And just like that, all the anticipation is over. School has begun! We continued our tradition of going out for a treat and getting Father's blessings.
I have a child old enough to be in all-day school. I'm ancient. James started first grade. He is going to the same elementary school I went to.
James is doing the Chinese immersion program and he likes it so far. In fact, we had a babysitter over who knows Chinese and James couldn't hold himself back. He kept speaking to Sophia in Chinese and asking her questions. It was adorable. Because James is doing the Chinese program, it means he has 2 teachers throughout the day. He spends the mornings in English and the afternoons in Chinese. His Chinese teacher only communicates with the class in Chinese-- no English allowed. It's fun to see James' excitement as he shares new words and phrases he has learned.
James has been stoked for school to begin, especially so he could model his new clothes. In case you didn't notice, Pokémon has become an obsession around here. James recently bought Pokémon cards from the mom store and we've had to set limits for how much we will talk about said cards. James chose a Pokémon shirt and backpack. He also picked out a Mandalorian (Star Wars) shirt and black sweats. His shoes of choice were black lace-up shoes and teaching him how to tie his shoes is a slow-moving process. Since when did he become so grown up?
I was curious to hear how the first day went. It's a big change to go from half day kindergarten, which wasn't even 3 hours, to going all day. The instant James saw me, he exclaimed: "Mom, next time don't pack me such a big lunch. I couldn't eat it all." James had the best day. The pit or "low point" of his day was having to leave school. He said he wishes he could have stayed for 7 more hours. He was so giddy about school. I loved hearing random tidbits. He explained that they have chores to do at school and his job was to be the lunch choice counter.
Surprisingly, James has wanted to buy a lunch every day since the first day. Hearing him tell me what he has for lunch cracks me up because he doesn't always know and his descriptions are cute-- "it was a giant chicken nugget (chicken patty)" or, "I tried Hawaiian pizza" or "I think the french toast had cinnamon on it!" I discovered James was skipping getting a drink at lunch because he thought it cost more money. I suppose he has noticed my frugal ways, but don't fret, crisis averted. He gets a drink now too. James shared that a classmate told him one of the lunch ladies actually has red eyes which led to a great conversation. 6 year olds are so gullible.
I try to make school a positive and special thing. I made James' favorite for dinner on his first day. We had stroganoff and ginger cookies. After school on the second day, James spent the afternoon drawing a picture for a cute girl and slyly writing our phone number, so they can have a playdate. Rosie, you're popular around here! James also worked hard on writing a note to a new friend he made in class to ensure that Joshua has our phone number. It was very sweet. I wasn't sure if James' zest for school would wear off, but it hasn't yet. (Fingers crossed.) I hear all about recess--James can pump super high on the swings now!, PE--his class has been getting 4 points for their good behavior everyday except 1, etc. James has mentioned that he gets tired of sitting for so long each day. We sometimes bike/scooter to school which helps break up all the sitting and makes my thighs burn (thanks to the bike trailer and Izzy). James has ample energy and he's putting it to use playing soccer again this fall.
Part of James' homework is reading. He is reading more and more challenging books and it's wonderful. I checked in with James' teachers to see how things are going. I was delighted to hear that both his teachers think that "James is really smart and sweet. He has been able to focus. He is very helpful and that they really enjoy having him in class." Parent Teacher Conferences are around the corner, so I'll hear more then. Here's to a good year!
Isabelle threw herself a giant pity party because she had to wait until September to start Pre-K. She was pretty disappointed to say the least. Now she finally gets to go. Her preschool from last year closed, but we found a closer and cheaper option in a basement. Izzy went to a few summer camps at Mrs. B's house and likes her. I can't believe the deal I'm getting. I pay $90 a month for Pre-K. Isabelle goes to preschool 3 afternoons a week (Tues, Wed, Thurs) for 2 hours a day.
Isabelle picked out a Barbie shirt and sparkly pants while we were back to school shopping. She chose an Encanto backpack and sandals too. She ended up wearing a special dress I bought her though. I bought baby girl and Izzy matching dresses and can't wait to see my daughters wearing them together. I let Izzy wear her dress the first day, but she has to wait to wear it again until the baby comes. She wore her Barbie outfit on day 2.
Isabelle's class only has 9 children (including her). Isabelle is additionally doing the Waterford Upstart reading program (like her brother did) on the computer. She is thrilled she gets to do computer time and wants to do more than the set amount each day. She had to take a pre-assessment and she knew more than I thought. She could identify 25 letters! (Possibly all 26. Hard to know if the missed one was due to being unfamiliar with using a computer mouse). Izzy also had a written assessment for Pre-K and I was pleased to see she can recognize many numbers. My girl is going places.
For dinner on her first day of school, Izzy chose pizza and cheesy bread. A girl after my own heart. For dessert, we had root beer floats, a first for our kids. They were fans. Although, Izzy is convinced she doesn't like whipped cream and passed on that, which none of us understand. We also rented a movie the kids haven't seen (Across the Spiderverse) to make the day special. The target audience was not 4 year old girls, but I think Izzy still liked it even with the scary part.
It was a big week for Isabelle. Not only did she start preschool, but she started ballet too. She came out of ballet with a sparkly crown and a purple scrunchie. Waiting until next week for dance class might be the hardest thing Izzy is going through right now. It was a happy surprise that one of Isabelle's preschool classmates from last year randomly happens to be in her dance class. Isabelle and Kennedy walked hand in hand into class. A family friend highly recommended this dance studio and her daughter Lydia is in the class too. When Isabelle and I went to buy her dance clothes at the studio, Izzy told me it was the best day of her life.
Watching these kiddos learn and grown is one of my favorite things. Bring on another school year!
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