Kindergarten

The first day of Kindergarten.

They wear uniforms so not much choice for what to wear on the first day!

His fabulous teacher - Love her already!

The yummy back to school treat!

And the super long post all about my little guy starting school (I'm still wiping away the tears!)

The day that I had been anticipating, dreading, praying about, pondering, debating and stressing over finally arrived. Samuel started Kindergarten. It literally has taken me years to decide where to send not only him, but the rest of the kids to school. In the spring, I had him registered a three different schools as well as information for homeschooling. I was driving Chuck crazy with my constant going back and forth on what to do. Sometimes I tend to analysis things way to much! I finally came to a decision that I felt good about and we moved ahead.

Somehow the summer went entirely too fast even though Kindergarten for Samuel started almost an entire month after the rest of the schools started. My mom was staying with us that week so I was able to take Samuel to school without having to drag all the kids with me. The night before, Jenna actually slept through the night for the first time and I couldn’t even enjoy the fact that she didn’t wake me up several times because I wasn’t able to sleep anyway. I was too full of so many mixed emotions for the next day.

I held Samuel’s hand as we walked into the school and to his classroom. I was trying really hard to hold it together! I helped him find his name tag, put away his backpack and school supplies get started on his writing assignment and then I just stood by him not wanting to leave. I had the biggest lump in my throat as I finally knelt down beside him, gave him a big hug, told him I loved him and that I was going. He looked up from busily writing and said, “Okay mom, see ya”.

He was great, but I was falling apart on the inside. I got outside the classroom door and then the tears started to flow as I hurried out of the school. I arrived back home and my mom was a little frazzled telling me how Isaac was crying, Jenna was crying and I quickly told her since she didn’t seem to notice that I was crying too.

When I went to pick Samuel up I asked him a million questions about his first day. Then when we got home I gave him a special treat I saw on the Family Fun website. (I used my sister-in-laws yummy homemade brownie recipe and then added some frosting – it was delicious!)

The remaining days of the week I walked him into his classroom each morning. He has a wonderful teacher and I asked her lots of questions each day too. Chuck was laughing at me saying it’s SO obvious he’s your first kid going to school. Yes, I know it’s obvious!!

And then it happened. The last day I was walking him into school he didn’t want to hold my hand any more. I knew this day was coming and again I had to fight back the tears – my little boy is growing up too fast!

Since that first day, things have been interesting. Samuel loved school the first day, was a little less excited the second day and by the end of the week he was just upset. Again I was stressed wondering if I’d made the right decision. Yes, I know it’s my first child! After talking to him, we finally got to the root of the problem. That first week they were getting things set up with the computers and so some kids were able to do computers, but he was not one of them. And let’s just say that this completely ruined Samuel’s whole week! But on Monday they began doing computers every day and he is a changed little guy.

He has come home every day excitedly telling me all that he’s learned. Yesterday he got in the car and said, “Mom did you know that the earth is made of three things – land, water and air.” Then he sang me this long song all about land, water and air. Today he came home and wanted to get the globe down so he could sing me another song about the continents. (His teacher has lots of great songs she uses in her teaching.) He also told me he LOVES science – that’s my boy – we love science and math around here! So what has made the difference – his favorite - learning on the computers each day. Since they also do their at home reading on the computer, his teacher has been able to move him ahead to the level he is currently reading at.

Tonight as I tucked him into bed and asked him what his favorite part of the day was he said doing computer work at school. So tonight I am feeling thankful that we made the right decision for him. We sure do miss the guy even though he is only gone for a few hours each day. This morning after we said our morning prayer Samuel got up and said, “Bella give me a hug because I have to go to school now”. (Is it too early to start dreading 1st grade and him being gone all day?) But I’m glad he is learning new things and loving it.