As usual, I am far behind over here, but such is a busy life with 5 kids and a full-time job. Said kids all passed their grade levels last year, whew!, we had a fun-filled summer vacation, then they all started back to school within the past 2 weeks. We are now in 3 different schools for the duration with Della starting high school and Lana starting middle school, so that’s a big change, too!
Here are pictures from the last day of school in June and the first days of school this month, but I’m not going to photo dump everything from summer in here. So sorry, that would take forever. I’ll mix a couple summer fun pics in that I might not have posted on social, but our vacations (late winter/early spring break in Florida, Canada in July, and St. Thomas in August) would be entire posts all their own and I just don’t feel like doing that. 😁 But that little Instagram box in the right sidebar here rotates through all my Instagram pictures so they’ll pop up over there, and if you follow me personally on Facebook then you’ve seen most of them there, too. And if you haven’t, just use your imagination! 🤣
Last night of K grades!8th grade promotion ceremonyLet the summer fun begin!They all played school together the very first day of summer vacation ❤️Kicking off summer break with family movie night!Last day of school – bring on summer vacation!!Happy 1st day of summer!Nigh-Night’s birthdayAnnual night-before-school block ice cream wagon!Actually finishing our annual Harry Potter movie marathon before school started!Summertime funFirst days of school – back at it!
Lana is off to middle school this upcoming school year, and we’re going to be in 3 different schools now since Della is moving onto high school! I’m sad the girls won’t overlap in school again until Lana’s freshman year and Della’s senior year in high school, but at least they’ll have that year together again.
It’s not nearly as bittersweet for me as when Della headed off to middle school for a couple of reasons – Lana is so ready to move out of Cumberland and elementary school, and I know how great our middle school is. They have an absolutely amazing staff, they are so inclusive, and Lana will get to just keep growing and blossoming into herself even more than she did this past year in 5th grade.
Just like when Della moved onto middle school, though, our walking crew is again shrinking. I need to check on how far after the middle school bell the high school starts, but I’m hopeful the girls can at least walk to the middle school together then Della can branch off to the high school, which thankfully is directly across the street from the middle school. We are seriously so lucky to live in a walkable community. Growing up in a larger city that was the complete opposite, I never knew what we were missing!
Our last walk home togetherOur last walk to Cumberland togetherLast day at Cumberland!
We will absolutely miss you in our Cumberland crew, my little Shmee, but I’m so excited for you to have even more opportunities to spread your wings and fly. You were born for greatness, I can just tell, and now it has the chance to get louder and louder and impress us all. And I can’t wait to watch!!
First and last days at CumberlandWe’ve changed a little 😉
The kids are now all out of school for summer break, and I love it! Yes, they bicker and get on each other’s (and my) nerves sometimes, and yes, I’ll shout at them to be quiet while I work at home full time sometimes, but I wouldn’t have it any other way. I love summer vacation, and we’ve got a good one planned this year. Here we come, #summervacation2023!
Annual peonies for teachersLast night of K4 for us ever!Campout Day fun…… with s’mores!Last day of K4!True feelings shine through… 😉Best friends!Last day of school for the big kids!Summer fun has begun!
ALL 5 kids are in school this year, and that just sounds crazy to even say.
The night before Della and the twins started school…
I still can’t believe the twins are in K4, going through those doors every day, just like their siblings. It definitely feels like the time is right, but it gets me daily seeing them run up the sidewalk to their door each morning with their little backpacks bouncing, then bounding out to me again after their morning session is done, just like the big kids always did.
The oldest and youngest started on the same day.
I love that time is moving at the perfect speed for me, too. It doesn’t feel like the days have flown by in a blur since each one of the kids was born. But it doesn’t feel like an eternity has dragged on with each one either. Everything feels like it is moving just right and I’m soaking up every day. I’m not sure why that is or why I feel like time is on my side when everyone else watches it race past, but I’m grateful for the cosmic juju that’s allowing it to be so.
The twins entering and exiting school by themselves for the first time!
The 2.5 hours the twins are gone in the mornings have allowed me to try to climb the steepest job learning curve I’ve had in 20 years, too, which has been both amazing and daunting at the same time. Some days, I’ve got this and am ready to tackle many, many years of it. Others, every email I get defeats me and I feel like I can’t conquer the seemingly simplest things. But that’s to be expected, so I’m not worried about it. Plus, it’s wine!
Finally Lana and Morrison’s turn!
These kids are incredible, plain and simple, and I treasure every day with them. Every walk to and from school, every joyous hug when they come running out of school, even the “meh”s that often emanate from the 4th grader. Thank you, time, for these days to cherish.
We are back in school, we are in person, we are masked, we are 5 days a week, and we are at 2 different schools now. Whew!
Della had her first day of school a week before the other two started.
As you’re well aware, it was heartbreaking for me when Della left our Cumberland gang. However, it’s actually working out pretty well. The middle school is awesome, I met all of her teachers at “Meet the Teachers” night last week and every single one is incredible, she gets to see at least some of her good friends from Cumberland every day, she’s continuing with band and has the same teacher as last year, and she still walks halfway to/from school with us. She even has her first cross country meet today! I’m so proud of how she’s handling this new independence, and I’m so relieved that I’m surviving, too. 😉
Lana’s “Roaring Start” day, where she went for about an hour and a half to meet her teacher and do some testingMorrison’s Roaring Start
I could tell the first couple days without her were weird for the other 4, so I didn’t make a big deal about anything that was happening, but they’ve gotten into our new groove, too. Morrison has some of his very best friends in his class again this year, and his teacher seems wonderful. Lana has an amazing group of girls in her class that I’m so happy she’s become friends with; she was thrilled to get a mirror and pen caddy for her locker this year, too; and her teacher is absolutely fantastic. This month Della does have cross country practice right after school, so she walks home from that on her own. I can’t even tell you how weird it is seeing her just strolling in the door by herself at about 4:45! But she has most Fridays off of practice and it’s only a month-long season, so she’ll get to meet back up with us on the walks home soon.
I’m not sure if it’s the third-grade daily processes at school, being closer to 9 now than 8, her specific teacher, or just the stars and all the cosmic juju finally aligning, but Lana has shown a new level of maturity these past couple weeks that I have never seen from her. They got an assignment notebook from school on the first day, and they are tasked with writing down all of their nightly “to-do’s,” checking off everything as they finish it, then dog-earing the pages as they complete them. She puts her nightly reading in there, she puts her piano practice in there (the girls started those lessons a few weeks ago and they are going great, too!), she puts emptying all her lunch containers in there, she puts any extra assignments they get in there, she puts any school project needs in there…it’s great. I can also tell that she’s taking pride in this, which is another thing you don’t often see manifesting from her. I can’t possibly begin to describe how proud I am of her. I’m not outwardly making a big deal out of this either, because I don’t want to hype it up so much that she shys away from this great work and routine she’s gotten in, but I did very nonchalantly let her know the other evening how happy I was watching her do her notebook and enjoying being in charge of herself like this. She has started wanting to push the stroller to and from school, too, which I just love.
The twins are still turds on the daily, but even they get in some awesome bouts of calm play time together, too. So there may be hope yet! I just can’t believe those little squirts will be following Lana and Morrison through the Cumberland doors next year, even if only for half the day. Watch out!
So here we are. My days seem just as busy as when all 5 were home for some reason, but I’m loving every one. I’m so happy they’re all safely back at school, and I just hope everyone stays healthy. The social distancing aspect is obvioulsy decreased this year with no virtual option and a full week schedule, but masks are still mandatory, drinking fountains are still off (bottle fillers are definitely on, though, so kids just need to bring thier own water bottles), and hand washing and sanitizing is constant. So fingers crossed that we avoid any quarantines or shut downs this year.
Happy back-to-school, my loves! This feels like it’s going to be a great year, and I just can’t wait to see where it takes each of you. I love you all so, so much!
All 5 were in bed at 7 p.m. after that first full day for the big 3. Cheers to that!
I don’t know how many times I’ve said it, and I know I can’t stop saying it, but I STILL can’t believe that Della is finished with elementary school. Our school year ended in June, and the notion that she’ll never be walking back to that school with us again just keeps boggling my mind.
As you know, we went back to in-person school for the fourth and final quarter of this school year. It was, by far, the best decision for us. I was perfectly happy with all 3 staying virtual and at home for the first 3 quarters, but by the time that last spring quarter rolled around and the school week switched to 4 days in person with 1 asynchronous day and the COVID-19 cases didn’t skyrocket and the nice weather started to arrive and the cabin fever started to set in, I was ready to send them back. They were ready to go back, too. And we were SO fortunate that Della and Morrison got to keep their teachers, whom we all loved, because they both went back in person, too. Lana’s virtual teacher ended up not even having her own classroom for fourth quarter so Lana couldn’t have kept her anyway, but she did start helping out with reading groups in Morrison’s class! Plus Lana loved the new teacher she got for that quarter, so win-win-win.
Last time wearing her last-day-of-school dressLast walk home from school all together 🙁One last pass by the dinosaur and purple giraffe house with all of them
I absolutely love our elementary school. Della has had nothing but wonderful days and experiences there, and I’m so sad it’s over for her. Our middle school seems pretty amazing, though, and I know she’s looking forward to her days ahead there. I just can’t wrap my heart around the fact that we’re splitting up. We won’t all be together anymore. She’ll be going there while the rest of us still go the other way. It’s just a fact of life, I’m fully aware, but it still tugs at me. The first piece of my heart is growing up and walking right away from me before my eyes.
Last walk to school together…
Thankfully the school calendar for next year is going to allow us to take Della the first couple of days before Lana and Morrison start. I already promised I wouldn’t get too close if she doesn’t want me to, wheeling the stroller with the twins right up to the 6th-grade waiting area. 😀 Once I have just those first couple dropoffs with her under my belt, I think I’ll be ok. My heart will get those few little moments to keep it full. The start and end timing of the different school days is just close enough that I wouldn’t be able to drop her off first and get over to the elementary school in time walking with everyone. I think if we drove we’d make it, but the walks to/from school are important to me. Believe it or not, I learn a lot in those short times together with all my kids.
Through those doors for the last time…
I’m going to miss her terribly. I know she’s not actually going anywhere and will be home right after us each day, but still. She’s mine, and I miss her when she’s not with me. I think it’ll be weird for the other kids, too, not having their leader with us. I told Lana she has an important role now as the biggest Rau kid at the elementary school. She’ll be in charge of getting Morrison at his door on those winter days when I drive to pick them up and they have to come meet me at the car. And she’ll have to help him get to his door on those same mornings. I hope she’s up to the task!
Oh, my sweet little peanut. I canNOT believe you’re a big middle schooler now, and I hate the fact that our school-days gang is breaking up. But, being the amazingly beautiful person you are, I can’t wait to see where this life takes you. Dream big, my love – you’ll do incredible things. ❤
Was a big day around here. The big 3 went back to in-person school for the first time in 174 school days, and it was mine and Ryan’s 15th anniversary.
Last virtual reading groupLast day of virtual school for this crew!Last virtual P.E. class togetherLast virtual day picture with her teacher.She adored Miss Safer at Richards!Thumbs up – all done!
The kids are so happy to be back in the classrooms with their teachers and friends, and so am I! We were elated that Della and Morrison’s teachers switched back to in person, too, so they got to stay with them. Lana’s virtual teacher actually didn’t keep her own classroom this quarter so Lana wouldn’t have been able to stay with her anyway, and Lana’s new teacher seems wonderful. Plus, her virtual teacher now helps out with reading groups in Morrison’s class and Lana gets to see her for an hour each Wednesday during asynchronous office hours, so that worked out great. As much as I miss not having them here all day anymore, I feel with every fiber of my being that sending them back for this final quarter of the school year was definitely the right choice for us. Even the walking to/from school routine feels good again. We’ve still had asynchronous Wednesdays, so I do get to keep them with me those days.
Gotta celebrate with a Fun Lunch!
They hopped right back into the school swing, too. They unload their backpacks right when we get home, wash their lunch boxes and water bottles, do any homework (usually only Della), give me any papers out of their folders (usually only Lana and Morrison), then make their lunches and snacks for the next day after dinner. I absolutely love the independence they’ve gained in these chores. They enjoy making their own lunches and I don’t, so it’s a win-win!
First morning walking to school in over a year!
We didn’t have a big celebration for #15. Ryan sent me a beautiful flower arrangement, I hung up the decorations Lana had made for Valentine’s Day that we were saving for this, and I opened a nice bottle of sparkling wine before dinner. I put on my wedding dress, too, which Avit absolutely loved helping to arrange.
Lana’s anniversary present for us. She made it immediately when we got home from school and had me send a picture of it to her teacher. 🙂 It says “Here comes the bride all dressed in white.”
I say it pretty much every spring, but I can’t believe we’re in May already and nearing the end of yet another school year. Della and I had her middle school tour last night (what the?!?!?!). I will be a total mess the last week of this school year with all the fun activities and celebrations they have planned for the 5th graders’ sendoff from elementary school. Even though the middle school looks incredible and I know she’ll love it, it’s breaking my heart that we’re not all going to be walking to and from the same school together each day anymore, and she won’t be at the same school with any of her siblings again until her senior year of high school. I know these are all just steps in life, but they’re scary for me. I know my kids little, and I love it this way. I obviously won’t love them any less as they grow up, but I’m having a really hard time letting go.
