Missing Appendages

I've been unable to get myself to blog of late. Some of it had to do with the heat. It just made me lazy and unmotivated. And then, this really sad, hard thing happened. School started! Yes, I'm one of those crazy mothers who loath the beginning of school. I count down the days until I can have them back . . . not the days until I send them back.

The best way I can describe how I feel about two of my children being gone for a portion of the day is this way: I feel like I'm missing appendages. On Jaron's first day of 1st grade last week I felt like I tearily moped around the house all day. The hours stretched out. And that nearly 60 minutes from when school ended until the bus (which was very, very late) dropped him of was forever.

Jaron finds taking pictures in the sun hard. So he squints. I even put his back to the sun but still he struggles. Oh well.

Here's Russell trying to contain his excitment for preschool. He wanted to stay the whole day to have lunch with the other kids. No way buddy. I have a hard enough time leaving him for just 2 1/2 hours three days a week.

They grow up too darn fast.