Scarlett Pannebaker

 of course the bright cotton candy colors of the Stride Rite Leepz caught their eye when I pulled them out of the Zappos box, but when they realized that they LIGHT UP I thought they were going to have a stroke.  I told them their new shoes were for when school starts, and well, that basically opened a can of worms.  they asked me about 11 times between dinner + bathtime + bed if they were going to school "tomorrow"? 

 I would totally be freaked out if school started tomorrow. and I wish you could hear Parker say tomorrow.  she doesn't have a country girl accent like Jolie's (and J's is thick for some of her words..) but when she says tomorrow, she drops the 'ow' from the end of the word and replaces it with an "ah".

ANYway..

even if I would have waited to the last minute to figure out shoes for school, I would totally be confident in ordering from Zappos- these came in just one day!  ONE!  shipping was fast and free and  their 365 day return policy and helpful customer service would allow me to exchange sizes if I needed to. I honestly kind of took a guess as to what size I was going to get them in sneakers this year..I feel like my kids are in giant sizes, and when I ordered Parker the 10.5 in the Leepz; it was no longer toddler sizing.  *tear.

 aside from the twins absolutely loving the look of these shoes, the girls are completely capable in putting the Leepz shoes on by themselves.  how easy is it to tell them to go put their shoes on and they can actually do it without a meltdown of needing me to help them tie the laces.  school encourages clothing and shoes that are functional for little hands (think potty breaks and nap time) to be able to help themselves, and I think these are right up that alley.

 we are SO excited for preschool to start! 

that.. and any reason to see our new go-fast shoes light up.

I was absolutely heartbroken knowing that I had to go back to work this week and was SO nervous to be away from my little man!


I received the sweetest private Instagram message from my cousin's wife who is a minister in Illinois.  They were in Rome on sabbatical and she knew I was struggling with my maternity leave ending and this note and prayers really comforted me!





So low and behold, like everyone says...it gets easier.  My coworkers have been ridiculously welcoming and understanding (plus lots are moms, too, which helps!!) and are truly friends of mine so it is so nice to see them.  I know if I didn't love my job and coworkers so much this week would have gone MUCH differently.  And my mom is watching him this week and next so we didn't have to start daycare right away which is amazing!  I went home every day over lunch to feed him and cuddle.  Now I just need to figure out how to smuggle Bradley in to work with me and I will be just fine! :)

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School is in full swing.
3 days down, 183 to go!
This week I started my 8th year of teaching Middle School Math!

I forgot how exhausting the first week of school is.
We are so lazy & relaxed all summer, that I was a little shell shocked going back to school last week!
So far the first week has been good. Tiring, but good.
It feels nice to bet back into a routine again.

A new school year is like a new calendar year.
A fresh start. New Beginnings.
I was one of those kids growing up who LOVED the start of school.
I loved going back to school shopping for new clothes and for new school supplies.
Heck, I still love doing that!
So, I thought I would write down my Back to School Resolutions to keep myself more accountable and, because who doesn't love a list?
2011 Back to School Resolutions

1. Be in bed at 10:30 each night (as I type this at midnight. ha!)
2. Lay out my outfit & jewelry each night so that the mornings aren't so rushed.
3. Make & pack my lunch the night before.
4. Make coffee & use the automatic timer in the morning (Kevin always does this, thank you Kevin!)
5. Don't hit snooze 5 times before I get up in the morning.
6. Leave for school by 7:40 am
7. Meal plan on Sundays so that I have our dinners figured out for the week.
8. Pack the girls clothes/backpacks each night before bed.
9. On Sundays, I want to finish laundry & house cleaning for the week so that I start the week with a clean house.
10. Have a good attitude!!! (I had some tough students last year & I had a super bad attitude toward the end of the year and would bring home that bad attitude. Not this year!)

As a working mom with 2 little girls & a side business of photography & Etsy shop, I need to keep myself organized so that our home can run as smoothly as possible, but trust me, things get crazy at times!

I pretty much have the same Back to School Resolutions every year, let's see how long they last this year!
Anyone else have Back to School Resolutions?