A New Chapter

This year marks a new chapter in our household.  First, we are starting a new school.  We are excited about calling this school home.  It is a K-12 Christian School that we are hoping to call home for the years to come.  Second, last year Alexa went to 1/2 day Kindergarten so I still had my 3 little ones with me at least half of the day.  This year Alexa starts 1st grade so will be gone all day and Emma's Kindergarten is Monday, Wednesday and Friday full days for the first half of the year.  So it feels strange to have 2 that are going to be gone all day for some days.  I love it that I still have Tuesday and Thursday to spend with Emma and Shane is excited to have his sister home a couple days as well.  

Alexa is growing up so fast.  She loves, loves, loves school.  She is a very diligent worker and takes her learning serious.  She loves learning new things and adapts well to situations.  She is a little bit nervous about going to a new school.  Since she has been little we have been calling this the big school.  The school they will go to when they are big.  So she was excited but not sure what to expect.  I know she will do great and will continue to grow and blossom this year.  I can't wait to see what is in store for her this year.  

It is hard to believe that Emma is off to Kindergarten. She is soooooo ready and so excited for school.  She is a social bug and loves everything about school.  She is one of those girls that just enjoys everything about life but can learn and pick stuff up easily. There are so many times she says or does things I look at her and say where in the world did you learn that.   I am so excited to see her blossom this year in school socially, emotionally intellectually, and spiritually.  

The girls were so excited to get their backpacks and fill them with their school supplies.  They are more than ready for their big day!

Before school I prayed with the girls and gave them these butterflies.  We talked about how proud I was of them and how excited I was for this new adventure.  I told them I saw them as butterflies today.  When they were born they were like little caterpillars and I had them in my little cocoon.  I told them I loved being their mommy and I loved being home with them all these years.  We talked about the fun things we've done together and the lazy days of naps and reading books, playing games and dress up.... I told them they were beautiful girls on the inside and outside and that God had a special plan for them.  I also let them know I was a little bit sad to let them spread their wings and fly but most of all I was excited for this new adventure.  I gave them the butterflies as a reminder of this new adventure of spreading their wings like beautiful butterflies.  I also told them I wanted it to be a reminder that God was always with them, that I loved them and that everyday while they were at school I would pray for them. Alexa came home from school so excited because they had a caterpillar in their room that was starting to spin a cocoon.  She said, "Mommy it was what we were talking about this morning and pretty soon it is going to be a beautiful butterfly!"  They are talking about caterpillars and butterflies in school and on Friday I get to go on a field trip with her to hunt for Monarch caterpillars!  I love how God works! 

 

Since the girls started preschool daddy has always take them on their first day per their request. It can't just be daddy riding with us but it has to be going in daddy's car.  There is something special about daddy taking them to school in his car the first day.  I love this little tradition they've started.  Now there is no way this mommy is going to miss out on the first day of school excitement or pictures so she always follows behind in the van!

Emma and her Kindergarten teacher Mrs. Wyjia.  Her teacher is the perfect Kindergarten teacher.  She is so sweet and has such a gentle, nurturing spirit.  Emma loves her teacher already!

Do you think she looks like she loves life and is excited?  I had a parent who I didn't know say to me "Is that your little girl!" I said "Yes!" and she said, " She looks like she is so excited she can hardly contain herself!"  Yes, Emma is our social bug and just embraces everything about life.  This is the typical look and smile you get from Miss Emma!  She didn't eat too much breakfast so I do thing she was a little nervous but an excited nervous!

Alexa's 1st grade teacher is Mrs. Odens.  She is also very sweet and Alexa loves her already.  Alexa loves that her class is quiet when they work.  She had a chatty class last year which bothered her a little since she was a rule follower.  I get the sense that Alexa's class is a peaceful class. Her teacher loves music so Alexa said they sing praise songs a lot and she puts the CD player on when they work.  I also love how she instills life skills and character in their classroom.  I'll have to write about that in another post.  I may even do something similar at home.  

Alexa all excited to start her day as a 1st grader and saying her last good-byes to her daddy!

Shane and I stayed for Chapel.  It was so much fun to see the girl with their classes and what a blessing to start the day and school year with some wonderful praise and worship.  We also got to see all the teachers in the elementary school as they were introduced.  Everyone was so friendly.  I had numerous people ask us if we were new and introduce themselves.  I am so glad we got to join the girls for this on their first day!

Shane was not too sad to see his sisters go.  He enjoys his time alone with his mom and he had big plans for the day.  His first request was to go the mall and stop at Gymboree because they have a TV.  His next request was a stop at the cookie store for a Double Doozie and his last request was a little time in the play area.  He knows how to get his mom when she's down.  I was eager to give him his wishes after a bit of an emotional drop off at school. Actually I wasn't too emotional it helped that they were excited.  I did remind him that we can't do this every day when the girls go to school.  He starts preschool a couple mornings a week next week so he is super excited about that.  He decided we should make the girls some cookies for after school.  He thought it was pretty nice that he was my only helper and that he was the only one who got to lick the beaters.  As we were making them he said,"I think the girls are going to smell them and say Shane and mommy did you make some chocolate chip cookies for me!"

The girls had a wonderful first day of school.  Emma loved making new friends and reading some books.   The girls have recess and lunch together so they thought it was great to see each other on the playground.  Emma loved school and was ready to go back the next day but I was glad that I got to have her home for a day before she went back.

Alexa thought it was so great to have her own desk.  She is Type A so loves everything in order! She thought the work was way too easy!  I reminded her it was the beginning of the year and they would be reviewing a lot and it would get harder. She also couldn't believe that she had 3 recesses and both girls thought it was pretty great that they got to eat lunch at school!