The Start of School

It's tradition at our house to take photos on the front steps before school on the first day. So, here are this year's:







This outfit should have been Becca's "1st day of school" outfit. Only problem is that the temperature was supposed to be 103 degrees. We'll have to save it for cooler weather. Maybe school picture time! But, I had to get a picture of her in it. She's such a good sport to put up with her crazy Mommy. I got her up, had her put it on, we went out front (it was still a bit dark), and took the pictures. Then she had to go back in and put on her actual outfit for the day - which of course we had to take pictures of too!!


Becca was starting Kindergarten. I was really quite OK with it. I seemed to do all my "grieving" last Spring, and cherished every one of those last moments of her being home with me. Sunday night, when I was tucking her in, we were talking about how exciting it was that she was going to be a Kindergartner. Then she said, "It's just really a bummer that I won't be here at home with you anymore. We'll never have just you and me time again." It was all I could do to keep the tears back. I hadn't really realized that she had a grasp on that. But I guess seeing her brother come and go every day for 4 years and not be home with us... she gets it. Ugh. That was hard.



Afternoon report:



Becca LOVED her first day of school. She said her teacher was beautiful (I agree, she's adorable) and that she made 2 new friends already. And she loved being able to finally ride a big yellow school bus.


Brough, on the other hand, did not have a great day. Our district rezoned last year, and we're at another school now. All of his buddies are still at the old school. He said, "I don't really like any of the kids, this school smells bad, and we didn't even do any multiplication! We just reviewed addition. I hate reviewing!!" aaaah... the struggles of a math whiz! :-)

We had plans to get together with our friends for ice cream in the afternoon. We've always done something after the first day of school since the boys were in Kindergarten. They became friends in pre-school when they were 3.

Brough and Stratton

Becca and Hays

(the younger siblings)

Brough needed to see his old friend that afternoon. It was good for both of them.

Brough's bad attitude continued into Tuesday. He could think of not one good thing, and had no interest in ever returning to that school. He's always loved school and it broke my heart to see him like this. He and his sister had been bugging me to take them to the Dollar Store. So, I told him I'd give him a dollar for every truly good thing he could tell me about school that afternoon. Not just that they had lunch, or that the day finally ended at 3:00, but truly good things. I figured he might come home with 4 or 5, but that afternoon, he told me 10 good things that happened that day. And he was smiling and enthusiastic! Yay! He's been back to himself since. Whew! Oh, and I suggested that he take his 4th grade activity book he'd been working on this summer and ask his teacher if he could work in it when he was finished with his addition problems. Thankfully, she said yes, and he is now able to work multiplication and division on his own instead of "just boring addition review". (I don't think I ever tried to seek out harder math problems!)

All seems to be well now. The kids are getting into the groove of school, and I'm enjoying a silent house during the day. Now, I just need to get myself into a good groove of getting busy on all my projects and getting off the computer....