Yesterday was the first day of school. It was all new pencils, new classrooms and a whole bunch of nerves. These are exciting times, but they can also be a little scary and uncertain. All the change, all the unknown.
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JT literally was holding on to Peyton. He didn't want to let his big brother go, but off Peyton went to seventh grade before the sun was all the way up. |
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They played together as long as they could before they got ready to go off in their own directions. |
It's at times like these that I know traditions matter. I mean I just know it. The making of the first day of school signs, taking pictures...it all means something. Doing the same thing every year provides consistency and normalcy. I sound like a therapist, but it's true (I learned it in therapy). It makes something that might be a little bit stressful, better, more special.
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Peyton was a good sport posing with his sign. |
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Wade helped me get ready for the kids to come home from their first day of school. He starts Pre-K later this week. |
I've been making a pencil cake on the first day of school since Peyton was in kindergarten. Some years the pencil turns out amazing, some years not so much.
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This year's pencil was maybe not so pencil-y. |
This year, I ran out of eggs and butter so I had to go to the store and I was tired and cranky and the I tried to cut the cake before it was cool and it fell apart and the frosting was drippy and the dog almost ate the cake and I might have cried a little bit....BUT the pencil cake got made. The tradition lived. I hope we eat pencil cake every year that my kids have a first day of school. I hope we laugh about the years that it looked more like a fire hydrant than a pencil. I hope it always tastes good. I hope it always makes the first day of school a little more special.
I am a believer in traditions, in making a big deal about things, in making things special, in noticing if people are worrying a little more than usual and trying to help them.
I am a believer in the fact that cake is always a good idea, no matter what shape it is.
I love the idea of first day of school traditions, and I love your pencil cake. I bet it is something your kids look forward to all day.
ReplyDeleteYou know what I love about you? You feel all the feelings. And you write about feeling all the feelings.
ReplyDeleteWe made cookies for the twins on the first day of school. I really hope it becomes a tradition, because a) I love doing that stuff with Zoe, and b) COOKIES.
I love, love, love your pencil cake.
ReplyDeleteI believe in the power of traditions too. It binds us, grounds us. You're such a good mom.
Pencil or hydrant, I would totally eat that! I've started making Choc chip cookies and I love that tradition too! You're SUCH a good Mom!
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