First Days of School: Success!
This is week 3 of our new school year, which is a very new year for us. With two kids in school full-time, and two kids homeschooled still while participating in a charter once-a-week program, it’s been a change.
The first day started off much more smoothly than I expected! Everyone was up on time, dressed, lunches made, bags packed, with time to spare! It was amazing. We made it to the school in time to park so I could walk the girls to their classrooms for the first day. (Much to the girls’ dislike, they would have preferred just waiting outside instead of Mom walking them in. But the first day! New school! New everything!) We joined the herd of parents and children swarming the hallways and I (likely) mortified the girls by walking them in and telling them I loved them. Chickadee of course remembered better than I in which hallway her classroom is, which either annoyed or amused her. Maybe both. Soon the boys and I were off again for a day of just Mama and boys, which never happens.
Around noon, just after enjoying a lunch out with the boys, I realized that I’d forgotten some of the girls’ school supplies. Well then. It happens. I can’t possibly be the only mom who forgot some supplies.
The day ended smoothly with our first pick-up, also. Day 1 of 3 different school starts, success!
Two days later, it was The Comedian’s first day of Kindergarten! How exciting.
At his school, they attend half day, and on the first day, parents came and stayed for about an hour, then it was “class dismissed!” Let me tell you, this little guy was so excited and ready to start that by 6:45am he was awake, dressed, and itching to get to school on time. Those 5 hours were a long 5 hours waiting to leave. Once there, he had no fears or nerves that I could see, and enjoyed doing a few first-day crafts and worksheets. As for me? I was a smidge emotional and verklempt when he wrote his name on the “This is how I write my name on the first day of Kindergarten” page. We’d worked hard in the week leading up to the first day to practice, and he improved so much! Also, I was relieved to see that all of the kids were about on the same page as far as penmanship. For months I’d agonized about how ready my little guy actually was, due to the “Kindergarten readiness” papers I’d had. Turns out, he seems to be about average, at least in his ability to use capitals and lower case! After a story read in class, putting his supplies away, and playing at the playground, he thought Kindergarten was going to be great.
And finally, day 3 of 3 start-days arrived. Little Man’s first day of 1st grade brought excitement and–gratefully–another smooth beginning. He’s one I always knew would love going to school, because he does so well in groups and enjoys making friends with new people.
Overall? It’s been a good start. We have had hard mornings, like the last two mornings. Now the excitement of waking up and being ready is worn off, kids are grumbling about waking up, and scrambling to gather their folders and snacks which didn’t get put into backpacks on time. I’m trying not to stress and yell about that. It’s a year for learning responsibility. Also, we’re still working on the night-before-school prep and routines. It’ll work out, that I’m sure of. So far, no one has been late or forgotten a lunch! That is plenty of success as far as I am concerned.
