Hello? Anybody out there? Wow. I've been pretty scarce in this space lately. I've been desperately slurping every last ounce of fun out of summer. It kicked my hiney, but was worth every exhausting minute. I'm back now. All my girls are at school today. Bittersweet, really.
Here are some polaroids of the girls on the first day. The photos are black and white because one of the girls has a tear-stained face. Her long, curly, thick, beautiful, red, to-die-for hair would not do what she wanted it to. We all feel bad for her, don't we? Oh, please!! Most people would sell a kidney for her head of hair. Sheesh! Embrace the big hair, girlfriend.
As the school year kicks off, I have two words of advice for the mommies who are brand new to school this year. HOT LUNCH! Yes, I know that cold lunch is a healthier alternative, but I recommend that you make hot lunch seem like a rare and thrilling gastrointestinal delight. After years and years of making sandwiches, peeling carrots, slicing apples, bagging cookies, and filling water bottles for five kids in the wee hours of the morning, I'm beginning to ask myself where I went wrong. Some days I would like to send them out the door with $1.25 a piece and tell them to enjoy. But, no. I bad-mouthed hot lunch. My girls think it is akin to eating a cat poop sandwich with a toilet water chaser. I've created a monster. I'm living with the consequence. Read and learn rookies. I know it seems unpalatable to those of you that believe that a lunch from mom equals true love, but you'll thank me for this advice later on. Really.
Your girls are all gorgeous! Bless your little one's red-head...I'm a red head, with wave/curls, depending on which part of my head we are talking about. It just kind of does what it wants. But, it took me along time to understand and appreciate that. She and I will always have unique hair - and that takes some getting used to. She is beautiful!
Posted by: Annessa Bock | August 31, 2010 at 01:32 PM
LOL. What beautiful girls. I ordered that book Crochet Adorned, and it came today. I am really interested in trimming some pillow slips with that pretty crochet. Any tutorials for me to follow that you know of? I would most appreciate it.'
Kris
Posted by: Kris | August 31, 2010 at 02:39 PM
Your girls are beautiful! I agree about the hot lunch thing - I've always found that my daughter didn't eat most of what I packed for her anyway and was starved when she got home - so now we hot lunch it - I just make sure she has a nutritious breakfast before she leaves for school and a healthy snack when she gets back home. It's not so bad.
S.W.A.K.
Posted by: Marsha | August 31, 2010 at 02:59 PM
Gorgeous girls! With each of my 3, as High School graduation approached, I counted down the days to the last time I had to make them lunch!
Posted by: Belinda Gelhausen | August 31, 2010 at 09:00 PM
Your girls are beautiful tear stained faces and all!! And I agree with the hot lunches so much easier on you and them.
I am with the lady who posted above. I love it if you did a tutorial on the pillowcases. They are so lovely and I sooo want to learn how to make them. I am such a visual learner!! I too would appreciate it.
Posted by: Pamela | September 01, 2010 at 05:26 AM
You're hysterical! If only you'd consulted me, lo those many years ago -- hot lunch is da bomb. And at $1.25 -- what a bargain! Ours was $3.00 and that was 10 years ago. Thieves!
Your girls are adorable. Beautiful! What a fun household you must be living in!!!
Posted by: Thimbleanna | September 01, 2010 at 05:45 AM
LOL!!! I agree! I alway tried to make perfect healthy lunches, only to find most of it still in the backpack at the end of the day, thoroughly smooshed! I survived on hot lunches as a kid (hence my reason to try to give them something better each day) and I s'pose they will too. I'm wondering if I should just fill up the lunch account each month and call it good! Then I can be the health nazi at home at least!! Have a wonderful school year to you all & thank you for the wonderful crafty ideas ;O)
Posted by: Jennifer | September 01, 2010 at 06:55 AM
This is great. My daughter is entering first grade, and she loved eating hot lunch. I would say she chose hot lunch about 60% of the time and cold lunch the other days. It really is a big help! Sometimes she would eat breakfast at home and then eat breakfast at school. Maybe she was hungry, but I think she liked the socializing.
Posted by: Stephanie | September 01, 2010 at 05:21 PM
Cassie,
I wish you were on FB but I love your blog so I'll just post here. My pillowcases turned out beautiful. I am getting compliments from everyone I show them off too. Of course, I give you full credit.
Your daughters are gorgeous. I can never keep the triplets straight but the one in the middle looks like your carbon copy (except for the hair). I'm sure you all have a lot of fun together, tears and all.
Roxann
Posted by: Roxann Gagner | September 01, 2010 at 07:46 PM
Great pictures! I love that you are still taking "first day of school" pictures even though they are so much older. I hope my boys let me keep taking them! Totally agree on the hot lunch thing! I would rather make them cold lunch, from a quality standpoint since the hot lunches at our school leave something to be desired. But, I let them go through the menu and pick a few days a month for hot lunch. I relish those nights where I don't have to make lunch for the next day!
Posted by: Tina @ Squirrel Acorns | September 02, 2010 at 05:43 AM
I'd love to have you stop by and enter my giveaway. I don't have these often, and get very few sign ups. But you have a good chance! It's for kids! A nice book. Thanks!
http://nikisbookreviews.blogspot.com/2010/09/another-giveawayoh-my.html
Posted by: niki | September 08, 2010 at 02:25 PM
Lovely, lovely young ladies. You must be so proud of them. I had smart parents who make us take hot lunch. Most days we liked it too. You are wise to advise it. Happy End of Summer!
Jody
Posted by: Gumbo Lily | September 08, 2010 at 03:16 PM
So much beauty in one family! My youngest child graduated in May, forcing me into retirement after homeschooling my three children for 16 years. Like you said, it's bittersweet. But part of the sweet is that I have more time for blogging now!
Sherry @ A Happy Valentine
Posted by: Sherry | September 11, 2010 at 05:59 AM
Such a lovely family.
There is a little surprise for you on my blog:)
Posted by: Karen Case | September 16, 2010 at 05:59 PM
A friend of mine does home-made lunches (partly because hot lunch where she lives costs twice what it does for you). You might want to check out some of her posts on it, because she makes things up in big batches and freezes them so that by the time it's time for lunch, they're thawed and yummy. Here's her post, with a link to the book with the recipes in it. Your girls are even old enough to do this themselves. ;o) Hope this helps!
(Interestingly enough, her name is Cassi, too. ;o)
Posted by: Annalea | October 18, 2010 at 11:54 PM