Ella will be in Kindergarten this year. Everyday half day. She's stressing out about it already. She doesn't like beginnings or endings. She likes a bit more consistency. She is excited about seeing her friends from preschool, but just doesn't want school to start. She has worried that she can't read. She has worried that she won't see Peter and Gracie. And I totally understand her thinking things through ahead of time. It's a hard transition from Montessori to public school. The philosophy and roles are so different. I know she can handle it, but I certainly wish she didn't have to. She's gone back and forth whether she would like her bangs to grow or she'd like them short. Today, she's clipping all her bangs to the side with 5 bobby pins! And has told me several times, she'll just do this every day, until they're long like Gracie's (yikes). She has picked out a PURPLE bag for school, we have all her school supplies and her uniforms ready! Now, she just has to breathe and try not to cry on day 1 (perhaps it would help her to know I will have to remember the same things?).
Peter will start 1st grade this year. We got his class list and he recognized some names from his Kindergarten class, so he was pretty excited.Their school groups grades together, so he'll be in a class with 2nd graders too. He can't wait for school to start. As much as I tried to avoid the boredom of summer... August proved a challenge for that. He is beyond ready to get back to work! He picked out a BLUE bag for school - he has all his school supplies (all 50 lbs of them), and his uniforms ready to go. I hope he loves 1st grade - I hope his teacher is ready for him and I hope it quenches his thirst for knowledge!
Gracie will be in 3rd grade this year. 3rd GRADE?! It's crazy how different 3rd grade seems. 2nd grade Gracie started the year with no front teeth! Now she seems like such a big kid, with adult teeth, fancy hair... She's more than ready to get back to work, she likes consistency and she loves learning. She's picked out her HOT PINK bag for school - has all her supplies in order and new uniform skirts! She got the 3rd-4th grade teacher she hoped for - and some of her best friends in her class - so she's ready to go!
I made everyone try on their shoes from last year and so far, no one grew out of shoes over the summer! Hooray. And we've been practising all week, getting up early and out the door by the time we need to be at school next week. Not because they're sleepyheads, they just need to focus on getting out the door by 8:20am.
Each morning Iris and I will be left alone. Luckily, Irie loves a morning nap - and Mommy needs time restrictions so I can keep the house clean. One less school to drive to and from this year - will really decrease my "driving around town" and increase my productivity a.k.a. time for cleaning yogurt off the walls and floor and Iris. At least that's the plan.
As a last summer project, the kids spent a couple days designing and stitching their names and ages for our picture wall. Here are their results. (I had to stitch Iris's because she refused to participate and covered herself in yogurt.)
