Back to school already. And no, I'm not happy about it

If you know me at all or have read my blog for a while, then you know I hate it when my kids go back to school. I have never felt that I am suppose to home school them, but watching them head out the door every fall just kills me. I have no idea what I will do when they are all gone. I can't even think about it. Even as my second gets ready to leave the next and go off to college. *sob*

Because we moved to the surface of the sun, also known as Las Vegas, it means that we are part of the first year where school starts mid August here. We got out June 18 and started August 14th. That is just a smidge less than two months my friends. That. Is. Poopy. 

Add to that the fact that we were packing Kate for her mission and then our entire house for half of that and we really did not have a summer. 

So when I dropped Henry and Nora off yesterday, I cried all the way to my car. Thankfully, Julia is still here for 2 more weeks and so I did not go home to an empty house. Which I will in two weeks. Jeff doesn't work from home any more. And so my life, which happens, is changing. 

And I'm being fussy about it. I will adjust, get use to it, embrace it, blah blah blah and eventually (hopefully) love it. But for now I feel cheated out of time with my kids. 

But the beautiful, amazing part of this is that they are all ok! Yes. They all came home yesterday saying everything was great and that they are ok and will like it here. 

That is a miracle. Because moving is hard. Leaving everything you know is hard. And my kids are rock stars who have taken this whole thing in stride. I can feel the blessings of heaven. I really can. Which means I shouldn't whine because then I am ungrateful for those blessings. 

Sorry. 

No more whining. I think. 

Anyway, Charlie and Anne Marie left a high school of 950 kids and have entered a high school bigger than my home town. It is 3200 kids! I can't even wrap my brain around that. The administration of the school seriously run the equivalent of a small town in the Cascade Mountains in Washington. They even have their own police. True story. 

But they will be fine. I feel it and I have seen it. Miracles. I believe in them. 

Henry and Nora go to an elementary school that is about the same size as the one they came from.
And they all start before 8 and get out at 2:11 Which I love. I still pick them up and we are all home by 2:30.

A downside is that their new playground is about a 1/4 of the size of their beloved Valley View. All the playgrounds have big shade coverings over them. Otherwise the metal burns your skin. Also a true story. So that was kind of a let down. Also they only have one 15 minute recess. Possibly because its too hot to play outside right now? Not sure. But I guess in 4th and 5th grade you start to have less recess. Which doesn't make sense to me either. But hey, this is not Finland. So I suppose I have to take what I can get.

Its for sure different here. But not bad. I do miss our little town and the friendly feeling to it. Such as seeing people at school and the grocery store and just kind of knowing who a lot of people are. I'm sure we will get comfortable here and that feeling of being somewhere so big and different will get better.

And I guess we have more breaks during the school year once it cools down. Which is nice. Also, we are only 4 hours from Disneyland. Who can be sad about that?

So back to school 2017. Already. But in May, when everyone else is dealing with spring fever, we will be done with school. I will tell you then if it was worth it:)