third grade, first grade, preschool and preschool! after a wild and crazy summer, we were all very excited for school to start.

we had our traditional back to school dinner, with the kids’ favourite foods, talking about what everyone was excited and nervous about, root beer floats and goal setting. this year this ritual was riddled with total chaos … and when that happens i just have to hope that effort counts for something, deep in their bones.

august 13th was the big first day at the elementary school! the boys were ready and excited. i always get a little teary when i get to the school and see so many buzzing kids, parents and teachers – everyone cheering each other on. it’s a beautiful slice of humanity! i love how our school rolls out a red carpet for the kids and makes some fanfare out of the first day.

after school we went to get donuts at the little drivein between school and home. then gabriel checked off the last of his summer goals and we had to snap some photos of them – the best was his goal to write five sentences in his journal every day and now that little dino book is such a treasure! moses needed a couple extra weeks to finish his goals 🙂

next up, it was auggie’s turn to have a first day! he started at his special ed preschool on his daddy’s 40th birthday, august 20th! he went to this same school last year so he just felt excited.

and eve was excited too because august going to his school meant we had our much-much-anticipated “only girls!” time that we’d been talking about for months. we went to the playground and got some lunch (when august was in therapy after preschool). then, later that afternoon, evie had her first day of dance class! she went to dance class last year for a while but i think she just wasn’t quite ready for it – she refused to participate! this time she joined a class that her across-the-street bestie margot was also in and she was ready! so fun!

and then it was eve’s turn for a first day of school! she and august started together at our beloved garden gate preschool (where gabriel went for two years). clearly i struggled to narrow down the photos i took of the twins together after snapping some of evie. they are just the cutest!!!

they refused to take a photo at the gate with their incredible teacher lisa, but we still got a few snaps of them getting started at preschool – so exciting!

after i dropped off august and eve, my whole soul was tingling with emotion – thrill and sorrow all wrapped up together! having all four kids in actual school for a morning was a really new, exciting, and slightly bittersweet experience. i drove straight up to sundance and took a solo hike to stewart falls – to grieve and to celebrate. it was wonderful to be in my happy place to do that.

and then i picked up those cutie twins, we went to get donuts just like we had for the big boys after their first days, and that afternoon gabriel had another first day – in his music class, which he was very excited about.

on to a great 2024-25 school year!