First Day of School! K-12

This is a momentous year. I have a kindergartner and a senior!!!! 

Everyone is in school!!!  I've waited for this day for years. 

First up was Meet the Teacher night:

 Amelia was right at home in her classroom. She's at the green table and she loves the camping theme!

Wyatt is a big, bad 2nd Grader and feels pretty cool about things. 

The first day was Thursday which is always a strange feel, but these guys were all ready! We did Father's Blessings the night before and packed lunches and laid out clothes.  Then we just all got up like we've been waking up early all summer! Ha. 

 Amelia was nervous but excited and Wyatt held it together for a good while and then bawled his little eyes out. His teacher was very kind and by the time it was dismissal he was super happy and we've had no problems since. I'm proud of that kid. 

 Will is playing the saxophone and is just so excited. I get to take him to school and it's really nice having a little extra time with only him in the morning. Just the 2 of us. It's rare that middle child gets any alone time. We'll get 3 more years of that before he's off to seminary with Giselle. 

 Giselle was excited about freshman year, until she tried it. She was not a fan. Said it was hard, confusing and she didn't think her outfit was as cute as she originally thought. Man, that's rough. But she had power lifting try-outs for 3 days and that's her jam. 

Seminary started this week, and she's not a huge fan of that either...

 And Maddie! She's so excited for this year (to be over). But she's enjoying her classes so far and likes dressing like a trendy hipster grandma wearing doc martins. She likes her AP English class and Forensics. 

 I love all these guys!! As an introvert mom, having alone time is the best thing. I am so excited to see them when school is done and I'm glad they are all happy. 

I, of course, have been living it up. Mandie and I went to lunch on the first day (because we CAN) and I have since seen friends every day. I can do whatever I want! Until my daytime lessons start next week. I thought it was very convenient that the first day of school was also trash pick up day--I may have cleaned out the children's room... 

December Update

 We started off the holidays with some illness. Both Wyatt and Amelia were down and out with a strange something (probably flu since it was going around like crazy here) and it took them awhile to feel better. Amelia was super needy and wanted to be held all the time. 

Luckily everyone was well for the MCO weekend.  

 There's Giselle on the top row during rehearsal of Mary Did you Know. It was an amazing piece. 

 Alto II buddies. I'm so glad to make friends and feel like I belong in my section. It was a fun semester for singing and also for figuring out my job as attire coordinator. 

  

 Traditional picture before concert. It was so neat to have all my big kids in there with me. We've got a lot of choirs represented here! I think this will be the last semester for the girls though. Maddie is pretty busy with school choir and Giselle just needs a break. Will, however, really loves it and wants to keep singing. 

Good boy.

 Me, with Mandie who is the Grand Chorus Manager. So I'm like a groupie here. 

 AIIs again. We are a very fun section with lots of joking and laughter and teasing. Then add in the obnoxious tenor 1s and it's out of control. The concert was really fun. I loved our new venue at the Allen Performing Arts Center.  I liked our program well enough and I really enjoyed the challenge of ringing a hand bell.

 We invited my parents over to watch the First Presidency Devotional which is so fun because they're close! Look how cute the kids are curled up on them. Plus my mom brought yummy cookies. 

 Amelia had her little dance recital which was ridiculously cute. 

 Look how smiley Wyatt is.

 I'm not going to say Amelia is a natural dancer... She kept telling me it was so "ezausting" so I'm not sure we'll do it next semester even though it was super fun to do it with cousins. 

Our Primary kids sang at the town tree-lighting.

Some super cute sister shots here by Mandie. 

 They look so much alike! 

 I just thought Amelia's little stick legs were so cute. 

Here's Mandie and me after our stake's Feast Of Carols. Mandie led the children's choir and I accompanied them and I sang in a small group which was really fun. It was the last of my big musical obligations so I was glad to get it done.  

Will was Sir Scott in his 4th grade play which was cute and full of bad puns.  

  

Our Christmas Mantle. I have really struggled this year with the Christmas spirit. These last couple of months have been emotionally challenging and I'm afraid I dropped the ball on my planning and preparation.  Next year I will have everything figured out BEFORE Thanksgiving. Really. 

 I dragged Tyler to the Orpheus concert (he declined a selfie but thankfully Mandie obliged) which has become one of my highlights of the season. I love their pure tone and it makes me desperate to sing in a chamber choir. 

 We had a Music Makers Christmas party including a candy cane walk 

  

 and gingerbread house making. 

 Christmas bedding. See the pictures hanging on either side of the bed?  Wyatt made them. I tried to take them down. 

Amelia showing me all the things she'd like for her birthday.  

 Looking at lights. We are lucky to have an amazing light show house just blocks away. It's pretty spectacular. 

 Giselle with high hopes of winning the ugly sweater contest (honorable mention)

 We did a sing-a-long at the local library. It was rather pathetic, but hey #supportthearts.

Today was the last day of school and the kids are all a little wound up. I've been feeling poorly (not exactly sick, but achy and super fatigued. I was able to head off the sore throat with lots of colloidal silver) but I spent most of today in bed sleeping. I'm about ready to get back into bed. And the best news is I don't have to pack any lunches tomorrow!!!  Merry Christmas to me!

Wyatt Goes to School (and the other kids)

I always say that my kids do a really good job of making me want to send them all back to school.

This year was no exception. After we got home from the beach, they had school on the brain and were just anxious to go back. Giselle especially.

But there remained the quandary of Wyatt.

Consistently for the last 2 (3?) years people have asked me how is he going to go to school? What are you going to do? How is Wyatt going to survive? And I didn't know. But I did know that he does improve on his own timeline and that he always surprises us.  In just the past month he has been able to go to his primary class at church without tears and I considered that a good sign.

We talked about school and bought a fancy Pokemon backpack (which broke after 7 days stupid cheap junk) and bought some new t shirts and shoes. He was ready. He was excited. He had no clue what he was in for.

We went to meet the teacher and thankfully, his teacher is a really really sweet lady. She's young and she has boys too. She's really patient.

There was some definite apprehension on the first day:

 I know this had to be hard for him. He was quivering and quiet. But he wanted it. He really wanted to go to school with Will and be a big boy.

 I was able to take him to the classroom on the first day, and then to his class door the rest of the week. He gave me a hug and had tears in his eyes but he was brave. He was really excited to come home. And then that night we had epic meltdown. Hours of crying about not wanting to go back.

 I knew this would happen. But we got up the next day and he went with a big bribe of a new toy. He requested an Octonaughts toy. I went to the store and bought the biggest one I could find. And then some. I bribed him for the rest of the week. He knew that if he didn't go his new toys would be taken away and that kept him going. That first Thursday was the hardest. He didn't bring his blanket, but brought an old car instead and he would not let go of that little car, it was tight in his fist. And he wouldn't let go of me either. I had to peel him off and shove him in the classroom and walk away. It was really hard for me. I cried that day.

He said school was so long and that he missed me. It made him sad that he couldn't hug and kiss me during the day. And then something magical happened on Saturday. I thought he would be happy as a clam to just stay home and play, but no, he was BORED. He wanted to go back to school. He was liking it. He wanted to go play at the playground at his school.

The next week was easier. He still needs his blanket everyday, and Mrs.S let's him keep it out until circle time and then he puts it away. And he's fine. And he finished another week and he was ready to start the 3rd week. He loves to pack his lunch and he's anxious to go every morning. He still wants me to walk him to the carpet, and then Will walks him the rest of the way. I'd love to not have to go INTO the school, but I'll wait til he's ready.

It's nothing short of a miracle. WYATT GOES TO SCHOOL. I know lots of people have prayed for him (my parents especially) and I'm thankful for that. Everyday that he gets up and goes I'm amazed. He even told Amelia that he likes school. I love that amazing boy who does hard things.

The other kids, of course, are experts:

They are both enjoying classes and schools so far. And getting their rear-ends kicked in athletics haha ;)