First week of second grade

My Gracie Jo started second grade this week. Most kids and moms eagerly look forward to the start of school. For the kids they get to go back to a new teacher, new friends, new fun. For the mom, well, we all know that summer wears on their nerves a little. For me though I really wasn't looking that forward to school. For me it just means that another season has flown by and my girls are growing up faster than I want them to. I don't like it! It wasn't that long ago that princesses and strawberry shortcake were all that she thought about. Now it's Hannah Montana and the Jonas Bros. Real people, not cartoons! What's next?
Well so far every first day of school has started off rough. In kindergarten Gracie was sick the first day and couldn't go. In first grade we missed the bus because it came earlier than we expected. Lucky for us we weren't the only ones and she was able to catch a ride with the neighbor. Then this year I started babysitting for another friend of ours and they were coming for the first time on Gracie's first day of school. Of course! They got dropped off at about 10 minutes before the bus was suppose to come so I was pushing Gracie out the door as they were walking in and trying to get final instructions from their mom. No big deal normally except there are 3 kids. A four year old and two, yes, two 17 month olds. Twins! So I threw them in the stroller (luckily I have a double) wrapped my 2 year old in a blanked and told the two four year olds to head down the street. So me and my 5 kids made it to the bus stop just in time to snap one picture of Gracie right before she got on the bus. No cute little photo shoot for the first day like I have done the last 2 years. Other than this one I had to settle for taking pictures as she came off the bus and she had already taken her hair-do out between the corner and the house. I did get a few second day of school shots. Heaven only knows what next year will bring. I hate to even imagine. We all survived our first day. Gracie's first day of school and my first day with twins and a four year old. I think so far she's had a good first week. All she will really talk about are the turtles her teacher keeps as class pets. I mean how do you top turtles? Now Hayden starts after Labor day and I'm sure I'll be a little sad then too. It's her last year of preschool and before I know it she'll be in college. Or maybe not, she says she's going to live with me forever. So for now I'm trying to take it one day at a time, one grade at a time, and enjoying my little girls while they're still little. Because one of these days they're going to be 15 and they'll be up for adoption. : (