Two weeks in...

Wow, I'm getting really bad about posting.

We're two weeks into school and all is going well. Both kids love their teachers.

Elise had her first "real" test last week in Social Studies and she was quite proud of the 100% she brought home. Her class is apparently a bit rowdy and having difficulty following the rules. One day last week, she announced that she'd had a horrible rotten day! It turns out the entire class lost a recess period. That was the first time EVER she'd lost a recess period and she was ticked.

Carson had a little relapse of the bus drama that followed him all last year and really trashed a friendship (both at the kid and adult levels). I'm really proud of the way he handled it this year. We made some changes to our morning and afternoon routines and thanks to the help of a wonderful neighbor, the problem seems to have been solved. Thank you to a great neighbor!!!

Carson also really likes his teacher this year. She has done some fun things and he's really motivated to do well. He's playing the trumpet this year in band. I pray I still have ear drums at the end of the school year.

The kids are both back into fall soccer and looking forward to a fun season. Carson is doing a swim team this year for the first time as well. He's not so thrilled with the 4 practices a week, but I think he'll enjoy being in the pool and meeting new friends.

Perry's football (last year's state champs!) are already 2-0. I love seeing the kids do well, but I hate the thought of the lengthy post-season play.

I hope everyone else is having a smooth "getting back into the school routine" season as well!

First day of school

School started yesterday! Phew...I felt like I ran a half marathon just getting my kids to school the first day!
Carson is going into 5th grade and, in our district, this is his last year in elementary school. He's now in the oldest grade in his school building (3-5 grades). On the first day of school, I gave the kids the option of driving them or letting them take the bus. Elise decided to take the bus while Carson wanted me to drive him. Then he asked if I'd take him to the donut place before school. No problem. Then he asked if he could bring a friend. No problem. Then he asked if he could bring another friend. Yikes! So, after getting Elise on the bus and gathering up his friends, we headed to the donut place for a pre-school treat. I wanted to take pictures but was told in no uncertain terms that NO PICTURES WERE ALLOWED. The above picture is all I get this year.

Elise is now in 2nd grade! Her school is K-2 but she did pre-K in the same building, so this is her 4th year in the same building and she's feeling pretty comfy. I love her school and it makes me a little sad that she moves up the to the bigger kid (Carson's) school next year.

She got a little nervous the morning of school and decided she wanted me there...but she also wanted to ride the bus and did not want to go for donuts with the boys. So, I had to sprint around town and get back to her school in time for their morning opening. Her school was not built for the current enrollment and the parking S.T.I.N.K.S. So, I ended up parking about a mile away and hiking her supplies in. Phew, I was exhausted by the time school started for the day! You can tell she's pulled into her shell in the above picture.

Yeah, a little smile! She's starting to get into her groove. She's waving to a few friends and keeping a close eye on me.

And off she goes to her 2nd grade classroom. Every year, she's clung to me and gotten teary when it came to time to say good bye to the parents. Not this year, she just picked up her bag of supplies, lined up and headed out to her classroom. She's so excited about her teacher this year even though none of her BFF's are in the same class.

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I do admit to getting a bit teary eyed when I realized this was my last "first" day of school at this school.
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Here's hoping for a good school year for all the kids and teachers!

First Day of School

Thought I'd let my kids sum up the day in their own words:



Carson's report:

"We had a really long assembly today. We have a new mascot. Still a bobcat but now someone dresses up in a costume. I think math will be the hardest thing this year. I'm in the orchestra. That will be the only time I'll see my best friend, Trevor. What am I looking forward to the most? When the school day ends."

Mom's report - where did this long lean kid come from?!? One minute the absolute best kid to be around, the next minute...well...not always the nicest kid to be around (I thought only girls did that!). My baby is turning into quite the young man and as his mom, I find myself frequently challenged by his attempts to push every limit possible.

Elise's report:

"My day was kind of short (I had a half day) and I like my teacher. Her name is Mrs. Jones and her daughter's name is Maddie. Maddie is in kindergarten at my school. I went to latchkey with Maddie. I think reading and homework will be the hardest thing this year. There is another girl in my class who is Chinese, but half-Chinese, and she lives down the road."

Mom's report - my baby girl HATES change and today was no different. She loves her teacher, has a few good friends already in the class, but it was a rough day emotionally for her. She kept telling me her stomach hurt. As her mom, I'm challenged to make sure her needs aren't overshadowed by her brother's more "in-your-face" behavior and her own quiet, pleasing demeanor.

The day was a bit rough with emotions. Carson was his typical pre-teen self, made worse when he decided to use snottiness to cope with his anxiety. Elise ended up sobbing at school. I had no luck in getting a picture of my two kids together, so we'll settle for the next best thing...Carson with our neighbor (i.e., my 2nd son).

While these 2 kiddos look like normal 4th graders, they are the tallest in the grade. We grow 'em tall on our driveway (Carson broke the 5' mark this summer). You'll notice Tate dressed up pretty spiffy while Carson is wearing old sneakers and t-shirt from our vacation last summer. Tried to get him to wear a nicer shirt but he informed me (in no uncertain terms) he wasn't wearing a GEEK shirt. Decided it just wasn't worth the battle...honestly, at that point in the morning, he could have worn a shirt 2 sizes too small and I would have let it go...it was a rough morning!

This was the last I saw of my son this morning. He refused to wave. Tate made up for it by waving to me (thanks Tate!).

And here is Elise with her teacher. She was a long term sub for Carson in kindergarten so we know her well and are THRILLED Elise is in her class this year.

Let's just hope tomorrow morning goes a bit more smoothly than this morning. :) Otherwise, it's looking like it'll be a loooonnnggg year!