Back to School Time!

Well folks, today is it ... it is the unofficial last day of summer for me and Katie Anne.  I say unofficial because, technically, I do not have to report for pre-planning until this Friday.  However, the unfortunate timing of our school being painted and having to move classrooms while also being 9 months pregnant as of tomorrow means ... I've got a TON of work to do at school at a time when I'm not exactly an efficient or effective physical laborer.  So, I'm considering tomorrow my first day of work.  Luckily, I've got lots of helper bees lined up to come in next week and do the real work of setting up the room since I can't exactly move furniture and hang off ladders at this stage in the game.  My mom, dad, sister-in-law Jillian, and in-laws have all graciously volunteered to assist with this project!  We made a stop by the school yesterday to get a preview of the damage:

 You may say, "What?!" but ... it really doesn't look that bad to me.  There are a lot of rooms that I walked by that looked like bombs had been exploded in there - I think some of the recycled boxes from the lunchroom did not fare well.  Luckily, I'm so anal-retentive that I could barely use the recycled, slightly damp boxes that formerly housed frozen hamburger patties to pack away my precious school supplies ... and the lovely, matching Home Depot boxes (which cost a little money, but seem to be totally worth it) have held up very nicely during the prisoner-work-force moving process.  I'm sure it will be a lot of work, but I was very careful about packing my boxes in a very organized way, and it looks like all my furniture made the move without being damaged, so I think it won't be too impossible to unpack it all.  I'm also setting my decorating bar low ... we'll do the best we can to establish cuteness in the room, but the first goals to reach will be practical - furniture placement, box unpacking, etc.

Katie Anne's going back to school tomorrow as well.  I've really been trying to amp up the excitement about her return to school while also emphasizing that her stay there will be incredibly short - she's going to be home with me during my maternity leave.  So, she'll probably only be at school for (at most) 3 weeks.  We went to Target and I let her shop for a new backpack.  She spent a lot of time trying on different choices, but ultimately you know who won.  Who could resist a sparkly Dora backpack that also has a rolling handle?  She calls it her Dora suitcase backpack, and she loves it.

We also went to her school on Friday to pick up a blanket we'd forgotten, to remind her about how awesome the playground is, and to remind the staff that she'll be back on Monday morning.  Everyone was very excited to see Katie Anne, and I think that helped her be more excited about going back.  Keep your fingers crossed that tomorrow morning - and the rest of the mornings until Baby Saunders arrives - go smoothly for Daddy at drop-off time ... because I'm totally chickening out and making him take her from the very beginning this year.  :)  Last year, it took her about a month to make the back to school transition, and I just don't think I can handle the drama in my current hormonally-fragile emotional state!