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If you have already downloaded your FREE September issue of the DST Insider, then you probably already read my little “From the Desk of the Editor” column.  (I mean, if you are reading this blog, and you read The Insider, then you are probably my friend and you automatically read it because I wrote it, right?)  IF YOU READ IT, then you know that the September issue was my last issue as EIC.  I can’t tell you how this feels for me.

But, I’ll try.  Ever been in a nice dating relationship with someone, but you got a little tired?  I mean, you still liked the guy, but you weren’t passionate about him.  Then you broke up with him and . . . {sigh} sweet relief!  It’s like that.  I’ll always have fond feelings, but it’s nice to have a little bit of freedom in my life and in my heart.  I’m super excited to see how the new EIC handles her job (because she is WAY more qualified than I ever was!), and I can’t wait to see all of the exciting new changes that are going to take place at DST over the next few months.  It’ll be fun!

AND, while all of that is happening, I’m happy to say that I will be scrapping once again.  Yes, it has been a long time since you have seen any layouts from me (save that one I created as a result of an impulse alpha purchase when I couldn’t sleep after our trip to Vienna).

Let me show you what I’ve been doing over the past week.  THREE layouts.  Can you even believe it?  I used to do about 2 or 3 a week, then I had a bit of a drought.  BUT, I’m back to creating again, and I hope to keep it up!  And, look how very different each of them is!

I’m wondering if I should change up the title on this one to include some alphas or something to make it a bit chunkier.  What do you think?  (All layouts are linked.)

(Okay, this layout of my niece isn’t linked, because the kit hasn’t been released yet.  It’s by Creashens, and it is coming to TDC next week!)

ALL of these pictures are from Mother’s Day.  Yeah, I’m that far behind!  Actually, I have photos from Mitch’s birthday, so I’m behind all the way to March!  Hee, hee!  Looks like I’ll be having some fun over the next couple of months!

In other news, Grant will be starting school in our school district for the first time this year.  He went to Kindergarten at our church last year, so he is entering the school district as a 1st grader.  Last night, we had our little “meet the teacher” ice cream social thingy at his new school.  Can you say pointless?  (Watch out.  Time to rant.)

First of all, this is my FIRST child.  He did not come with an instruction manual that told me what to expect when he enters public school.  I don’t understand things.

For example, lunch.  Do I just send money with him?  Will the teacher take it and give him tickets or something?  Or, will he have a little plastic card to swipe?  Does he carry cash to the counter?  Does he give his money to someone else who gives him tickets?  Does he enter some sort of number into a machine?  I have no idea, and there was no one to ask.  If there was, I have no idea who I should have directed my questions to.

Next – What about bus?  Grant really wants to ride the bus, so we decided that we will take him to school and he will ride the bus home from school.  So, am I just supposed to drop my baby off in the morning and trust that he will get on the right bus and make it home?  SERIOUSLY?  Freak!  FREAK!  No way.  Is someone going to be standing there to help him?  Does he get a bus pass or some sort of identification that the bus driver can read so that my son doesn’t get on the wrong bus or get off at the wrong stop?  (Okay, I just completely freaked myself out thinking about this.  He will be riding home with me for the first couple of days.  YIKES!)  By the way, when I walked up to the “bus” table, the lady just looked at me.  I didn’t know what questions to ask because my brain was so fried, and she didn’t even anticipate any questions I might have.  When I told her where we live, she didn’t have any idea where the bus stop was.  (Don’t worry.  I looked it up on the internet.)  SO, that table was totally pointless.

OH, and no one told me that his school supplies were just going to be dumped in the pot.  Why did I let him pick his own scissors and ruler?  Why did I spend 20¢ more on Crayola brand?

AND TO TOP IT ALL OFF, the teacher was not even there last night.  We have not met the woman that we will be entrusting our son to.  I don’t know what she looks like or how she talks to kids.  My son is going to walk into his classroom on Tuesday and see a stranger standing there.  Freak.  Oh, I’m sure HE will do fine, but I know I will not.

You know what Mitch said when we got home?  “Private school.”  This is a battle we have been fighting for years in anticipation of this day, and now the school goes and does EXACTLY what it is NOT supposed to do and throws our confidence out the window.  Frustrating.

(Please remember that I didn’t go through these jitters when Grant went into Kindergarten, because it was a bit of a last-minute shocking decision for us to move him up, and really he just went 3 classrooms down, and my friend was his teacher, AND it was at our church.  I just spent the first month or so with my heart pounding outside of my chest on the verge of tears.  Oh no.  It’s happening again.  Ugh.  {sniffle})

Okay, so I’m really stressed out now.  I need to go grab some coffee.  ACK!  Is today September 4th?  (Lemmie check.)  YES!  You know what that means?  FREE ANNIHILATORS!  If you know me, you know that the Dutch Bros. Annihilator is like soothing honey to my soul.  Dutch Bros is celebrating something.  I think it is 150 coffee stands?  People have been emailing me and Facebooking me to tell me about the Free Annihilators on September 4th.  Yes, you are my friends.  Thank you.  I really need one right now.

(Oh, and thanks for listening to my rant!)