With the beginning of a new school year, our little crew will be going through some significant changes. My goal will be to ease in as smoothly as possible. Our first major change was coming back to the core four; the temporary fifth member of our family, our foster son, has moved in with his oldest brother to be closer to and to attend school with the rest of his siblings. Although he was only with us for six months, he made a huge impact on our lives and in our hearts. The timing could not be more perfect for everyone, him included, due to the following changes.

After being off work for six months with health issues, then realizing I needed to work during the day only, I was able to obtain the job I was hoping for; a nursing position in a large, busy family practice clinic. Great benefits including the medical coverage that will afford me to resume insulin pump therapy, and weekends off equal the ideal situation… except for the very long days I suppose. With this job comes an early morning start and a 45 minute drive both ways.

Big change number three is that the kids are going back to school – private school. Since my health cannot afford me to be out of work, I can no longer take call at night and home school the kids, so they need to be back at school. Unfortunately the public schools in Hawaii are… not great. Propitiously, we have an opportunity to send them to a Catholic private school right down the road from where I’ll be working. Although we are Christian, we are thrilled to have God be a part of our children’s education, as well as the Pledge of Allegence, and an emphasis on learning on how a child can grow to serve one’s community rather than what that community should be doing for them. Ug, don’t get me started on that though!

The over-doer in me wants to enroll the kids in sports right away. The school offers programs for my oldest and plenty of activities for my youngest. The fitness lover in me wants to take advantage of my work’s healthy living incentive by becoming a member at the local gym whose annual fee will be paid by my employer. I want to plan meals a week in advance and pack healthy breakfasts and lunches for the kids. I want to wake up an hour before the sun to walk the dogs. But these grand plans will be postponed until we find the flow of our new schedules. We are going from being home all day to being gone from dusk til dawn.

Variation is good, challenges make us stronger. Our lives are about to be turned upside down – but in a good way. Life is an adventure!