First day of school 2012
Today begins my kids’ third week of school. To be honest, I’m not sure where the first two weeks have gone.
As the start of school approached, a part of me was thinking, “Oh, it will be nice to get into more of a routine. Since L. will be in morning Kindergarten, I’ll have every morning free to write or exercise or read or relax. Life will be more predictable.”
I was wrong.
The first two weeks have been rather hectic (at least for this particular mom, who likes to keep a good bit of “margin” in her life). There have been errands and appointments, meetings and obligations. I think I’ve had a grand total of ONE free morning so far. Not exactly the leisurely start to school I’d envisioned.
This week holds more busyness: a dentist appointment, two meetings at school, kickoff of our church’s midweek activities on Wednesday night, etc.
I know the quieter weeks will come. Just not in September, apparently.
The kids are off to a good start. C. is in eighth grade (which is rather hard to believe, because I can’t possibly be almost fourteen years older than I was when I first brought him home from the hospital). He loves his teachers, has some good friends, and is finding 8th grade to be “not bad.”
(Technically, “not bad” is high praise. After all, who would call middle school “fantastic” or “the best thing ever”? Not me, anyway.)
L. is in morning Kindergarten. We went back and forth on the half-day/whole-day thing a bit. L. is six years old, and I know he’d be able to handle full day, but honestly, I’m not in a big hurry to have him in school full time. He’s a kid who loves to imagine, loves to read, loves to play made-up creative adventures. And I want to make sure he still has plenty of time to do just that. First grade will arrive soon enough…one more year with plenty of free time will be perfect for him.
He settled into Kindergarten quickly, has made a few friends, and his primary disappointment is that he hasn’t had any homework. How’s a kid supposed to be just like his big brother if his teacher won’t give him homework?
As for me, well… this is a year of change for me as well. For the first time in a long time, I have both kids in school every day. I know those morning hours will fill up just fine, but it’s still different…not having my little shadow tagging along with me everywhere. Yes, there will be moments when I’m thankful to have a bit of quiet, but there will be plenty of other moments when I miss the chatter and the giggles.
For now, I’m looking forward to the aforementioned routine of school days, I can’t wait for the cooler jeans-and-sweatshirt weather of fall, and I’m compiling my Fall Into Reading 2012 list. If those quiet mornings ever arrive, I hope to fill at least a few of them with some good books.
C is getting so tall! I sure seems like I’ve been reading your blog for a long time if he’s going into 8th grade – that doesn’t seem right. : )
My son (first grade) apparently won’t be getting any homework until the end of the month. I knew that would be the case, but I’m still kind of anxious for it to start – if only so I can see a bit more insight into what he’s DOING in school besides singing songs and drawing pictures of squirrels.
Enjoy your free time! I’ve got two more years until my youngest starts kindergarten, I honestly can’t even imagine a routine without a kiddo tagging along!
Jen E @ mommablogsalot´s last post ..poem: apologies (to my children, on behalf of the world)
Lovely.
And yes, the first few weeks here went by in a flash as well, and seem to be filled up, not easy breezy. But it will come.
Jennifer, Snapshot´s last post ..One down, 37 to go
Life IS finally settling down a bit for me. HURRAY! I don’t know why the summer threw me so off track but i’m catching up. Yes, yes, yessss! And I’m getting organized for FiR.