I made a list. All the things I would get done now that I had two in school and only one at home. I talk to my parents quite often and they ask how things are and I realize then how fast the weeks still go. Yes the house is a little quieter, laundry gets folded at times, I have more time to sweep, once or twice a week my three year old even will nap but the time still goes fast. "What do you do all day" they ask. I don't know what we do but we sure seem to keep busy. Walking mostly. Lots and lots of walking and some bike riding now that Caleb is up on two wheels (with training wheels).
Every year I get super emotional in September, however. I look at Craig each year and say "Ok....I know we are choosing to public school our children at this point....let's talk about why we are choosing to do that." Not that I doubt that we should have our kids in public school right now, but my emotional, "I miss you", side takes over and I just want to keep them at home. We go over all the reasons why we are choosing public school now for our kids and I feel reassured. My emotional side will always have a part that misses my kids when they are not at home during the day but I LOVE watching them grow during these elementary years.
Speaking of which, we have a great book called Leo the Late bloomer that talks all about this dad who was fretting that his child hadn't "bloomed" yet "and then one day, in his own good time, Leo bloomed". We have been (to each other) calling Isaac....Isaac the late bloomer as he has seemed to "bloom" these past few weeks at kindergarten. We had a rough 2nd week of school. He loved it but did not like leaving the house in the morning. I think he realized it would be 6 and a half hours until he came back and he missed the house and me. Very sweet. But school has been so very good for him and it has been really good for our relationship. Gone are the hour and halves of him sitting at the table not wanting to write. In fact, now, he has been asking for paper and pencil to write words. Such a turnaround. He still is sensitive but I have noticed a maturing in him these past 3 weeks. We have a special walk/scoot time when Andie does gymnastics Mondays and our relationship has changed to focusing on parenting his heart. I have just loved that hour every week that we exercise and talk.
Anyway, here are some pictures of my two oldest at school...courtesy of their teachers. One is a blogger and the other sends pictures. I help in Isaac's room an hour a week and good kindergarten teachers are AMAZING. Since I was a classroom teacher I pay attention to things like transitioning. My goodness, those teachers are flawless in getting students back on task, transitioning them to the next activity. We did about 4 or 5 activities in the hour I was there and we were well into the next activity before I figured out how she transitioned us into it....it flowed so seemlessly. So fun watching someone so skilled at their craft.
So Isaac....he is on the monkey bars followed by his best bud....Caleb! Funny how that worked out.
During read to self time.
Shape sorting and building/coming in time!
Andie's teacher is pretty top-notch. She has a love for all things nature (totally my daughter as well) and they have been watching caterpillars turn into chrysalis, watching the butterflies emerge and then the bidding them farewell as they fly to Mexico. Andie has come home with more knowledge about insects...how to tell males from female Monarchs, what swallowtails eat, etc. I was a science major and I don't know all she has absorbed. Here are some pictures her teacher sent of them watching the butterfly emerge from its chrysalis during school one day.
Well there you have it some pictures of the school days for the kids.
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