Kindergarten!

Here we go -- this is long and detailed, but I so wan to remember. 

The BIG Day finally arrived!  My sweet B graciously lined up for his photo session with no protests whatsoever:)  He chose his own outfit and location.

Showed us his missing teeth.

And a variety of smiles and almost smiles. 

 

 

He even posed with his very enthusiastic little sister. 

This one is for Grandma so she can see the sans front teeth look from far away Colorado.

Then it was time for school. We live in the land of huge parking lots, huge cars, and somewhat bigger families.  We are used to having places to park.  No one walks, practically anywhere, and this school is not in a neighborhood, but is on a fairly major street.  All this leads up to "parking lot insanity".  There are two drop off loops all of which are rimmed in fire lanes. There are 118 kindergartners (as well as 1-5th graders of similar numbers).  When just the teachers were there yesterday there were probably less than 50 spaces empty.... yeah... not good.  We arrived maybe 20 minutes early and ended up parking in a fire lane.... Or at least we did until we were told the fire marshal and 20 tow trucks were coming.  Luckily, the bigger kids' parents were leaving by then so Brent found a space, but people were being towed and ticketed on the first day of school.  Insanity....

Oh, you came to hear about kindergarten though, right... not parking?? Ok, so we went inside to the "kindergarten pod" and found our way to Rm 109.  

The kids found spots on the rug and we observed them go through morning attendance rituals and all heard some basic instructions. E slept through all of this and most of the day actually.

M with her brother listening to Ms. S. read "Owen"

We all listened to a story and then it was time to go.  B came out and game Daddy, Maggie, Everett, and me hugs and turned back around right back to his spot.  He didn't look back.  I cried as we walked away.  Not all the way to sobbing, but the promised tears.  We went home and Brent went to work.  The kids and I went to the gym.  We walked in and I started punching in my code.  I hear this blood-curdling scream and turn to see it is actually my daughter....  Her finger is smashed in the part of the huge gym door where the hinge is.  I get it out and the finger is kind of flat on one side and bruised on the other with a little bit of blood at the cuticle.  Other mothers come running from all over with wet towels, hugs and eventually an ice pack from the Y staff as M shakes like a leaf sobbing.  Instant distraction from the Kindergarten tears.  We took her home and had a fairly fun afternoon, once the tylenol took effect.  

 (Side note - I wondered later how this happened today as we are at this gym every other day with no issue.  The difference today was no brother to hold the door or run in with her and she started exploring on her own to her peril without him.  So sad :(  We did talk to the pediatrician and he thinks it is likely broken, but there is not much more than ice and tylenol to do.  She perked up and was fine for most of the rest of the day, happily). 

We then had a few visitors.  These awesome cookies were from Grammie as well as some new clothes for the kids.  Mary's mom came by to pick up some baby things for Isaac to borrow and M was a huge fan.  She's already asking if "Isaac's Grandma can visit again".  We did a little shopping for girl clothes and purged small clothes... had a dance party.. you know, killing time.

E did wake up briefly - long enough to be put in silly hats and driven to the store... and fell back asleep before the next round of excitement.

Then we got to pick up the big boy.  We went early and avoided the chaos that immediately emerged again with massive 1/2 mile long pick up lines... blerg... anyway, we went in, watched his smile light up, said good-bye to Ms. S, and tried to get the kindergarten scoop as he enjoyed his cookies from Grammie.

We have only gotten a few details, but so far it sounds like:

• In the morning they practice having lunch, then later had lunch.
• Lunch was a hamburger, carrots and ranch, french fries and chocolate milk.
• He made one friend whose name is Scooter (!) obviously.
• He went to gym (not P.E. mom-gym) and was told if he doesn't have on sneakers on gym days he can't play--- he does not know which days are gym days so he just plans to wear sneakers daily.

• He sat at a shaped table and they had four stories
• They had rest time, but it was short and he was still tired.
• He went to recess and there were three things on the playground he'd never gotten to play with before. 
• One of the kids in his class is going to church two days from now (We tried to point out that probably more than one was... he was not buying it???)

• His teacher gave them lucky charms as a snack along with a description of good wishes they represented. 
• They went on an ABC scavenger hunt around the school and found all the letters.
• Music is on Tuesdays and Thursdays.
• He saw two kids from his pre-K, neither is in his class.
• It was "pretty good"
• He thinks he will go back on Monday.

This has all come out in a series of questions in the ensuing say four hours between getting out of school and bedtime. lots of randomness.   After tasty snacks at home, who should show up but Granddaddy!  Granddaddy brought LEGO block kits for everyone.  I adored M's LEGO DUPLO Creative Cakes set while B worked through his dino 3 in 1 kit.  We finished in time for Daddy to arrive for a celebratory Star Wars pancake dinner (B's request).  Then, it was time for the MDO open house.

It was so fun!  We discovered that M will be in Ms. V's class---- I adore Ms.V.  She was B's teacher about three years ago and has the most awesome craft projects.  Everyone in her class is a 5 day a week person and most are old friends from prior years.  I think it is going to be awesome for her.  We also visited the kids' teachers from last year and saw plenty of familiar faces.  It was a nice familiar way to end the day with good news all around.  M did not want to leave, which is always a good sign.

At home, B got a welcome to kindergarten Skylander from us and some video game time during the little's bath ritual.... 

And that was that. The school year and the next phase of our lives is beginning.  I am so incredibly happy that they are happy.  I am incredibly delighted that the transition seemed to go well today for B.  I was afraid he might cry, but that was a small boy I first dropped off at MDO years ago, not my strong son today.  He did admit in the car that his mouth and tummy again thought he was shy and were nervous, but the rest of him, he said, was OK and that seemed to be true.  My brave, sweet, capable, boy.  I am so very very proud of you.