Goodbye 1st Grade

Poof.  First grade is finished.  The girl reads remarkably well and is interested in it.  She's outstanding on spelling and digs math.  Her bestie at school was Leah.  I've heard nothing but good things about who she is - she's sweet, well behaved, smart, all the things.  I couldn't be more proud.

A day off

Memorial day, quite literally the start of summer.  This year it marks the last week of school.  Girl had a great weekend sleeping in, hanging out with her bestie and neighbor friends, and -- best of all -- not doing homework.  They've already brought home some books that we keep too.

I started to make a lunch for tomorrow, the next to last full day of school, and I had a moment.  I realized that as annoying as it can be on busy days to need to make a lunch and snack before I can call it a night - before I know it this will end.  For now, just for the summer, but at some point there won't be lunches to pack.

I am just a few days away from having a second grader.  That doesn't sound bad, but 8 is looming, half way to driving!  She's so tall and her voice is even changing.  She is, by far, not a little girl any more.  Slow down.

Mean Girl

Has the kid gotten "in trouble" at pre-school and school before?  Yes, of course.  That's normal.  Yesterday I got a message from the teacher that actually bothered me... but even as I type that I back up and think of Sheldon on Big Bang Theory when his mother told him that it was okay to be smarter than everyone, you just can't tell them that.  Is it "being mean" if a word spoken is technically accurate?  Yes - even in a world that tell us to be blissfully accepting of being this word.  I was disappointed.  We talked.  She cried.  She isn't a mean kid, so it was hard.

Busy Girl Activities

First grade is going quickly... and quite well!  The first semester is already over.  Since my last post here we've gone to 100 Acres Farm for Halloween (kid friendly) activities, we saw Beetlejuice 2, we went on our Icon of the Seas cruise, we lost our beloved Saffy, catechism has started back up, she started singing lessons, and she started a trial of Jujitsu.

Actually, the school where she started offers both Jujitsu and Muay Thai.  Tonight she tries the later for the first time, but her response to Jujitsu was "I want to come here every day."  Singing didn't receive that high of praise, but she seems to enjoy it as well.  I am excited that she is finding things that she enjoys enough to explore.

Tomorrow she goes on a school field trip and for better or worse my name was drawn out of those willing to help chaperone.

Class Schedule

The girl jumped on that bus like a pro first day.  She was the second person picked up and I did see that she sat down with the other person on the bus.  After the fact I learned it was a Kindergarten girl -- doesn't that warm your heart ?  I'm so happy she sat down with someone who could have been pretty nervous right then.  I know if Avery came home LAST year and told me someone sat w/ her first day I would have been so grateful to that kid.  Today they adjusted the bus route a bit so there were a few other kids already on the bus.

I've been warning her that she'll start learning harder stuff each year... well here's her schedule:

• Arrival
• Morning Announcements
• Morning Meeting
• Phonics
• Reading
• Spelling
• Lunch at 11
• Handwriting
• Recess
• Bible
• Math
• Dismissal

On Mondays they also have a Library session, Tuesdays a Gym session, Wednesdays an Art session, Fridays both a Music Session and Chapel.

I am oddly excited for spelling.

Teachers and Bedtimes

We finally have a teacher's name.  We have meet the teacher on Tuesday.  I can't believe she goes back to school -- 1st grade -- on Thursday!  Avery is ready to go back, but she isn't ready to have an earlier bed time.  I've started her waking to her alarm every day and pulled it back by an hour for tomorrow; I think we'll back it up by another half an hour for the next three days.

Wish us luck!  The backpack is ready to go.

Buses and Birthdays

Two weeks for both.  New bus number this year and she will be getting on a little earlier in the morning and getting off a little earlier in the afternoon.

The girl decided she wants a Halloween themed birthday.  While I might get some odd looks from the bakery I guess I should go all in and get things in order for her to have a few friends here.  The next two weeks will be a bit of chaos, but I guess she's worth it.  1st grade... 7 years old... here we come!