Monkey girl turns 12!

It's so hard to believe that my little peanut, my monkey girl turned twelve today. We celebrated today with a special breakfast (challah french toast, hash browns and strawberries) cards and presents, a house filled with decorations, our second annual mom and daughter birthday pedicures and dinner out of her choosing.

Although there are days where I swear we are never going to survive the teenage years,(and we still have another year until we get there!) to know my sweet Dahlia is to love her.

She is a smart, funny, gorgeous and sensitive young lady. She is always thinking about how she can help others. I see her in the school yard with her friends and with the younger students, my heart fills with pride and joy at the kind of person she has become. She is a mensch.

She couldn't wait to turn 12 so she could sit in the front seat. I have to admit that I have been ooking forward to it. It will be nice to have company in the car. She was beaming as we drove to get our pedicures. Although Noah asked here if she would sometimes sit in the back on the way to school because he'll miss her. (Definitely, a glad you are their mother moment!)

I always tell her that she is the best birthday present I ever got. She was born the day before mine!

Dahlia, my sweet, I wish you only good things. May all the birthday wishes you made today come true for you. You deserve it! We love you very much!

Do you have any birthday traditions?

Back to School!

I can hardly believe it's already time to go back to school. Where did the summer go? I always joke that I need just one week with the kids in school where I am still off. (Kind of hard when you're the teacher!) But by the time I get to this time of year, I am ready for us to go back. I like the order and routine that comes with being in school.

Today was a day filled with rituals. For the third year in a row we spent the last day before school at the beach. We left early and got an amazing parking spot. It was glorious frolicking in the freezing Lake Huron. The sun shone (until we were on the drive home). The kids had a great time.

When we got home, everyone had a turn in the shower to wash off the buckets of sand that was stuck to them. We ordered pizza (with enough leftover for lunches) and then everyone sat around in the living room as I passed out the school supplies.

Now everyone is quietly relaxing and anticipating the day ahead. I'm sure there is more than one butterfly bouncing around in their tummies. I know that there are a few in mine.

I always get nervous the first day of school. Even though I know the kids and have had them before. It's a brand new year and I just want the very best for every child I teach.

Whether you're going back to school (as a student or teacher) or you're sending some little or not so little ones back to school, I wish you a wonderful year filled with learning, health, happiness and of course FUN!

YOUR TURN: Do you do anything special to get ready for back to school?