First Day of School

Here are my cuties, just about to head off on their first day of school! They were all so excited, and were up and moving as soon as that alarm went off (at 6:40!!). It was still pitch black! But it was a great first day of school. Ella started Kindergarten this year (sniff, sniff), and she has been so excited. I was a little concerned that she would freak out about me leaving her there (she has been known to do that!), because she gets so shy in new situations. Well, I think she would have been OK except there were about 10 different goodbyes before the parents actually left. By goodbye number 10, and hug number 10, her arms just never released me. Oh no. I know the signals of a good old fashioned freak out, and we were about to have one! So yes indeed, I had to pry those fingernails out of my arm, and leave her in the care of her wonderful teacher as she flailed and thrashed about, arms outstretched, calling for me. It was quite a scene, and I was pitied by most of the onlookers. Poor peanut. But that was the end of it! After that scene on day 1, she has been dropped off at the curb every morning with Tyler, without a tear shed. She loves her class and her teacher, has made so many new friends, and has even been known to say at dinner time, "I wish it was time to go to school!" So that is a good sign, I would say! And her outfits...she is decked to the nines every day! The jewelry, the sparkly tennis shoes, the skinny jeans. I wish I had a picture of her every day for those first two weeks! As long as we lay the outfits out the night before, so there are no "morning clothes fights," all is well. We still have the occasional hair-do argument, but oh well. That's Ella!
Tyler is in third grade, and he seemed a wee bit nervous this year. Not Tyler!! But yes, he really did. He has been enjoying it, though, and is happy every day when he leaves and comes home. He's been meeting his little friend Ryan on the playground every day at recess, and the two of them have been wearing their football uniforms to school every Thursday - the day of their practice. Which I think is so cute. So I think he's doing awesome!
Spencer started MIDDLE SCHOOL this year!! My word, how has this happened to me??? But it is true. And he loves it!! That first week of school has been the only week in his entire life that he has come home from school saying that he loved it. First time ever! He loves having a locker, seeing his friends from church there (they all went to another elementary school), and just feeling a little more grown up. He walks to and from school each day, even though it is a bit of a hike (it takes about 20 minutes each way), and he has really impressed me with that. The "honeymoon period" of middle school is starting to wear off, I'm afraid, and the reality of having 8 classes to keep track of has started to seem a little overwhelming to him (and me!). So we've had a few tears and a few forgotten books, lots of stress with too much homework and too many tests, but I think we'll get the hang of it. All in all, I would say that we're off to a great start!

Now, little Ruby. Little Ruby is going to pre-school this year, two mornings a week. Can you believe it? I knew that she would be so sad without Ella (and she was), and I also wanted to continue to be able to volunteer in the older kid's classes at school. So I decided to see how Ruby liked going to Ella's old pre-school. Well, never has a girl been so excited to have her "own school!" She wore that back pack around for days before her school actually started, and asked at least every day when she got to go to her school. Finally the day came. She loved it! And continues to love it! I pick her up earlier than the other moms (not quite ready to lose her for so long yet!), and my plan was to pick her up before lunch. Well, on day 4 of her school she informed that she "wanted to eat lunch with her class." Not at home with mommy? No. Her class. So, that is what we do now. It's been hard for me to get used to, and I really miss her on those mornings, but I'm happy she is having so much fun. My little Ru!!!