Blogworthy

If a picture is taken and it isn't posted on the blog or Facebook,
does it have any value or did it even really happen?

This summer I started several blog posts that never made it past the first sentence. To say that I've relaxed my "blahging" is totally understated, its dwindled to a few paragraphs a month about the highest of highlights of the kids lives.

The little moments have passed by, without documentation, and are faded from memory.

On the one hand, I've allowed myself to actually live the moments, restoring the presence and being here and now rather than rushing to get my camera or silently translating events into blog material as they are happening.

There something to be said for being in the present moment in which one truly lives. Its beautiful because its fleeting. Nothing that happens will ever be the same in the same way again.

And once its gone its gone forever. Diminished to a fragment of memory - something that might have happened once. Blogging is no rival to reality, but at least by documenting there's a chance that one or two fleeting moments, of the thousands that pass by each week, may be captured and not forgotten.

And these moments are worthy of preserving, right?

Puppy Love

Today was probably the best day in Jack's short life.

It's a day that started out like any other Saturday... morning cartoons, a woobie with a sippy of milk, breakfast of yogurt and apples. But, then, right around mid-morning, Daddy disappeared with sisters and returned with...

a puppy in a bucket...

And not just any puppy, but the sweetest, gentlest, darlingest puppy you can imagine. Seriously. She quickly warmed all of our hearts. Even me, who I have to confess, was the last hold out on the puppy train. I melted when she licked my fingers and looked up at me with her sweet brown eyes for the first time. Love at first sight.

Chris has been campaigning for years and waiting and waiting (and waiting) until the kids were old enough. But I didn't want a puppy. I know how much work they are and didn't want to add another newborn's schedule to our home.

But then this past June, our very good friends came over for a BBQ and told us their Golden Lab and Border Collie just had seven puppies, then invited us all to come and see them. I rolled my eyes and knew what was going to happen.

In the end it was fate...

Because this is true love all around.

We picked her out a week ago and today she came home to stay. The girls have been counting the days. And she really could not be more perfect. Quiet and sweet, docile. The runt of the litter, the Omega. Poor baby.

We named her Tessera, or Tessa, which means "four" in Greek, as in, Baby #4. Zoe and Athena were allowed to add to that, so her full name is "Princess Tessera Jewel." Which isn't too bad considering Athena's first choice was "Princess Unicorn" or "Rapunzel" and Zoe was going for "Miss Pepper."

Jack just calls her "My Puppy" (emphasis on my).

And this guy, oh this guy, who I love to distraction,
finally has his puppy longing-heart filled to the brink.

There is however, one family member decisively NOT thrilled about our new addition.
But we're keeping them separate, for now.

First Day of School

I have been way remiss and skipped over a ton of important events and pictures - that I plan to pre-date and post later on this week - but today trumps all. Today is the first day of school for all three of our babies.

Jack starts full time day care, Athena's in First Grade and Zoe will rule the pre-school in Class 8. Class 8 is for kids old enough for public school Kindergarten but not quite old enough for St. John's Kindergarten - Zoe missed the cut off by six weeks. BUT, all her best friends, especially fellow pink ladies Aubrey, Kendall and Caitlyn, are also in Room 8, so she is thrilled.

This is how we rolled (literally, Athena had to have a pink Hello Kitty rollable backpack).
Getting to school on the first day is a family affair.

In First Grade you get your very own desk, full of your very own supplies
(pink ruler, pink scissors, pink and purple pre-sharpened pencils).

Isn't she just the cutest First Grader ever!?
This was right around the time she asked me if I could please leave now.

Outside the elementary we ran into one of Zoe's buddies, also dropping off an older sibling.
Caitlyn had not seen Zoe all summer and she squeezed the stuffing out of her.

At Jack's preschool orientation, the teachers talked about "first day tears" and how to make a quick exit. Jack did not have any problem with that, I had to wrangle him for a good-bye kiss and then he was off to play play play. He's in Class 3, which is the first class Zoe was in at this school, so we know and love his teachers and they've known him since he was six months old and are so excited to now have him in their class.

And then Zoe, my little Llama, who is truly excited about going back to school, was sooo disappointed when we got to her class and none of her people were there yet. She needs her people - her Kendall, her Aubrey, her Caitlyn and her Nate - her core group to ground her. I knew Caitlyn was right behind us and until she got there Vinnie would do for a little while.

I thought I would be more upset than I was, especially about dropping Jack off, but in all the chaos of getting stuff in the right place, etc etc. There wasn't anytime to get weepy. I'm thrilled for Jack, he is going to love school and will grow leaps and bounds everyday. Zoe will actually get homework in Class 8 and Athena, who knows, will probably doing long division before the year is over.

Oh my poor heart, how grown up they all are.