And now for something completely different...

... back to school! The kids started classes yesterday, and there was quite the hustle and bustle as everyone put on their uniforms, checked to make sure everything was in their backpack ten, eleven, twelve, twenty times... finally gobbled down enough breakfast so they wouldn't starve, and crashed out the door to catch the van to school. It was a little hectic, but fun... ;)

I remember my mom taking back-to-school photos... which I liked when I was young, and then hated when I was older. And I totally made the kids take back-to-school photos... lol. At least they're young enough that they don't resent it too much...

And I'm sure, Mom, that somewhere deep inside of me there really is joy for that photo of me with big hair, a flowered vest, and cowboy boots... I probably just need to look harder to find it... ;)

Heading out the front: Jenna and I's kids that are in grade school all headed out the door at the same time... while Jenna and I snapped photos! All of her kids are in grade school this year, and three of mine.

Nereida, Ponch, and Aaron... waiting patiently (or not so much) for their picture time!

Yaneli came over during the photo shoot, so I made her pose, too! I hear it's a crime to look this cute in some countries, and I wonder if that's why all my school pictures look dumb, and these kids look adorable... lol.

Braving the morning sun: We even had to do the counting game... "Okay, close your eyes... open them on the count of three; one, two, thr-- no, Aaron! On three, not on two! Okay, again... no, no, Ponch, you can't have your hand up over your face, because I can't see you... try again... Nereida! Please... please stay in one place!" And so it went... and by the fiftieth picture, we had an acceptable one... ;)

All the kids got new backpacks... that are pretty huge for the younger ones... ;)

But... it made for fun pictures, since over half their bodies are covered by their backpacks in this shot... lol.

Diego and José started Kindergarten this year, and thankfully both got into the same school! Praise the Lord! That makes it a lot easier as far as going to parent-teacher conferences, events, etc. Diego will attend this school for two years, and José will go to grade school next year, Lord willing...

Waiting at the gate for their caretaker to stop taking pictures... but how can you resist with two Spiderman backpacks, and two of the cutest kids ever???

One of the puppies on campus right now... her name is Lluvia ("rain" in Spanish), and Candi especially likes hauling them around like they are her baby dolls. Candi is already missing her older siblings, though... since apparently I just do not understand how she wants to rearrange the entire pots and pans cabinet, put pigtails (a.k.a. knots) in my hair, or eat whatever she can find on the floor...

Adults are just no fun sometimes... ;)