Back to School Means......

1. Decorating backpacks. These $9 Wal-Mart specials needed a little sumpin' sumpin' so the girls and I shopped high and low to find the perfect way to jazz up their bags. Found it! RIBBON BABY!!


I love their own creative ideas. Decorating backpacks probably won't last many more years now that they are becoming 'Tweens.

I was consoled that they aren't getting too grown up when they called a friend over yesterday to come "play school". (The friend is now in junior high and this could have ended Jessica's social life if she had asked the wrong person, but Cami is an AWESOME friend).


2. Giving Haircuts. Josh donned the shaggy look all summer. At first it was annoying. Then I began to fall in love with his look. Then he asked for a haircut.

You ask for it, you got it, Toyota.

He says he looks lame now. I don't disagree, but I don't totally agree. I said, "You look hot, Josh. Don't worry about it." He told me, "It kinda grosses me out when my mom uses the word "hot" about me." Oh. My bad. Note to self.

He reminded me that a 9th grader doesn't really wear their hair in that style (he's in 8th- so, wha?) and he thinks he looks British. (Is that racist?) Sorry British people, I must think you look hot. Kinda.

I'm sorry, Josh. Didn't mean to do what you said. And cut your hair for school. I miss the locks, too.

3. Get lockers set up. Apparently it's not cool to show up on the first day with all your binders, organizers, mirrors, magnets to decorate with. Wouldn't want to look like a goober. Now that's a non-judgemental statement. There are all kinds of pressures to not be a goober on the first day. Even for boys. I remember those feelings, so we headed down to the jr. high and high school to be cool.

I'm sure everyone thought I was there to get registered for school myself. Nope. I was "Benson's mom" and "Mrs. Rice" and all these matronly terms all at once. At the high school. Didn't I just graduate?


4. Looking good for the first day. The night before school at our house turns into a mad dash for the washing machine and hairdo suggestions. Thank heavens for the hair-do blog I follow. Jessica got the curlers and Aubrey got the braids.

I so love that they want me to do their hair. Making them look cute somehow makes me feel less guilty about my joy in sending them back.

So Josh? He just had to look British, I guess.
And Benson? His hair had full flair, as you can imagine.

No, don't imagine: I decided you need a visual on Benson. I guess it's got to get bigger and better.... I mean, wow. I actually had one mom comment to me while I was pointing out who my son is: "Aren't the hairstyles getting crazy these days?"

(Note: these were taken at the D.I. where Benson found these funky glasses/goggles, made of miniature beer mugs. I've learned to keep my camera close whenever I shop with Benson.)