The End of Freedom

It is the end of freedom...Today is the last day of summer vacation here in the Southern Hemisphere.  Vacation is over.  Tomorrow school starts.  It is going to be a tough morning.  The kids are used to sleeping in and staying up late.  I don't know why, but I thought we had another week to slowly turn their internal clock back - but we don't.  I don't know how I thought that.  How did I lose a week!?

I got the kids up at 6:45 this morning to start prepping them for the big transition.  It was not easy...or pretty.  Nate was the only one who got up easy - and he doesn't even have to!  He will be home schooling this year and has more flexibility in his schedule.  Ha.

We went through our morning routine - wake up, get up (not necessarily in that order), breakfast, bathroom, getting dressed, get stuff together, say good-byes, and then we actually walked to the school.  I had to turn in some paperwork anyway, but it was a good practice run.

Afterwards we caught a taxi and went downtown to finish buying the last of their school supplies.  It was a few things in one store, a few things in another and then off to yet another.  We walked everywhere (Jonny caught a few piggy-back rides) and finally I rewarded them for a long morning by taking them to their favorite ice cream store.  After ice cream and playing in the play area, we walked part way home and caught a taxi back to our side of the city.

I had lunch with the fam, helped Heather sort; mark; and pack all of the school supplies, took care of the kids a bit, and then headed off to a fantastic meeting.  Afterwards I had to walk back downtown and do the last of the last, last minute shopping.  The lines were incredible & in one store they had lost air conditioning.  Wow!  Not a good combo.  I felt so bad for the people around me, but I was sweating like crazy.  Ha.

Afterwards I walked home, had dinner with the family and helped to put the kids to bed.  Then I started working on line.  With Heather's help I sent a great STL story to the NWMN for their Youth Leaders Summit, complete with pictures and video.  I hope it was what they were looking for.  Since then I have been working on catching up on other business on line and now it is nearly midnight and I really need to hit the sack.

See you tomorrow.  Happy Leap Year everyone!  February 29th made for 1 long day.  : )

God bless -
Paz, gracia, y misericordia de Dios -