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I'm Shay! I’m a cookbook author, lifestyle blogger, travel agency owner, wife and mama who loves making every day special for my family.

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Mix & Match Mama

Ashby, Kensington, Let's Look, Madeley, Smith ·

Let’s Look: First Day PART 2


Today is LET’S LOOK!

Once a month,  Erika and I do a little link up where we “look” at different aspects of our lives (and then if you blog, you share and link up too!).  In keeping with the tradition this year of my Let’s Look prompts being TERRIBLY WRONG, today’s prompt says “your school pics” which I wrote to mean MY school pics from when I was in school.  Want to know where I keep all of my old photo albums?

Here…

…sigh.

The movers packed those babies away two months ago, and they’re currently sitting in some warehouse in Grand Prairie, TX.  So, I can’t share my pics, but I can share my kids’ pics from their first day of “in person” school.  Last Thursday, I sent all four kiddos out the door and all at once, this mom, closed a chapter in her life that went by TOO QUICKLY!!!

My 12 years with young kiddos at home just went by in a blink.

The good news?

They were so excited to be back in school!!!!

All dressed up and ready for 6th, 5th, 2nd and kindergarten!

A few driveway pics before we left!  The younger three are all in elementary school, but Kensington is now in middle school!

They’ve been obliging me with school pics for so long 🙂 .

All six of us took them up to school for their first day.  Miss Madeley was SO READY for kindergarten!  In all my years sending off kinder kids, I’ve never seen one more ready.

How sweet is this?!  She bounced right on in to the building.  All of the kids were so excited, but it made my mama heart happy that my two who were attending new schools were especially excited about it.

After school, I couldn’t wait to hear about their day.  It was, of course, very different than “normal” school with lots of changes and safety measures, but really and truly, they were just so excited to be in the building that it didn’t seem to matter.  I wasn’t sure, after being home for six months, if they’d struggle getting up the next morning for day two…

…but no ma’am, they did not!  All of them were excited and anxious to do it again!  How big do these sweet girls look?!

Kensington loved middle school.  It was the first time in her life she didn’t have to walk in a line, got to sit where she wanted in the cafeteria, was able to select her own electives…she felt very big.

That face.  Ha!  Mades couldn’t wait for day two of school!

After two full days back in the routine after a six month break, this is what I found at 8:00 on Friday night…

…she had been so excited to watch The Addams Family but didn’t make it five minutes.  Bahaha!  How many teachers felt the same way?!

It was a very bittersweet day…

First day of kinder, first grade and preschool in 2015.

…but I’m so excited for my kids.

Let’s do this school year ❤️! #lovethesekids #bigmiddlelittle

Babies don’t keep, friends.  Babies don’t keep.

Okay, next month on Let’s Look…

…it’s how we “pumpkin”.  FOR THE LOVE, PLEASE, I BEG YOU, DO NOT LET SOMETHING SCREW THIS UP FOR ME!!!!!!!!!

Here’s what we’ve been “looking” at so far this year…
In January, we looked at our bedside tables.
In February, we looked at our winter wardrobe.
In March, we looked at what’s inside our bags.
In April, we looked at how we typically celebrate Easter.
In May, we looked at our weekend.
In June, we looked at how we can make sure we’re encouraging racial diversity at home
In July, we looked at our summer wardrobes.
In August, we looked at our desks.

If you blogged too, make sure you link up below!  Happy Wednesday, friends!!  Have the BEST day!!

You are invited to the Inlinkz link party!

Click here to enter


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Comments

  4. COURTNEY LAWRENCE says

    Love the sweet photos of your kiddos. They do grow too quickly! Where is K’s yellow hair tie/ scrunchie from!? It’s adorable and I need my own!

    P.S. You house is coming along nicely. I can’t wait to see the new ‘finished’ areas! 🙂

    Courtney

  6. Joanne says

    My son has been so full of chatter after school! I wasn’t really expecting that with him being a cool, calm high schooler now but I am loving the joy and energy he just radiates from being in the building with others and learning new things.

  7. Julie says

    Love the pics! My now ninth grader was not such a willing participant Bahaha! He did not want his pic made but I told him I’m the mom and I get a picture now smile lol. My husband and I went outside to take his and his sisters pic before they got on bus and it was so funny, he said “great! The whole family is out here” Bahaha. He was afraid the bus would pull up and we were all out there. I have been known to take their pic while getting on the bus but I spared him this year. Lol

  8. Sarah Shaneyfelt says

    Kensington is literally your mini me! I love it! I love that she’s wearing a sweater on the first day of school! I definitely get to wear I start dressing for the season I want and not the season I’m in LOL!
    MeetTheShaneyfelts

  9. Melissa says

    Out of curiosity, what are those things looped to Ashby and Madeley’s backpacks? Seeing your kids’ previous photos of their first day of school makes me realize how the years have flown by of me following your blog too. It’s been a treat to follow. Blessings to your family, Shay!

    • Mix and Match Mama says

      Ohhhhh! They’re little spirit sticks you can earn at school for all sorts of things…they’re from last year. Kensington gave Madeley all of hers, so she has them too now like Ashby!

  10. Julie says

    I laughed so hard when I realized that once again, your ‘Let’s Look’ was just not happening. I love that you can be funny about it. You have to laugh right? I am betting nothing is going to screw up your pumpkin theme ‘let’s look!’ You need that one! I feel so appreciative that you share your beautiful family with us. Seeing your kids back to school photos made me smile! Here outside Boston, we have no in person school at the high school, and only a few days here and there for the Youngers. I miss it all. Thanks for starting my day with these cheerful pictures and for making me smile!

  11. Yley Allen says

    Great pictures! Can’t believe how big your kiddos have grown! I started following your blog years ago when they were so little. Boy does time fly!

  12. Emily says

    Where do you buy Kensington’s jeans?? She seems super long and skinny like my kiddo and I always have trouble getting them long enough and fitted enough for her liking!!

  13. Laurie Scarrow says

    Madely’s shirt and bow went from white to turquoise! Did she have the same things in another color? I never comment, but am so intrigued by this! They all look precious and I’m so happy they are off to a great start to the year!

  16. Lisa D says

    Love those sweet pics!

    “So quiet down cobwebs, dust go to sleep. I’m rocking my baby and babies don’t keep!” I love that poem and especially at this back-to-school time of year it is particularly poignant. Enjoy these precious days. Just some thoughts from a mom and grandma this Wed. morning.

    • Carly says

      My mom had this poem posted all growing up and I printed out a copy for my house when I had babies. I love it, but it makes me tear up now too ?❤️.

  17. Cara says

    Finding jeans that are comfortable on my 12 year old daughter is difficult! Where do you find Kensington’s jeans? Thank you!

  18. Chastity Samuel says

    Where is K’s shirt from with the gray sweater…the orange shirt with the buffalo plaid pumpkin? Love it!

  19. Katie Compton says

    When my daughter started middle her favorite thing was NOT WALKING IN A LINE! Haha! I teach 2nd grade and kinda wish we didn’t have to do the line thing. I’d rather just have a gaggle of 2nd graders heading down the hall. But not sure that would go over well… ?