Almost Recovered - School Starts

I have most the laundry done and my house is almost back to normal. I'm still organizing like crazy! So many things I want to do and here I sit talking about it, crazy. Yesterday my three oldest started school. They all had a really good day. Whitley was really nervous but said it was "so fun!". She has friends in all her classes but Spanish but loved that class anyway. Chelsey was same-old same-old but loves being there. She didn't get to do advanced dance which she tried out and made due to a scheduling conflict. She was really sad and had to take beginning dance again just to get the half credit she needed. When she showed up to dance her teacher asked what was going on. After explaining why, the teacher asked her what she was doing next semester and offered for Chelsey to be her aid. She was very excited! Nick started off a little rough, but came home and said he loved his teachers and was very excited. I still worry about his friends, but nothing I can do about that so I just keep praying! They all brought home their supply lists as well. In reading Heather's post about loving school supplies, I would have to agree. However, big kid supplies are a whole nother story. It cost me $80 to fulfill their lists and that's not any of the "wish list" things. Every year I get myself all bent out of shape about this. It's a public school with funding and I'm buying all the supplies. I get notebooks and some folders and such, but come on, their own stapler?? White board markers, copy paper, correcting pens, calculators, flash drives???? Chelsey was asked to buy a $100 calculator and was told she probably couldn't pass the class without it. Something is definitely wrong with this picture!
Anyway, (breathe, Laurie, breathe) we did it and its done. Makes me more grateful for my other kids school where they just ask you to bring a box to put all the supplies THEY buy for you.
I read a really good article on parenting in the Ensign this morning. I'm hoping to implement some of the suggestions in to my days. Patience, understanding and humor. Should be interesting. I'm really getting a lot of practice with my little ones still home. I keep taking deep breaths and thinking "only one more week and then they won't have time to destroy my house and spend hours on the computer." I'm most excited to turn my cute three year old back into a "cute three year old". Today I heard him yell from upstairs "YOU CAN'T MAKE ME!" and "YOU'RE NOT THE BOSS OF ME!" He didn't talk like that pre-summer. I have lots of fun ambitions for Bo, Katy and I once the kids are back to school. We all know how that can go, lots of ambition, little action. Let's hope that's not the case!