Back to School

We've been gone a lot this summer and we barely made it back in time for school to start.  We had one day between getting back and the first day of school.  So we spent the day unpacking, doing laundry and getting back into the swing of things.  First up: exercise.  Emma lifted weights while I ran on the treadmill.  These pictures turned out a little blurry from the treadmill.  Glad she wants to do some strength training though.

We did some last minute back to school shopping

Some people are even starting to think about Halloween around here.

Anna wore this dress when she was about that age.

See Anna in it HERE.

Emma told me she needed a crown

I did the best I could on short notice...it was a rush job

We've had to take away John's police costume temporarily because of malfeasance.  

We'll see if he gets it back before Halloween.

We went to the schools in the evening before the first day to see the class lists.  Everyone was having fun running around.  Then John threw Grant's flip flop over the locked fence.

Guess he's not getting that police costume back today.

We got to one of the schools a little early so we had to wait a few minutes.

Our soon to be 5th grader!!

And here are the kids on the morning of the first day of school  Matthew is going into 5th grade, Anna into 4th grade and Grant into 1st grade.  Anna and Matthew go to the same school this year for a special program and Grant is at the neighborhood school.  I've requested to have him transferred to the same school as Matthew and Anna but they don't approve those kinds of transfers until after school starts - usually in the first two weeks I hear.  Grant used to go to school with Anna and even though they fought a lot, I think he actually misses her.  I wanted to transfer Grant 'cause I wasn't that impressed with our neighborhood school and it was a big pain to drive kids to two schools each day.  I know I will have to deal with that next year anyway with Matthew going to middle school but they are still all in elementary this year and it would be nice if they were all at the same school.

But on the first day I took Matthew and Anna to their school and then drove across town to Grant's school and walked him in.

Grant was accidentally put in the wrong class on the first day.  He was put in the Spanish language dual immersion class.  He didn't know anyone 'cause all his friends are in the standard class and he ended up crying a lot of the first day because the instruction was mostly in Spanish and he couldn't understand what was happening.  The other kids in his class were in dual immersion last year too so knew what to expect while it was new for Grant.  Here he is putting on a brave face before class.  I talked with the office and they moved Grant to a regular class in the middle of the second day.

Grant ready to start school

The first day when I picked him up he told me he cried "so hard" for me most of the day.  :(

But the second day, once he was in the right class he told me how much he loves his teacher and that he will cry if he has to move to Matthew and Anna's school.  Hmmm...so we'll see how this all works out.  Still waiting for the district to approve his transfer.

Then I took my two little guys to Costco.  The most peaceful grocery shopping trip I've had since June.  But it wasn't that peaceful.  I think John is entering into a rebellious phase.  Hoping I can steer him out of it quickly.  He likes to run all around the store and won't come when I call him...and he encourages Emma to join him.  I had to make them ride in the cart.

I'm so glad when Daddy comes home.

Everyone was excited too see Dad and tell him about the first day

Grant using Instagram while we wait for the bell on the second day of school.

When I picked him up on the second day he told me how much he loves his new teacher (in the standard English instruction class).  He told me they have a rat in their class named Lily and he got to pet it and that his teacher is so funny and that she calls their small classroom groups lions and tigers and bears which he says is "awesome."  So he is really pumped up about his new teacher, which is great.  But we are planning to move him to a new school.  Hmmm....I hope it all works out for the best.

 So summer was great and now all the activities are starting up again.  Matthew has scouts and he and Anna both want to be in the school play.  Anna wants to join STEAM club (Science Tech Engineering Art and Math) and will probably have activity day girls soon (when they get a new leader).  And she and Grant have soccer coming up soon too.  That might be all the activities I can handle to start.  We'll see.
Matthew loves his 5th grade teacher and is having a great time so far.  He gets to do the morning announcements for the school over the intercom for a few months.  Being a 5th grader has its privileges.
Anna's teacher is new to the school - taking over after Matthew's old teacher, the beloved Mr. H., retired.  It sounds a bit dramatic to say I was "devastated" when I found out he was retiring, but he was a great teacher...and I was kind of devastated.  But I've gotten over it now and Anna's new teacher seems like a good fit for her so far.  So the year is off to a great start.

And while the kids were at school on the second day I was getting a root canal.  It went really well but I felt pretty puffy and sore for several days.  Oh well.  I'm grateful for modern dentistry.  Here's a puffy selfie.  The root canal was on my left side (right side of this picture).  I notice it.