First Day of School

Kolby had his first day of school yesterday.  He’s been at school for the past few weeks preparing projects and such, and we both went up there one night last week to get his classroom looking ready for the big first day.  I met several teachers and a handful of students—each one providing further affirmation that this new school will fit Kolby like a glove.  He is loving it already, and we are so grateful.

I made Kolby go to the doctor for a check-up before school started, mainly because he can’t remember the last time he set foot in a doctor’s office and because I want to feel like the health insurance we’ve been paying for this whole year isn’t for naught.  Good news—he’s healthy.  And tall, according to the nurse who tried to measure his height and had to pull the scale’s measuring stick so high that it came out of its socket.  I also asked him to go see the surgeon that did his jaw reconstruction, just for a follow-up.  Can you believe it’s been five years?  Sheesh, that was one awful summer for him.  Other than the quadrant of his lip and chin that never regained feeling, everything looks great!

We’re adjusting to our new routine with both of us being gone all day.  We plan our meals for the week on Sunday afternoons and go to the grocery store together to get what we need.  After work, we cook dinner together and take turns doing the dishes.  It’s a change from when Kolby was able to have dinner ready for us by the time I got home (and vice-versa when I was in grad school), but it’s fun to do the cooking together now and I’m working on not getting a bad case of the hunger grumpies.  Maybe I need to add an afternoon snack to my routine :)

Keeping the house clean is another story.  How do people do it?  I can honestly say that the vast majority of my wardrobe is either dirty and tossed on the floor or clean and scattered across the guest bed in various unfolded laundry piles.  Things have gotten out of control, and culminated in a Tuesday night house cleaning extravaganza that will soon take place around here.  Then Kolby and I will shake hands and pinkie-swear as we join in a commitment to not living like slobs just because we’re busy and tired. 

Maya has been a trooper like always.  I’m not sure what she does all day, but we just leave her out in the house and it’s been years since she’s gotten in to anything.  I’m hoping she doesn’t revert back to her adolescent days when she acquired quite the taste for remote controls and power cords just for spite.  We take her on a longer evening walk now, and we try to take her to the dog park or for a play date on the weekends.

Speaking of dog walking, I’m starting a new exercise routine.  Last time I went to the doctor for my yearly check-up, she asked if I’ve been exercising and she didn’t seem too thrilled with my response of, “does walking my dog count?”  It was her fault for asking me the question right after I was weighed; I feel like she could have been a bit more sensitive with her timing :).  In any case, we’re making some fairly big changes in our eating habits to promote better health, and it’s probably fairly pointless so long as I’m not exercising regularly like I should.  The experts seem to be in agreement that working out is good for your health.  Bummer.  So, enter Jillian Michaels and her 30-Day Shred video.  I survived day 1, but it was touch-and-go there for awhile.  We’ll see how this goes.