Back to School 2026-2027

How about a flashback to my favorite back to school photo, when they all lived at home and life was somehow simpler:

12th grade down to Preschool!

And now merely six years later, we are down to only three living at home for the school year - time is a thief!

JP started his 2nd year of med school at Duquesne back in July.  He spent the summer doing an internship in Pediatric Psychiatry at Bradley Hospital (Brown University) and also shadowed an Opthamologist who works at Brown and teaches at Harvard Medical School.  He also managed the ice cream store evenings and weekends.  In Pittsburgh he is continuing to volunteer every chance he gets, most recently as part of the medical team on the sidelines at the Duquesne sports games.  JP is excited to go on his medical mission trip to Guatemala next month!  He would also love to find a kind, sweet, holy, beautiful, smart, and fun girlfriend who would be patient enough to understand his busy schedule - know anyone?

Andrew (black shirt) is a Senior at Franciscan University.  He started out as a Biology major, switched to Nursing, then back to Bio and now wishes he was Business but it's too late to start over, so he's reluctantly finishing his Bio degree and also taking prerequisites necessary to get an MBA one day if that's what he decides to do.  Right now, he just wants to graduate and start his real life - I guess he has college senioritis?  Andrew is much more interested in being the Men's Soccer Team Manager, Mission Trip Leader (back to Arizona in March), playing on intramural sports teams, dating the wonderful Karolina, and living off-campus with his friends.  Does it make me incredibly happy that these three are together for a year?  Yes, it does.

Eamon (white shirt) is a Sophomore at Franciscan University, and also a Biology major.  While I think he would make a great Physical Therapist, he is unsure of his future career, but is academically gifted and a hard worker.  Eamon is hoping to study abroad in the Spring and is playing intramurals as well as working an an intramural ref.  He is enjoying being back on campus with all his buddies, participating in his household, and not working overtime at the ice cream shop anymore.  On his last day of double shifts while we were taking Maggie to college, Eamon had a one hour break and used it to say goodbye to Gammy and Grandpa and go to Confession before his flight back to school the next morning.  I swear these kids are so much better than me.

Maggie is a Freshman at Franciscan University and a Nursing major.  She has a pretty difficult schedule with lots of science classes and labs, but she can handle it, especially since she took Chemistry and Anatomy & Physiology in high school already.  Maggie will be joining intramural teams and mission teams and is slightly regretting not playing on the women's volleyball team whenever she sees the team around campus.  She is making lots of new friends and has been attending daily Mass and hitting the gym most days, like a good doobie.

Alexander is a high school Sophomore and is going to try to get really good grades this year after slacking a bit Freshman year.  He is just like JP was - so naturally smart and so naturally lazy - but JP figured it out and we know Xan Man will too.  He is running Cross Country this fall and has been our saving grace at the ice cream shop since the college kids left.  At 15, Xander will also be the oldest in our house this school year, which is wild to me.  Unfortunately he won't be able to get his license for another year and a half, so Phil and I are back to chauffeuring everyone around like we did from 2003-2019.  Let's just say if I could go back in time, I would have had another baby between Maggie and Xander but young Colleen needed a break, not realizing it would make old Colleen have to work harder.

Declan (with tie) is in 7th grade and was "not nervous for the first time for the first day of school" as he was excited to see all his friends again.  Declan's soccer league begins next week and I just ordered these shakes for him to drink before bed to help him grow and gain weight.  The doctor isn't concerned since he's always been on the same 50% curve for height and weight but he looks so little to me, and is always either starving or full.  As in, he's starving, then eats one of his tacos, then says he's full and can't finish the rest.  Declan did a lot of sports camps this summer - track, basketball, soccer, as well as a STEM camp, Altar Boy Bootcamp and a weekly golf clinic.  As long as he's active/outside/playing he's a happy kid (and also a reason why he's so skinny)!

Brendan (maroon shirt) is in 5th grade and was thrilled to find out the highly favored 5th grade teacher who had left at the end of last year decided to return for this year.  When we went to drop off school supplies, she showed Brendan the photo of Lucy Doodle she kept on the wall since Declan was in her class.  See why everyone loves her?  Brendan will start back up on the Swim Team in a couple weeks, and that season goes on foreverrrrrr with practices 4 times a week.  He also wants to find a new piano teacher, or start the drums, so we are looking for a new piano teacher!  Brendan loved his STEM camp, Zoo Crew camp, Altar Boy Bootcamp and Track Camp and tolerated the golf clinics this summer.  He's already on the second Harry Potter book since being allowed to read them when he turned 10.

Phil is starting his 24th year teaching high school Theology (and Department Chair) and will begin his 5th year as our parish's Director of Religious Ed.  This poor guy has been working doubles all week between school and the Cottage and is looking forward to closing up the shop on Labor Day.  I miss my partner and we need a date!

As for me?  Well I don't get a summer break from my full-time accounting job but I did enjoy my break from teaching online accounting classes, which started back up again this week.  I am only teaching two classes this semester - Financial Accounting and Managerial Accounting.  I will also be happy to wrap up the ice cream season soon...life gets way easier when you don't have to run a business that's open for 10 hours every single day for 116 days straight.  I am looking forward to relaxed weekends and completing some house decluttering and organizing.

How is your school year starting out?