1st grade - Ms. M. has been excited all week and ready. Today, she is nervous. Today, she isn't eating much. We've talked to the Doctor about her stomach issues and she has medicine to help, but I suspect these are nerves today more than anything else. She looks beautiful today in a new dress from her Grammie. Her hair is curly and she has all her things packed. She is most excited to see her friends. She has the teacher she wanted, but her friend Paisley isn't in her class. She took that with surprising grace and is ready to play, learn, and enjoy her big kid 1st grade desk all to herself.
M is in an interesting place. She adores horses, creating things, telling stories, and listening to books, especially our family books featuring Harry Potter or Percy Jackson. She has an amazing memory for anything in those stories. Less so for other things. She is a pretty typical middle child when it comes to seeking attention, bouncing all over, etc... She is tall and thin, and loves all her outfits and accessories. She has a big fun personality and loves to be with her friends, but is a little shy in new situations. She has a big beautiful smile and long, long blond hair, bleached by days spent swimming in the summer sun. She would gladly snuggle and watch synchronized swimming or Phinneas and Ferb. She cannot stop talking about horses... did I mention that? It seems she may have found her passion, at least for this year and she is taking lessons every weekend with her friend Ashtyn.
M is a study in contrasts as she can be the best helper, cool, confident, and ready to do whatever you ask. Or, she can be whiny, not tell the truth, and drag her feet. I know this is a phase as B totally did this too, but it is a frustrating as usually she is just SO awesome and fun to be with... until she isn't.
She loves playing with her cousins and brothers. Recently, she's also figured out playing alone and makes up many games, stories, and scenarios in her room with all her dolls and toy horses. She's doing better at putting all of her things away, but also playing with toys more and using them creatively. At one point recently we had a whole herd of imaginary horses living in our back yard, all with lead ropes made of belts. Sometimes they came inside to visit? She does love being outside and will gladly work in the garden, dance in the yard, or go on nature walks. She says she is nature girl. Yesterday, she randomly built a second club house in the garage. This was very creative and cool. Save that she used spray paint in an enclosed garage and we didn't talk about it first. See contrasts. Love the creativity and ability to put her imagination in to action.
She is strong, smart, a good friend and ready for 1st Grade.... just a tiny bit nervous.
4th Grade - Mr. B is in an awesome space. He is happy, light hearted, talking easily, chill, and exhibiting a newly refined sense of humor. (For example, last night he told Brent a lengthy story about his Minecraft Mod. I asked that he tell Grandma a story about his day a bit later. He began with, well I told my Dad a story about Minecraft, but apparently that did not meet mom's standards. We all laughed, he gets me and has a lovely dry sense of humor). He is learning to show he is kidding when there is doubt using his expressive eye brows. He is able to do tons of things by himself and a great helper all around.
He continues to read hours a day. He reads all kinds of things and thanks to the Kindle Free Play never runs out of books even when his parents don't get to the library frequently enough. He loves video games and youtube videos of people playing video games. He loves swim team. It was the huge hit of the summer for him. He is a massively better swimmer, but also more confident and has found something he really wants to do as a physical activity, not just something to do to fill our requirement that he have some activity. He is joining a swim club in the fall to refine his strokes and compete through the school year. We're all very excited.
While he waits for school to start, he has been going on Pokemon Go walks around the neightborhood, or walking around UCO or Mitch Park. I like that it gets us outside and visiting a variety of places even if a fair bit of the time he's staring at my phone. He does have a lot of Pokemon stories to tell and is enthusiastically telling us about all the creatures. This week after the babysitter had left and E was already in school, he admitted that maybe, just maybe he was ready for and looking forward to school. I think meeting his teacher helped as it is the only male teacher in the school and a big math/science guy. Also, his friend Luke is in the class. Not being new this year is better. Also M's friend's mom, who he knows well, will be teaching his reading and social studies. He seems happy with the prospect of the new year, and dare I say excited about school again?
So here we go. They are currently helping Grandma drop their brother off at school while I wait for a call. Here's hoping I get to walk in the building with them and hug them one more time in their new classrooms. If not, we're all OK and will survive. Grandma is with them and B is ready to lead the way. Hooray for confidence, independence, new adventures, learning, and a brand new school year.
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