Settling into routine. Ahhhhhhhhhhhhh! (That's a satisfied sigh, not a scream.)

How I love school. This is the part of the year when I am not sick of signing things and filling out forms and whatnot. The kids are not sick of homework and reading time. Gabe is not sick of being at home alone all day. It is so awesome!

Homework time has been going great. I realize that I always think Charlotte is plenty grown enough to handle whatever the new school year throws at her. However, I always think Claire is too little for the same things one year later. Probably because Claire is actually 2 years younger than Charlotte but only one year apart in school, and because Claire is teensy. She's 7, sure, but she hasn't even had a loose tooth yet, and she is so small. It is hard for me to adjust to her having a binder with dividers and whatnot. Weird, I know.

We are headed to the library today for the last day of amnesty with 5 books due at the beginning of August. Hurray hurray for amnesty! I am also going to battle with them about a book I turned in that they have listed as lost. Grrrrrr. I ain't paying for it.

I got our first Scholastic book order form from school. Freaking yay! It came with Charlotte, and for the first time it is all chapter books instead of a bunch of picture books. How grown-up! Naturally I want about 30 things. I'll be culling that down over the week, slowly and carefully, until I make the first glorious order of books. My most favorite thing to buy!

I need to shower and get ready to leave the house. Gabe has about a half hour before he thinks cartoons are boring and is ready for some new activity. I better put a hustle on it.