First Day of School - August 22, 2011

Hey Ya'll,

It seems I never blog anymore...start a blog and then end up deleting it because I don't have time to finish it or just don't like how it sounds. I'm too critical of myself, that is true. I should just write with no inhibitions as I have done in the past. Oh well, hopefully I can write more as Madison gets less clingy older :)

Today's blog is important to me because today is a "big" day for my family.

Today, we are exactly one month from closing on our new house, Caitlin starts 2nd grade at a new school (the one zoned for our new house) and Madison starts Montessori for the first time (at age 23.5 months). Madison has always been cared for by someone in-home. Since we are moving across the freeway from our old home and our old babysitters, we needed a place that is near our new home (more convenient) and also it just seems like a good time to get her into "school." Cait went to Montessori at age 4 (right before kindergarten) and learned SO much that we knew we'd put Madison in school before age 4.

This morning, Caitlin had no problem getting up and dressed (this summer was like pulling teeth to get her to wake-up and get out the door (just in PJs)! LOL
She got her new backpack and filled it with her new lunch bag that I packed for her this morning and came downstairs to help me with Madison. I had given her a piece of paper with her teacher's names (she has three!) and the order she will go to them. She has her homeroom teacher (goes to first to drop things off), her reading/history teacher she goes to second, her math teacher she goes to third and then she goes back to her homeroom where she has language arts and science. After looking at the paper for a few minutes she came into my room to tell me that she knew where she was going and when! She had already memorized it and her new lunch number! She seemed confident and polished LOL When we pulled up to the new school where the drop-off is for the before school program, I mentioned that there were alot of kids in the program (could see thru the window)...she proclaimed, "oh then I will make lots of friends!" I'm so glad she is excited...I hoped she would be - instead of scared of going to a new place :)

Madison's drop-off was kind of weird just because she had no idea what was going on. I tried telling her all weekend about it, but I'm sure she just thought I was talking about playing toys with friends LOL We checked-in and I settled her in at the teeny tiny breakfast table in her teeny tiny chair and gave her the fruit loops she had pointed at when given the choice between those, Cheerios and raisin bran (duh! LOL). She just sat there looking bewildered. I hugged and kissed all over her but she didn't try to cling...just sat stoically :( This is completely out of character for her...she's usually clinging the second we see something or something she doesn't know. I'm hoping that's a good sign! There are 12 other new kids starting at the Montessori today! I'm hoping that because there are so many they will go extra slow with her today. I was sort of concerned that they would know who each kid is...she had no name tag on when I left so I asked if they will give them name tags. The lady said no, that the teachers have lists of everyone and who is new, etc. I was like, "is there a picture on the list for each kid?!?!" (really, I didn't ask that...but of course wish I had) I am hoping that they don't lose her LOL
No really, this school came highly recommended so I'm going to trust...Yes, I'm going to trust, and keep the Faith, that all will be ok.

I will let you all know how it goes when I get home to hear about it tonight. Chris does the pick-ups :)

Please pray for us and the kids today as we muddle through this new Monday.

Love ya'll!

Oh and P.S. to top off the Monday morning of the first day of school, one of my tires had a bolt in it (I saw it while dropping Cait off). Luckily we had no trouble getting Madison to school! I drove it to a tire place and had to get new tires (they were bald too!). So, this morning has been quite eventful LOL