School is cool....

these cuties couldn't wait to be reunited after my daughter finished kindergarten yesterday.  They are best buddies and my 3 year old must have asked 5 times where his sissy was.  She squealed and ran over to him, she was way more excited to see him than she was to see me!

School is back in session.  My schedule is this...
4:45: my oldest wakes up in time to get ready to attend early morning seminary which is a religious class taught to the youth of our church (or anyone else interested) before school starts. 

5:30: he leaves and is off to school right after seminary
6:30:  I wake up my 12 year old
7 ish my younger 3 wake up
 7:15: 12 year old leaves for school 
7:50: we leave to walk the kindergartner and 2nd grader to school
9-1:1 I take a breather, spend some one on one time with my 3 year old, clean up my kitchen, do a load or two of laundry and then.....
11:20: pick up the kindergartner, come home feed the littles lunch, read some books to them, let them watch a show while I do some more housework, start dinner
1:25: Pick up my 9th grader
 2:30:Middle school gets out, fortunately he walks home unless it's raining
3:15: Elementary school gets out and fortunately I have a carpool  and hegets dropped home around 3:30.   
3:30-5:30: Afternoons are full of piano, scouts, homework, soccer downtime and that little old thing called kids playing outside, with friends etc (which is SO important I think, but doesn't happen as often as it should)
6:00-7:00: dinner, clean up
7-7:30:  wind up for the day... baths, family time, family scripture reading, family prayer
7:30-8: Little kids get stories, time with Mom or Dad and bed
8-9: older kids read, brush teeth etc and lights out usually before 9
9:00  Mom wants to crash but has to get more laundry folded, house picked up, spend time with hubby etc

Repeat the next day....Life certainly isn't simple with 5 kids and before I had older kids I thought life would get easier once I had older kids.  In some ways it is because I have helpers and babysitters, however it is certainly busier and more complicated.  However I do love it!  No matter your stage in life there are hard things and there are wonderful things.

I am a home body, I like being home, I like having a slower pace.  I don't like rushing, I get anxious and stressed out.  I miss the days of not having anywhere I had to be (but in those days I was dying to get out of the house).  So this is challenging me and stretching me. 

I also find that if I don't get up before my oldest leaves I don't get my time to fill my reservoir.  I need quiet time to read my scriptures and other inspirational books, to pray, to think and ponder.  So while I may not love getting up so early it is my only time to have quiet time to myself.  So falling into bed at 9:30 or 10 is necessary for me to be able to do that.

So if you see me around with dark circles and bags under my eyes, just know it's my crazy life but it's my life and I wouldn't trade it for anything :)  That picture above makes it all worth it to see those adorable faces light up!