Everyone complains (myself included)

And I really really need to stop doing that. Because we are blessed, so blessed. Healthy family, a home, 2 cars in the drive, 2 cats in the house, plenty of food, a steady job, and plenty of joy to go around.

So why do we linger on the complaints?

Well this year, I'm not going to complain about the schools here. Did I pay $12 for a 5-subject notebook because on a good day with stocked shelves they are nowhere to be found, but on the 2nd day of school when "additional supply lists" come out they are like the elusive yeti? Why yes, yes I did. Did they take away the bus stop 2 blocks away for Katherine's pick-up and now we drive her to the bus stop every morning? Yes, yes they did. Oh, the list goes on.
But I'm not going to complain. We're here, and life is good. The weather is cool this week, windows open and fresh breeze blowing through. Homework hasn't begun piling up yet. No one has missed a bus or been tardy. We're adjusting to our new schedules and for the first week of school things are looking pretty good.
One of the chores of First Week is paperwork. I sign emergency cards, behaviour contracts, text book releases, permission slips, all sorts of things and most of them x4. Katherine already received her school photo order form, class pictures are Monday. I'm not ordering photos. The cheapest set is over $50, so no thanks. Buying the yearbook at $80+ and getting all the photos is just fine with me and if I want a photo of just her I'll take it myself. Nicholas brought home his strings request. He signed up for cello and since we only have a full-sized cello we'd have to rent a smaller size for him. Here's hoping we get one through the school as it's $60/year vs renting from a store and spending $40/month. Katherine brought home her band guidelines, behaviour, homework etc. Included are the steps to earning a band letter. There are additional steps you can earn past a letter, but we're trying to figure out: if we only have this year here, can she do enough to earn a letter her freshman year? Hmm. To do so is to earn 150 points. Points are earned via activities... marching band is worth 50, auditioning for all-county band is worth 5, playing for the spring musical is worth 15, private lessons are 10/semester (maybe next semester, definitely not this one), etc. So... feasible or out of reach?