The First week of School

What have I done to myself???? This has been a very hard week for me, but gratifying to see the kids excited and learning.

I know I am jumping ahead of myself a little bit here. I still have more to catch up on from the summer, but I wanted to get this up while it was still fresh in my mind.

My BIG 1st Grader


Ethan started 1st grade on Monday. Ethan's kindergarten was only half day, so he had to adjust to going to school all day. He has done wonderfully!!!! He got out of school at 11:25 a.m. the first day, but the rest of the week has been all day for him. He gets to take his own lunch now and has really enjoyed it.

His biggest challenge I think has been the lack of time he and Luke now have to play together. They have been so used to waking up in the morning and pretty much getting to do whatever they want. They play the best first thing in the morning also.

So, it's been an adjustment to not have time to play together when they first wake up in the morning. They catch the bus at 7:20 a.m. luckily almost right in front of our house. We have had to wake them up a few times around 6:45 a.m. so they have time to eat and get ready for school.

Highlight of the week: Wed. was Luke's first hard time getting on the bus. I had to physically carry him on the bus and set him down in the seat next to Ethan. As soon as I set Luke down, Ethan had his arm around Luke's shoulders. I didn't even have to ask Ethan to take care of Luke for me. This as you can imagine from a pregnant mother sending her two "babies" off to all day school brought tears to my eyes. I knew Luke was in good hands and Ethan has been an INCREDIBLE big brother to Ethan this week. I feel very blessed to have Ethan as the oldest one in the family. He knows how to tease his siblings, but he also can be very sweet to them as he has been this week.

I Can't Believe He is in Kindergarten!!!!

As many of you probably know I had a VERY hard time trying to decide whether to send Luke to kindergarten this year or wait until next year. Luke did a preschool with 5 other kids rotating between the moms teaching for 2 hours once a week. I was VERY nervous about him going from that to being gone for 8 1/2 hours 5 days a week.

Luke has done great considering...

Monday I went with Luke to school for just one hour. I walked in with him and left with him. The parents left the kids in the room with the teacher for about 1/2 hour while the parents went to the gym to listen to the Principal. This was about the very best thing the school could have done on the first day as far as for Luke. It was very comforting to him to have be go with and leave with him.

Up until Monday afternoon every time I'd ask Luke if he was excited about Kindergarten, the response was always NO. Monday, after we went to school, he said he was excited about school and he wanted to go back. This

made me feel really, really good!!!

We found Luke's seat that had a red star on it, his backpack hook with his name on it and his mailbox slot with his red star on it. This was very exciting for him and I think really made him feel more comfortable being in the classroom.

Tuesday, we got up and got ready. I had the lunches ready and we were getting the lunches in backpacks and shoes on when we heard the bus pull up - 5 minutes early. Either the school told me the wrong time or my clocks were way off because the bus has come about 5 minutes earlier every day.

We missed the bus that first day (Tuesday) and I had to take the kids to school that day. I dropped the boys off at the school. There was a teacher there ready to help them find where they needed to go and they both went right in. This is where I lost it. I pulled into the parking lot with a full van load and left with just Linz and I. I couldn't stop the tears from rolling. (Remember the pregnant woman excuse, more hormones in me.) I'm not sure if I would have cried it if were just Ethan going to school, but my little Luke....I just couldn't help myself.

Thankfully Luke came home Tuesday (after ALL day at school) and was very excited. He had lots of fun and really liked his teacher. That's why I was SO surprised when Luke had a hard time getting on the bus Wednesday morning. He would not even go outside, Nate had to carry him to the bus stop. This is where I had to carry him on the bus and set him next to Ethan. Good thing for an older brother to take care of him. What would we have done if Luke would have come first (I guess Heavenly Father knows best.)

Once again Luke came home happy and loving school on Wednesday. This reason has been the only thing keeping me going, helping me to send my crying kindergartener on the bus every morning. If he would come home hating school and having cried all day, I don't think I would be able to continue sending him.

Nate had to remind me that Luke did the same thing in nursery at church. To this day he still has hard time going to Primary some Sundays. We had to just push him in the door to nursery and walk away; this is how he did best. When we tried to stay with him in nursery and then sneak out, it made the matter much worse. Remembering this has helped me a ton in having to carry Luke crying onto the bus every morning. He stays on the bus and goes to school and has fun every day, so I will continue to "force" him to go to school. It has been hard for me though to see him so sad, especially when I wasn't even sure I wanted to send him to school this year.

I know that school has been really good for him so far and I know that he will grow a lot this year. I just hope he walks willingly on the bus soon!!!!

Luke with his teacher Mrs. Pickett

The boys in front of their Elementary school.
The best buddies.

Tuesday when I sent the boys to school, I have to admit I really enjoyed that day. After pulling myself together I had a disaster house to catch up on. I took a nap first thing that morning though and then had energy to tackle the house. We had had a crazy weekend and Monday, starting school and being Luke's birthday, so I had a lot to catch up on.

Wednesday and the rest of the week was hard for me. I have really missed having my boys home!!!!! I never realized how much they did for me and what big helpers they were until they were no longer there to do everything I asked them to do. Many times I wished Ethan would have been here to help me with this or turn on a movie for Linz. I haven't had to turn on a movie for the kids for what seems like years, the boys always just do it themselves. Well, Lindsey can't put a movie on for herself yet.

They have been so brave, both going to school ALL day for the first time and at a brand new school, where they know NO ONE!!! It has been hard to see them be gone all day. They really don't have much time to play anymore. They get home from school and they really, really play well together. I guess they aren't around each other enough anymore to bug each other, they just want to play and have fun. Between doing homework, eating dinner and playing with daddy when he gets home, they only have a short time to play together anymore.

Their new favorite is playing with Legos (thanks to my mom.) They pretty much do this every morning for a whole 2 minutes and every night. They have also enjoyed Luke's birthday gifts of Star Wars characters, his new scooter and playing catch outside.

I'm sure Linz and I will adjust to not having the boys around all day and then I will have a new baby born that next week:) No, we are getting used to how things will go here and I'm glad the boys are enjoying school.