Haley enters 10th grade, Lindsay enters 8th grade, Tristan enters 4th grade, Kaitlyn enters Kindergarten and Nathan is in “home school”. That’s what all my children have said when asked where they go to pre-school because of course everyone goes to preschool. I remember feeling a little nervous that Haley hadn’t gone to pre-school when she became school aged a decade ago because everyone looked so worried that she hadn’t attended and would, of course, be behind. I’m happy to say that today she is at the head of her class ranked #1 for her class of 2015.
I now have four children in two different schools with 3 different start times but the two same time starts are at two different schools about 3 1/2 city miles from each other. After 5:45 a.m. seminary Haley doesn’t begin her school day at until 8:30 a.m. and at the same school Lindsay begins at 9:15 a.m. She has some built in violin practice time or time to study on days after we’ve kicked her into bed at 11 p.m. because she’s still not finished with her work. I don’t remember ever having so much homework that young but she brings home A’s so she’s doing something right and most of my kids seem to have this problem frequently. Rick drives Haley & Lindsay into school at SCPA every day now that he doesn’t have 7:30 a.m. staff meetings. Tristan & Kaitlyn attend Fairview and twice a week on “orchestra” days Tristan begins school at 8 a.m. He gets dropped off by Rick on those days too while Kaitlyn drives in with me for her 9:15 start time except for Thursdays when she goes to school at 8 a.m. for her class I must attend with her and Tristan has to wait an hour with me for his 9:15 a.m. start time. All the kids get out at 3:45 unless they have after school activities. On days when Rick has meetings or rehearsals, and there are many, my girls who aren’t in “after school stuff” hang out doing homework or practicing until I arrive from picking up the younger children. Sometimes I pick up at one school, drive to the next school for pick up and then return to the first school to wait for the next pick up and let Rick bring home the final straggler after his or her rehearsal or running or chess club, etc. All in all, I’m in the car anywhere from 2 to 3 1/2 hours each day and this does not count the 1 1/2 hours for seminary in the morning if it’s my week to do that driving or any of the other activities that they are involved in of which there are few at this point other than church activities. And then there are the occasional orthodontist appointments!!! I have tried to simplify as much as possible while making the best of a not so good situation with the schools. My children are thriving in their current schools and without the option of sending them where they currently are I decided I would have to home school.
And here is my little guy, still at home with me, who after three weeks is still commenting during the day “Mom! It’s just us!” It is much quieter during the day and it is an adjustment for him to be the only child around. He doesn’t like to be “alone” and never has been for any minute of the day until now!
The day before school started there were some preparations to be made besides seeing who needed to purchase new backpacks and lunch bags and buying gallons of hand sanitizer and reams of paper.
Kaitlyn, my “brownie girl”, made a special “triple chip” blondie to pack in lunches for the first day. Mmmm! They were very appreciated. Haley got stitches out from a surgery she’d had in July and Lindsay got a haircut which she’d missed out on with everyone else because she had a babysitting job.
We had one final lunch time picnic out in the backyard on blankets.
One final day for “best buddies” to play together out in the backyard.
We read books about going back to school and going to school for the first time. Here are some of our favorites.
Then a very excited Kaitlyn joined the second shift breakfast on her first morning of school after FIVE lunches had been made and packed up. Buying school lunch now costs $2 for elementary kids and I think near $3 for secondary kids. We always pack our lunch full of good things from home to eat. It takes a little time but with some organization and planning it is worth it. If they banned bag lunches as they’ve done in some districts around the country it would completely destroy my budget!
Spooky is left pining at the front door, day after day now, for his favorite pet person. He LOVES Kaitlyn and so this is an adjustment for him too.
Kaitlyn is LOVING school and tells me so daily. She was ready though we do miss each other. I know some people can’t wait for their kids to go to school but she was a nice little companion to have around the house with me. I have thoroughly enjoyed having her with me at home.
The first day of school I parked the car a couple of blocks from school and walked her right to her class room; a luxury allowed only for the first three days. As we got closer to the school Kaitlyn walked closer to me and as we joined the crowds going into the building she grabbed onto my hand holding it tightly. Finding her classroom, the same room and teacher that Tristan had for Kindergarten, I helped her go through the line to get her car pick up tag attached to her backpack, drop off her classroom supplies and put her lunch and bag in her cubby. There were many hovering parents in the room videotaping every move with their phones to the point of ridiculousness. I tried to help Kaitlyn get interested and involved in her new environment while her teacher was still attending to the line of 25 kids all trying to get situated. One kid was crying, another didn’t have anyone there with him and didn’t seem sure of his own name. I did not envy that poor teacher at that moment. I stayed just long enough for the line-up to get short and to get Kaitlyn interested in the “observation table” with the magnifying glasses and then I told her I needed a hug because it was time for me to go. There had to be some parent in that room that was being level headed and I knew it was time for parents to leave. Kaitlyn turned and looked at me, gave me a hug and asked “WHY do I always get water in my eyes???” like she was aggravated with herself for it. It was very sweet. I told her I loved her, to have a good day and I would pick her up at the end of her day. When I arrived at the end of the day and they called Kaitlyn’s name, Kaitlyn came bouncing along out of the building, bounding down the steps and she was… BEAMING! Day two I followed her to her class room to make sure she could find it by herself and said goodbye to her at the doorway. Day 3 she had her big brother follow her “just to be sure”. She’s been independent ever since and is thriving. “I love going to school”, Kaitlyn states simply, and that is just the way I wanted it.
