August 29th, 2011
A New School Year
Summer was wonderful! I loved having my kids home all day. In fact, I think it was a very healthy and much needed break from the routine. I welcomed lazy days - pajamas until noon and pancakes for lunch. We enjoyed evenings outside because the days had grown longer. My home seemed more harmonious. (By the end of the school year I felt like a referee breaking up arguments!) Tensions eased as we de-scheduled our lives.
But I'm always ready for the next season. Toward the end of summer when my kids were asking for playdates everyday I could tell that boredom was sinking in and they were ready for a change of pace. Perfect timing! Because just days away began the new school year...
Natalya, Branson, and his best friend Boston walking in the Kindergarten gates.
Irelynn didn't start preschool the same day the big kids did, but she wanted to wear her backpack anyway.
Branson with Mrs. Jobin, his Kindergarten teacher. We love her already!
With two kids at the same school Brian and I couldn't see them both off. So Brian walked Natalya to the big kid playground where he and Annika watched her line up and walk into class when the bell rang - while Irelynn and I stayed with Branson.
They are such handsome young men!
Time for school...
Meanwhile, Irelynn and Annika and I got stuff done around the house and played a little. But not for long because kindergarten in Nevada is ridiculously short at only 2 and 1/2 hours long! Since they start at 8am (waaay too early for little kids) I returned to the school to pick him up at 10:30am. Haha!
When I did, Branson ran out to greet me and the first thing he said was:
This little face says it all.
Then I returned to the school again to pick up Natalya in the afternoon. She LOVES school. She LOVES her teacher. And she had a GREAT first day.
Preschool September
Irelynn counted down the days until she could go to school, too. Irelynn and Karlee have their own little preschool together. Karlee's mom and I rotate teaching. We have a set curriculum, calendar, schedule, etc.
Irelynn counted down the days until she could go to school, too. Irelynn and Karlee have their own little preschool together. Karlee's mom and I rotate teaching. We have a set curriculum, calendar, schedule, etc.
We did this for one month before we added three more children just last week. So their new routine will include all 5 kids!
Irelynn and Karlee on their first day
I made a little classroom in our "spare" room. (It's normally used as a food storage/72 hr kit room, or a craft room, piano room, dress-up room, office supply room, keepsake crate storage room... the list goes on. I cleaned it out as best I could and NOW we call it a classroom!)
The girls did a great job!
They learned songs for the days of the week and the months of the year. They learned all about the color yellow during circle time. They played "I spy a circle" game to discover circles. They painted paper plates yellow and helped glue to make suns.
We took a break for outside playtime and a snack (yellow lemonade and circular grapes!). Then we finished off the day with worksheets that help them learn to trace lines. We did a Weekly Reader all about school then sang a goodbye song. Two hours passed so quickly.
Irelynn likes preschool so much that she'll wake up in the morning and ask if it's a preschool day today. And after just one month of doing preschool, she and Karlee already have all their songs memorized along with the daily preschool routine. Just today they reminded me to do circle time. Haha! Such smart girls. :)
