First Day of School

Yesterday was the first day of school for three of us in this house.  

E began his first day of middle school, where in the world has the time gone?!?!  He got on the city bus, made it to school on time and did great.   He met one new young man who is in most of his classes and also plays percussion.  His favorite class, Science.  Why?  Because he could sit anywhere he wanted.   (Ah, the important things in life!)   He is excited about the class that uses the iPads, but thinks that class is going to be an easy A as today they learned where the power button is and how to slide the button to unlock the iPad, "Things I do EVERY morning."   At the very end of the conversation, E commented that he likes middle school better than elementary school, whew! 

Addy had her first day of School Age Child Care to begin her first day of school.   She said the morning was good, but quiet.   She loves her new teacher, they had Popsicles, and sang songs.   She is the recycling helper in the classroom this week, although she "doubt(s) there will be much recycling this week."   She has two or three friends in her class, but "sits by ALL boys!"

Today was not technically my first day of my new job, but it felt like it.  I worked only fourteen days last May before school was let out for the summer.  (Not a bad gig really!)  I returned to a building full of staff that has overwhelmed me with how kind and nice they are.   I met some of the new ninth graders coming in, which I really enjoyed.  Around noon, I met up with the students I would be working with this year.  I was so excited to see them and find out about their summers. 

Luckily my day was so busy I didn't have long to think about that this was the first time I was missing dropping off my children for their first days of school.   That was a big change for me.   As they headed off to their respective schools, I was getting in the car to head to mine, but I knew they would get there as they were in very capable hands.   

Getting Ready for Middle School

As we stand by the door, ready to part ways, I know how you feel.   You may not believe me, but it is true.   You look hesitantly to the door.  The other side holds the unknown, something bigger, something new.   I see it in your eyes, you are processing what that new unknown could look like. 

I know from experience what is on the other side of that door.   It is bigger, it is new, and yes, there is a part that is unknown.... even for me.   But it will be good, I can tell you that.   Today those doors look scary but I promise you this, soon, crossing those doors will be easy.  Soon, you will not be hesitant, you will be confident with brand new experiences under your belt.   You will be a different person than you are today.  

The other side of those doors offer you the opportunity to learn, to grow, to develop new ideas, and new thoughts.    You will learn about the world and you will learn about yourself.  You will meet new people, some who will support you, some who will challenge you, and some who won't treat you well.   All of this is exciting and at the same time scary for me as well.

You probably think this is easy for me to leave you by the doors of this place.   You probably think I walk away and don't think about how you are doing amid a sea of new faces and personalities.   I know it feels that your friends are not near right now, I feel that for you.  But I know you will shine as you have done though the years.   You are strong and steadfast with a lot to offer these new acquaintances.

No, it is not easy for me to leave you at these doors with so many unknowns.  Will it always be easy, no.  Definitely not.   Will there be bumps in the road, absolutely.   Will we get through it?  I have no doubt.   I cannot wait to see the friends you make, the interests you pursue, and the person you will be come. 

As we part ways, I tell you I am praying for you.   And I am.   I pray that you see that almost everyone sitting next to you is feeling the same thing.   You are not the only one who is apprehensive.    I am praying that you will encouraged and excited.   I am also  praying that the wonderful person that God made you to be shines though so that others can see how wonderful I know you are.

Opening Doors to the Future & Finding Memories

We are all curious as we park and walk up to the front doors.   For some of us, it is the first time passing through these doors, for others, it is not.   They have been here a couple of times before.  For me, these doors are not new, and I have pass through them more than just a couple of times.   Rather, these doors while opening up to the future for my son, open to the memories of my childhood.   My first days in a new city where I knew no one, and the couple of years before the adventure of high school.   For me, the curiosity is what has changed, and what has withstood the years remaining constant.  

Listening to the presentation about daily life in the life of a middle school student,  I am amazed at how much is the same and yet, how much has changed.   The attitudes, one word answers to questions, the awkwardness of changing bodies and hormones is still there, not unlike my experience.   The talk of hurt feelings from text messages and unkind facebook posts, adds a whole new dynamic that I never had to worry about in this building.   These years are hard, and I am afraid they will be even harder for my son.   He is a great kid, I know he will do great. 

Following the presentation, we are allowed to roam the halls, finding different rooms.  We are directed into the cafeteria, it hasn't changed.   However, I am anxious to walk the halls and explore. 

We walk past the band room, the memories are there behind the locked door, perhaps to be revisited at another time.   The rooms where I first learned about electricity and wood working have changed.  

Heading up the stairs, we pass the main office, and I remember the kind woman who helped me transition into the new school district as a seventh grader.   I will never forget her kindness and her hugs when I would sit in her office sure I would never make a friend.    I point out the science rooms where E too will study Earth Science.    Gone are the Home Ec rooms, now Pre-Algebra and Algebra classrooms.   

Upstairs we visit the different sixth grade rooms, and I see the room where we studied Greek Mythology.   Continuing down another hall, I find the door where for a year I was Heidi in German class, now and English classroom.   The library is new, and I love it.   It is bright, welcoming, and most importantly, my son is beyond words excited about it.   

Curious and excited to walk the halls tonight, the evening did not disappoint.   I celebrated the new changes and smiled at the memories.  Perhaps my son will walk these halls next year and begin making memories of his own in this building.  Whether or not that is where he ends up, I am so glad I had the opportunity to go back and remember my first days in this wonderful city I now call home. 

November Reading

Our family project continues with Adventure stories this month.  If you missed the post explaining our project check it out here.   Last month's genre was Historical Fiction.  As a family we read stories from fourteenth century China to Texas just prior to becoming a state, from Eastern America in 1904 to South Carolina during World War II.   At the end of the month we shared what we had learned about the time period, what our favorite part of the book was, and rated the book on a 1 to 5 star rating. 

This month the genre is Adventure.   The reading continues! 

A Little Extra Safety

Each morning there are three members of my family that have a very busy road to cross in order to get where they are going.   I would like to say luckily there is a stop light that assists in this crossing, and a school zone to slow down the traffic.   However, in the four years that we have had to cross this street, I have seen how many people really do not slow down for a school zone.   I cannot tell you how many times Mark has come home from work and told that he was almost hit in the crosswalk due to people not paying attention.   Granted it is early in the morning and for nine months of the year dark when he is crossing the street, but there is a red light, for goodness sake stop the car!  

Unfortunately people running the red light does not happen only at seven o'clock.   It seems to happen at nine o'clock and three thirty as well.  Lucky for us, the crossing guard that helps the kids cross the street takes her job so seriously.   If someone comes too close to the crosswalk in their car she is yelling, blowing her whistle, anything she can do to get their attention.   She as even come so close as to hit her stop sign on the hood of a car!   I love this lady for protecting my children as they cross the street as it seems there are so many preoccupied drivers out there. 

This year, E joined the school crossing guard program, and he is very excited about this opportunity.   I am glad he is helping his school mates cross these streets.   Of course I still send my family out the door praying for them as they navigate their way to school and work, but I am thankful for the people who are there to help the little ones by providing a little extra safety. 

My Heart Aches

Her cheeks are wet from tears and I am taken back to a childhood memory.   I know first hand and have felt her pain.   Dear God, give me the words.   Words that will lessen the hurt and minimize the damage. 

The tears come because her art teacher critiqued her drawing.   Ah, yes, I have been there, I know.   I am taken back to my third grade class room, my teacher with my art project in hand looks at me and remarks that my art projects never "work out" do they?  I was crushed.   If I didn't cry, I felt like it.   I never again in my growing up years pursued anything creative or artistic.  It wasn't until I read a book, as a grown woman, that I found there was a creative side to me and it was waiting to be released.   Due to one off hand comment, I had buried that side of me. 

She loves to draw and create, it is part of who she is.  I understand that part of art is learning and critiquing.  But my maternal protectiveness wants to tell that art teacher she was out of line.   I want to tell her that these are first graders, not professional artists.   But I can't.   Instead I wrap my arms around my daughter and hold her.  As I dry her cheeks, I tell her that she is a great artist.   I tell her about Vincent van Gogh, a world famous artist now, but few appreciated his art while he was alive.   I tell her about Einstein who people misunderstood and thought he was less than brilliant.  But he didn't let that stop him, he kept trying.   People don't always understand brilliance at the time, but that does not mean that we can give up.   I told her to keep trying, to keep drawing, and to not give up.  

I know she will rebound, she is resilient like that, but it doesn't minimize the hurt.   It doesn't make my heart feel any less heavy.   As I head downstairs to begin my evening of teaching, I am reminded that in my daily contact with my students how careful I have to be.  In my mind, a teacher/student relationship should be precious.   There is a trust there that should not be taken lightly.   I don't want to take the joy out of music for anyone due to an off handed remark or a bad day.  

A Family Project

We had conferences at school on Thursday night.   This was a goal setting conference for each of the kids for the year.  We heard glowing reports of both kids from their teachers, which always makes these kinds of meetings fun for us.   As a result of E's goal setting conference, our family is on an eight month project that I am kind of excited about. 

Our family is a group of avid readers.   If you look into anyone of our bedrooms, you will find a stack of books beside the bed containing the book we are currently reading, and a pile of books that is on our "to read" list.   Trips to the library are frequent with large stacks of books coming and going.


The goal for E is to expand beyond the magic and fantasy books that he has been absorbed in.   His teacher would like him to explore the other wonderful authors that have written books.    Mark and I, loving to read like we do, are both thought this was a great goal.   We as a family are going to take the next eight months to expand our horizons and read from some different genres that we don't generally read from. 

Eight different genres written on pieces of paper were drawn from a cup to determine the schedule.   Each month we have a new genre and a new book.   We each read a different book, and one that we have not read before.   At the end of the month, we will all talk about the book we have read and compare notes.  

For the month of October the genre is Historical Fiction.   Basically the rule for this month was that the story had to take place in the past, be fiction, and of course no magic or fantasy.  :)
 

Mark is reading The Red Ripper by Kerry Newcomb 
I am reading The Kite Rider by Geraldine Mccaughrean
E is reading one of the Bobbsey Twins books
Addy is reading some of the American Girl books.

First Day

All of the preparations were ready last night.   Lunches packed.  Clothes laid out.  Backpacks loaded ready for the journey to school.   Addy was excited and could not wait for the first bell of the school year to ring.   E, decked out in his Vikings gear could not wait to see his friends again.

Beautiful brown eyes, shining with the excitement of the day greet me at days end.   There is barely time to get a word in as each of them share the news from the day.   New friends, new schedules, and new teachers.  A brand new beginning.

Both are excited for day two. 

Fall

Fall is here.  It is a feeling I get before the weather cools.    Soups start to sound good versus the fresh veggie salads that I have been eating.    The thoughts of putting on jeans and a sweatshirt are not appalling, but actually sound nice.   While walking down the aisle of Target this past week the fragrance of cinnamon, pumpkin, and other "fall" scents was present, and I didn't cringe.   

Another sign that fall is here is that the school supplies, after sitting in backpacks for a month, are now tucked safely in the desks at school awaiting use next Tuesday.   We have visited the classrooms and met the teachers for the upcoming year, and found out that each E and Addy have friends in their classrooms.   I think this year is going to be good, possibly even great.  

Really?? Already?

I had the same feeling last October when I walked through the doors of Hobby Lobby and saw their displays of Christmas decorations.   "Really??   Already?"   The exact same feelings returned on July 10th when perusing the ads in the Saturday paper.   "Really?? Already?"   The school supplies were in the weekly ads.   The kids had not been out of school a month yet, and already the retailers were pushing the school supplies. 

Not ready to even process the kids going back to school, we still have two months of summer left, I put the paper in the recycle and didn't want to think about it again.   However, my tactics did not work.   The supplies being in the paper, they are also in the stores.   The kids have seen them and they are wanting them.   For three weeks, I held back telling them no. 

They asked again today, so I tried a new tactic.   I bought the school supplies.   Everything on the lists is now purchased, labeled, and in their backpacks hanging on the hooks in anticipation of September.    Maybe now I don't have to hear about the school supplies for the last month of summer.

Not that I can blame them.  I remember the excitement of the notebooks that had not been written in.   The pencils with erasers perfectly shaped and unused.   I loved sorting through the supplies wondering what each notebook would contain in May and what the upcoming year would bring.   I totally get it.

As a parent, September is now a bitter-sweet time for me.   I love that the kids are excited and get to see their friends again.   Their minds will be challenged and they (and I) will learn new things throughout the year.   There is a routine that happens so everyone knows what to expect and when it will happen.    These are the blessings of September.

In September I miss the kids.   I really do love having them with me each and every day.   The schedule and routine of summer is much more laid back and we can take off for a day if we want, or have a pajama day just because, we don't have to wait for the snow storms.   I enjoy the absence of the spelling lists and math homework despite how good it is for the kids. 

September, the excitement of friends and new things. 
September, the time when the daylight is still long, but the summer is over.