Happy Days are here again!

 Yep, fancy chocolate cake.  I am not ashamed to admit that I bribed our children.  I told them that if they read a couple more books before school started they could go with us to the Compass Room downtown.  After 9pm the Compass Room has $5 desserts and it is super fancy.  So they read, some better than others, and we all managed to go.  Highlights of the trip were riding the glass elevator, being in a restaurant that spins 360 degrees (we stayed for about 180 of the degrees), eating yummy chocolate cake, and getting to stay up late.  Thanks to my Amanda sister some of our cousins from the east side came and were fancy with us.  I will pat myself on the back and say it was one of my better ideas.

 Here is a rare picture of Dinah being sad.  Most of the time she is a happy little angel bunny.  She was sad because Daddy was out of town.  He was gone this weekend picking up a car in New York.  But he is home safe after a long drive and we are all very grateful for that.

 The girls and I went school shopping on Saturday, thrift store shopping of course.  They got a bit waylaid in the shoe aisle so I told them to find the most ridiculous pair of heels they could find and I'd take a picture so we could move on to more sensible items.  Here is the result.  They have a fondness for high heels.

 Here's how Dinah looked for church yesterday.  She is adorable.

 And here is the day we have all been waiting for.  I have seriously been looking forward to this day for several years.  Seriously.  Peter has started kindergarten!!  All day kindergarten.  Oh bliss.  He is such a happy person about it, he has been chomping at the bit lately.

 He is sitting between two adorable little girls, I hope they prove to be a calming example to him today.  I know there are lots of moms out there who miss their kids when they go to school and they cry and stuff.  Although I cry about most things, I have yet to cry about sending a child to school.  I will say that I will probably miss him, I will miss all of them but I think school is really good for them and I am grateful to have a good school just down the road that the kids can attend.

 Our 8th grader.  His last year at this school!  You should have been there for the taking of this picture.  There was a bunch of 8th grade girls standing behind me giggling and commenting about how much these two look alike and how adorable they are.  Big trouble.  Also, we didn't dress these two like twins on purpose, it was just a happy coincidence.

 Pickles was eager to get to her classroom.  She is in the same classroom Leah was in last year and Jeff was there the year before.  Her teacher is different though, she is actually the same teacher Alana had last year.  She is a great teacher, I'm excited for Tess, she will have a fun year in 6th grade.

 Miss Brumm let Tessa choose where she wanted to sit and my brilliant daughter chose a seat right up front!  That's my girl!  She is such a sweet little lady.  I am glad she is one of my middles.

 Here is the tiny middle one.  She too had a choice about where she wanted to sit on this the first day of 4th grade...

 Front row!!  I love it.  Alana has a teacher we haven't had yet but I've seen her around a lot and she seems like a good one to me.  I'm sure she will have a great year, she is an excellent student.

 Leah got on campus and disappeared with her friends.  I got most of the other kids dropped off and stuck my head in her 7th grade class for a picture.  She is there way in the back.  I have a feeling she is planning to be a social butterfly this year...

 We got home from our walk to and from the school and baby girl decided she wanted to be adorable for a little while before her morning nap.

Like me, she is glad that everyone is learning and having fun at school.