until I talked to a number of moms in our neighborhood and learned that our bus only services our neighborhood and that the bus driver is the sweetest guy whom all the moms requested back again for the year.  And we got him!  So the idea of the girls riding to school with all their new neighborhood friends (a majority of whom we already know and love) and a bus driver the mom's rave about, not to mention the bus stop being one house down, made the call a no-brainer.

 Ignore the weeding that desperately needs to take place....add that to my to-do list.

 Woo hoo school!

 2nd grade

 Kindergarten

 If that's just not the saddest thing, seeing my Reesey Piecey off to school all day.  God help me when Emerson's turn comes...I will be a complete mess.

 They kill me....love these girls.

 Heading to the bus stop

 Dad drove by to say 'goodbye' but, in true Grant fashion, he was just heading up to school to surprise them at the front door when they got off the school bus.

 Reese's face when she saw the school bus coming around the corner:)

And with that, they were off.  All smiles.  Except for Emerson who was a hot mess.  Crying for her sisters and wanting to ride off with them:(  Fast forward 30 minutes when she realized it was just she and I, no one to fight with and all my attention, the girl has been all smiles ever since.

Grant snapped these from when they got off the bus...if that Reese doesn't make you smile, you must be dead inside:)

 Reese's best neighborhood friend, Lucy, also happens to be in her class this year...double trouble.

Let's hope the smiles are still there this afternoon, and tomorrow, and the day after that....