For about five days every year, my blog goes quiet for a few days. Why? Because on 8/18 the kids went back to school, 8/19 was my 16th wedding anniversary, and 8/22 (next Monday) is my birthday. Add in a couple of additional birthday gatherings, and it makes for for a pretty hectic five-day stretch.
Earlier this past week was back to school night. Morgan’s going to the same school she went to last year, and her first grade teacher is the same teacher Mason had for first grade, so there were few surprises there. Mason, however, is attending IES (Independent Elementary School). With the addition of a brand new high school in Yukon this year, all the formerly K-6 elementary schools have been converted to K-3 schools, and all of Yukon’s 4th and 5th graders are being sent to one of two 4th-5th grade schools. Mason’s school, Independence Elementary School (or IES) was formerly known as Independence Middle School, (IMS). Back when I was in grade school IMS was where all Yukon 7th and 8th graders went to school. IMS is where I met Susan, Jeff, and lots of other life-long friends. I had a good time reminiscing while walking through the school on Mason’s Back to School night.
For the first time ever Mason and Morgan are now riding the school bus to school, so that’s new. The school bus stops by Morgan’s school first and then goes to Mason’s school, so the two of them ride the bus together. Because so many kids are being bused around this year, school now starts at 7:30am, which means our kids catch the bus around 7am. Thank goodness we’re later on the schedule; friends of ours in other neighborhoods have to have their kids on the bus around 6:45am.
The kids’ second day of school, last Friday, was also my and Susan’s 16th wedding anniversary. This year we didn’t really exchange gifts or anything. Sue and I had lunch at Bricktown Burgers, a place we had never tried before. If you’re ever in the mood for a delicious half-pound onion burger, I highly recommend the place. For dessert, we stopped by Pinkitzel, a fancy cupcake store. If you’re ever in the mood for a $3.50 cupcake, I have to say the chocolate/peanut butter one was delish.
Friday evening, we ate dinner at a Chinese buffet with the kids, and had a post-dinner dessert with them next door at Krispy Kreme. It wasn’t the fanciest of outings, but I have to tell you … the sun was setting right as we arrived, and Susan sat in this spot on the couch where her hair was backlit by the sun and she looked beautiful. I tried to tell her as much but she was convinced I was just on a sugar high from the donuts.
This evening, we had an early birthday dinner with my mom and Jack at The Cheesecake Factory. What’s there not to love about that place? I had a strawberry lemonade, spicy cashew chicken, and a slice of Reese’s Peanut Butter cheesecake. Yum, yum, and yum.
On Monday night, my actual birthday, Susan has organized some sort of bowling outing. I can’t wait to get out, celebrate, and see all my friends!