Back to School !!!!

Well, here it is nearly Thanksgiving and I'm just writing about this now.  We've had a VERY BUSY FALL!!!

 

Big doings around here back in the month of September!!  Tyler MOVED UP TO FIRST GRADE(thanks to a very confident kindergarten teacher and a three week spell in summer school), Evan STARTED KINDERGARTEN, and Madelyn STARTED PRE-SCHOOL!!

 

 

Elementary school started first, on the day after Labor Day.  The boys were ready - and SO WAS I!!!!  It was a fun summer, but I was looking forward to a little peace and quiet around here.  

 

The morning started with pancakes, eggs, bacon, and freshly ironed polo shirts and khaki shorts.  The obligatory Back to School photos:

 

Evan sure is gaining on Tyler - only about a half inch separates them!

 

And off we go!!!

Evan was a little nervous, but I knew that in his red (favorite color) shirt and Superman sneakers, he'd be just fine!!

During orientation the week prior, parents are given the opportunity to sign up to come in and help during lunches the first week.  It's a great idea, since for most kindergarteners, this is brand new territory.  Schedule-wise, the best day for  me to join Evan's class for lunch was on the first day.  It worked out well because I was able to tell Evan in the morning that I would see him in just a couple of hours and that helped to ease his nervousness.  But it was clear when I joined him in the cafeteria that he was already adjusting very well!

And here is the happy boy at the end of the day:

On Friday, it was Tyler's turn for a lunch date!

 

 

On Thursday of that week, Madelyn had her orientation at pre-school.  We learned in late summer that our beloved Ms. Belinda (who had been Evan's teacher in the 3's "Busy Bees" class) would not be teaching this year.  I worried because I had been telling Maddy all along that she would be in Ms. Belinda's class! 

 

But when we showed up at orientation, we met Mrs. K!!  Right away I knew she'd be a wonderful teacher.  I loved her enthusiasm and demeanor, and she reminds me very much of Joy, a friend of my in-laws whom Mitch has known his entire life.  I was very comforted by that feeling.

 

So here's our girl checking out all the great toys in her classroom!!

 

Madelyn's friend Madeleine was also starting preschool and they are in the same class!!! :)  On the Saturday before, the girls and the mommy's went out for a celebratory lunch. (We also have a tradition of going out to a birthday lunch in December since the girls are only 6 days apart!)

And here are our girls on the first day of school:

The backpacks are SO BIG!!! :)

So crazy seeing my "baby" girl march into that school!  I'm glad it's only two afternoons a week because I'm not ready to let go of her entirely!! I know it's necessary for her to go, and it's such a wonderful environment for kids - SO glad I found this school! - but it makes me sad.  She's growing up so, so fast. *sigh*


So far, so good.  Everyone is enjoying school and working hard.  And now the holidays are upon us and there is no sign of anything slowing down anytime soon!!!