It’s official. Both college girls are back to school and we are left with an empty nest again. Well, almost empty…

We have one daughter left at home and she is loving being back to the ‘only child’ status again. Although she was glad to see her sisters (I think), she was a bit grumpy while her sisters were home, having two more people telling her what to do. Now, it’s back to having her way again.

She still won’t take a photo with me and her sisters though, so instead she took this photo of me and her big sister yesterday, on the way to dropping her off to school. I was getting so sleepy driving that we had to stop and stretch and wake up.

I just love the color of the woods in winter, don’t you?

Someone made herself a rabbit hat….  complete with tails

… then she made a plain beanie for her momma

It’s that time of year again. Yep, the most wonderful time of the year for parents according to the Staples commercial but really it’s an anxiety filled time of year for parents and students alike. For some students like my high school senior, it just may be the most wonderful time of the year. She was so looking forward to going back to school and being with her friends and favorite teachers again. But then, she has always looked forward to going back to school ever since her big sister had to leave her behind that first year when she, the first of my kids, started kindergarten.

This photo was taken twelve years ago. This year, they are all on another milestone. My little kindergartner in this photo just started as a freshman in college. Her sister who was so sad to see her go to school is now entering her senior year of high school and the baby I was holding in my arms is now a seventh grader! How did time fly so fast? I am close to tears just looking at these little girls twelve years ago.

I was cleaning out my emails the other day and I happened by this email from my youngest daughter from when she was eight years old and we finally let her have a GMAIL account. She sent me the following from her newly created email account.

FROM THE CLONE:
Thank you for gmail, thank you thank you thank you!
I ever love you so!
I love you, I love you!
And you helped me type when I couldn’t spell,
and you’ll always know,
that I love you so,
and that,
your the best mother I’ll ever know.

To which I answered:

FROM HER MOMMA:
You’re welcome, your welcome!
I do it cause I love you
I do it cause you smile
I do it cause it makes you happy.

I hope I will always give you happiness
I hope you will always appreciate.

I love you, I love you, I love you.
I’ll always love you no matter what you do.