First Day of School-ness

There is no better smell/feeling...than coming home to the smell of something yummy baking.
So before it was time for my first and "eldest" (it's more fun to say eldest, than oldest...try it, you'll see.) to come home from school first....I got some cookies baking in the oven.

I wanted them to smell the yumminess, and feel the love that mama baked them something from her heart to welcome them home with.

Alani and her Hello Kitty backpack (we got it from VANS, but we really wish they had put some side pockets for water bottles).

As soon as everyone was safely back home from school...I asked how the first day went:
Did they like their teacher/teachers?
How were the kids?
Any funny things happen?
and the dreaded question...."any homework?"

THEN WE HEADED TO STAPLES-

Since Jordan, came home with his list of school supplies needed for each class.
And I got excited at seeing the Martha Stewart Home Office Supplies...
stick on chalkboard stickers, wipe off pen stickers, organizing trays oh my!

Ellie thought we needed a big pack of green packing peanuts...

Then my cousin invited us over for tacos for dinner. She has a beautiful house with a beautiful kitchen and a beautiful backyard...where we dined on our tacos, and she has a son (also my cousin-ha ha) that happens to be Jordan's good friend/cousin, too.

We walked around her garden, picked some carrots and went home with some garden picked onions and Alani and Blake left with some scooters that the bigger boys had outgrown!
It was a great night.
I haven't really felt up to being around people since my dad left this place, for heaven...but  it was so nice to be around my family that I also have great memories of being with them and my dad, too.

We came home and made school lunches....this grape sandwich was made by Ellie. Weird, no one wanted it for lunch! ha ha ha

I filled Alani's heart with love and compliments after she told me about some kids who laughed at her when she fell. And how unkind that was of them and how sad they'd be if someone laughed at them. And that when other kids laugh or make fun of someone, it shows how little kindness they have in their heart, because someone full of love, would not make fun, but they would encourage and comfort others.

And today she will find a little note of love inside her lunch from mama...
lunch notes of love and hugs, your kandee

If you wanna see my other, more sparkly blog, click RIGHT HERE.