M's First Day of 2nd Grade!

No matter how much a parent works to prepare a child (and themselves) for a new school year, the first day is always a big mystery.  M was awake VERY early.  He was SO nervous about his teacher.  He was worried that her whistle was going to be too loud and that she was going to yell a lot.  He was pretty much ill with anxiety about the teacher and the new school year.  Of course this meant that he was angry with me, because I am a great target at 5:00am :)  

Once we got up and moving he calmed down a tiny bit.  Even though we had PLENTY of time to get ready, we were still scrambling at 7:45.  We quickly got the 1st day photos taken.  We saw our neighbors driving to school as we were taking them. 

M: I am not sure why I said baseball player, but I did!

M: I sure do love my mom. 

M: I was still deciding on if I wanted to bike or not. 

At first M wanted to bike.  Then he wanted to ride in the car. Finally he decides he totally wants to bike again and T decides she wants to go too.  They pulled out of the driveway at 8:02.  The dream goal (which has only been achieved once) is to arrive at school at 8:05!  School is exactly one mile from our house. They were not late, but they surely were not early!

M: Off to 2nd Grade I go!

Heart melting sight!

Before I tell you what T and I did while M was gone, I want to let you know about M's first day.  It went SO WELL!!!  Not taking the bus was a huge deal for M and he handled the change much better than he could have!  The first thing he said to me at pick up was, "Mom, I was wrong about my teacher.  She is really really nice and never yells."  Thanks be to God.  I was praying ALL day that he would see what a great teacher she is and he totally did.  I am so very very glad that our family is a part of such an amazing school.

After T and Brandon came home and everyone ate etc, T and I went and picked up our friends E and A and headed north to a scratch and dent food place. We scored some great deals on food and then let the girls play at the park for a while.  Both girls started Kindergarten this year and both of them were in group B!
Tangent about school: Our school district does a staggered start for the Kindergarteners.  Half the class (group A) goes for a 1/2 day on day one.  The second half  (group B) goes for a 1/2 day on day two.  All the Kindergarteners go for a 1/2 day on day three.  On day four they all go all day.  This year was extra strange because the first day of school was the Friday before Labor Day weekend.  This meant that M started school on September 1st and T didn't start until the following Tuesday, the 5th.  It isn't as confusing as it sounds.  I was so thankful that T was in group B because the kids in group A went on the 1st and then not again until the 6th and Sweet T might have just decided school wasn't for her after a long break.

T: We made a fancy fort!

T: It was fun to have a playdate with A!

T spent much of the rest of the day practicing riding her bike.  She tried at the beginning of the summer and then stopped for much of the summer.  Then she decided to give it another go and she was much more ready and confident.

T: I am really doing it!

T: This bike is feeling small.  I think I should stand.  

She was so confident that she went for an evening bike ride with Brandon and M.  She was not quite ready for this and ran into a parked car, an electrical pole, and a parked roller (the kind from a construction site).  This all happened biking just a few blocks. Thankfully everyone and everything survived T's first bike ride on two wheels!