The Littles Go to School

This morning, I woke Hallie up (which almost never happens) by telling her it was time for school.  I've never seen that girl get up and dressed so fast.  I told her to get her shoes on while I got dressed and she traipsed into my room a few minutes later with shoes and her backpack.

"Daddy, guess what?!" She exclaimed excitedly.  "Today is my first day of school!"

Asher was almost as excited as his sister.  His class has a Lightning McQueen toy that he scoped out on Tuesday.  (It should also be noted that he has a Lightning McQueen backpack, lunch box, and nap mat.  He is more obsessed with Cars than he was at his birthday.)

We needed this excitement to carry us through the early-morning rush of getting three kids out the door a half-hour earlier than usual.  (Gabriel had his first spirit day today.)

We also needed this excitement after we dropped Big Brother off, when both kids got their faces and knees scraped up on the sidewalk.  Jumping off of steps and curbs and walkways can be dangerous, kids, but who ever listens to their mother?

As I strapped both kids in their carseats to a chorus of wails, runny noses, blood, and tears, I asked them if they still wanted to go to school.  The answer was a yes that sounded more like "why would we not want to go to school?!"

So we went to school.

Hallie's routine was the same as last year.  We dropped her off first and she was happy to see one of the boys from last year in her class again.

Then I headed to Asher's class.  He had thoughts only for that Lightning McQueen, and I prayed that no other child had it first.

Thankfully, he found it while I was unloading his backpack.  Hallelujah.

I watched him play for a few minutes, but then I had to quickly duck out before I started crying.

Anyway, here are some pictures of my cuties!  (Yay for having green grass again!)

First Day of Kindergarten!

Well, I have a Kindergartener.

It's been a crazy-busy summer and time has just flown by, leaving me vainly grasping for more lazy days and pool time and after-dinner freeze pops.

I was a mess this morning.  Anxiety was threatening to make me sick, emotions were running high, Hallie wouldn't get dressed, I hadn't gotten groceries so it was slim pickings for breakfast... it was rough.  And we had to be out the door by 7:30am.  My kids usually wake up between 7:30 and 8.

I was near tears.

Drew had to remind me of reality.  "It's not five days like last year; it's only three.  You can do it."  

The school Gabriel is enrolled in is university model, meaning he's home two days and in the classroom two days.  I needed the reminder that I'm only letting go a little bit today.  I let go a lot more last year and it was fine.

Still, last year was preschool.  He was still a little kid.  This is Kindergarten.  Big kid territory.

I'm not ready to have a real-school-aged kid!

But I'll count my blessings that I get to homeschool him on Mondays and Fridays and that he only has half days on Wednesdays.

And that someone else can teach him to read.  Hallelujah.

First day of school excitement!

I'm such a sucker for kids in uniforms! 

He's acting out MY disbelief. ;)

Ignore our dead grass.  After major flooding in May, Houston's been a desert. :/ We can't catch a break.

Heading to class after assembly. 

Wildflower Goes to School

Today was my Wild Woman's first day of school.

Last week, I took Hallie to Payless for school shoes and she picked out a pair of sparkly purple Mary Janes.  Every day, she went and got them out of her basket, put them on, and begged me to let her wear them.  And every day, I told her that they were special school shoes.

Needless to say, she was so excited to finally wear them, to finally get to pose with the chalkboard, to finally take her Sofia backpack in the car, to finally pack a lunch.  It's like she's been waiting her whole life for this day.

Meanwhile, I'm wondering what the heck I'm supposed to do without my biggest handful two days a week.  Oh yeah.  Run errands.  Do projects.  Generally be productive.  Those things.  It's so weird being a mommy of only one again!

When I picked Hallie up from her class, both of her teachers commented to me how sweet she is, what joy she brings to the classroom, what a helper she was during clean-up time.

While these are things I know about my girl, they are often overlooked in the day-to-day of her pushing boundaries, pushing buttons, pushing her brothers.  I needed this view of her from another person's eyes.  I needed to see her on her own, apart from her brothers.

This year is going to be so good for her.  I'm so excited to see this wildflower blossom and soar.

Hallie insisted that I redo the chalkboard to include pink and purple.

"See that purple two?  That's me, because I'm two!"

I'm so glad the kids had different first days this year; it allowed me to
focus on each one individually and make it really special just for them!

My sweet and spicy girl is gonna kick this year's booty.

I love this girl so much.

First Day of Pre-K!

I did it.  I sent my boy off to his first day of pre-k today.

I thought I'd have to hold back tears, dropping him off at his first day of five-day preschool.  I mean, I cried the first morning I sent him to Mothers' Day Out, y'all!

But surprisingly, I wasn't a wreck... even though he didn't even ask for a "big hug-kiss" goodbye.

I was mainly excited.  Excited for this new chapter in his life, excited for him to learn independence, excited for another adult to pour into his life, excited for him to make friends on his own.

Still, as I sit writing this, I can't help but feel that it was just a moment ago that I was holding him in my arms for the first time, and now he's taken the first steps out of my arms and into the world.  The part of his childhood that was fully reliant on his Mama is slipping away.

... and now the tears are coming!  Whew!

Anyway.  Here are some pictures of his first day of school!

"Mama, do you want me to smile or laugh?"

We unknowingly bought the same backpack and shoes as his Uncle Anderson!

Gabriel and his teacher, Miss Brenda.