First Day Jitters

The last three weeks have been filled with lots of first days and all our jitters are out.  Woohoo!  We are settling into the routine of public school.  Abby has been very tired some mornings, but she rallies and has seemed to enjoy her days.

Waiting for the Doors to Open 

Finding Her Cubby

She didn't want to pose for a pic with Mr. Francis, as she was pretty nervous.

Her desk was next to her friend Nate.  They have been in school together since they were two.

As we left, she whispered to me that water was in her eyes.  We put a tissue in her desk and I scrammed so she could get busy and not think about missing me.  I think we were all glad to get the first day behind us.  Surprisingly, I didn't shed a tear.  Caroline kept me busy and we had her first dance class that morning with friends.  Southlake had early release at 11am the first week so they could assess the kids one on one in the afternoons.  We loved it and were glad to ease into our school routine.

Caroline started school after Labor Day.

She adjusted easily and is having fun in her new classroom.

Ms. Linda was excited for the giftcard Caroline brought her the first day.

 First Day of Ballet and Tap for Caroline

Caroline missed the first jazz class, as she was home with strep.  Abby wanted to go on her own and had a good time.

 Nonnie treated them to some new dance bags.  The old bags were too small for three pairs of shoes.

 When Abby got home, she was so sweet to teach Caroline the jazz steps she learned.

The next week, Caroline was ready to get her groove on!

 They love taking the class together.

 Caroline had her first day of Museum School this past Wednesday.

 She has a snake and a hamster in her room.

 She is also taking a soccer class this fall on Friday afternoons with some friends.  She gets out of school at noon on Fridays and then hits the field at 1 o'clock.

 She liked the hula hoop activities.  We have started everything but church choir and Caroline's swim lessons, which will be two afternoons a week for a month.  Next week will be our first time to have a full week of every activity.  They are definitely keeping me on my toes!  In the next couple of weeks, I also hope to start getting some calls to substitute. These are busy, but fun times!

 

Meet the Teacher

I didn't get many pics of Abby's Meet the Teacher.  It was overwhelming!  Luckily, Brent went to work late so he could attend with us.  He helped the girls put away Abby's supplies and explore the room while I filled out a ton of paperwork!  Abby has Mr. Francis and we were a little nervous about how she would react to having a male teacher.  But, I am thrilled to report she loves him! We all do and grow to like him more each day. As we left Meet the Teacher, she told us he reminds her of PawPaw and Pops.  I think she will have a fun year if her teacher is anything like those two favorite people in her life.  He is retired from the Air Force and has been teaching 16 years.  His wife also teaches Kinder and you can tell he genuinely loves the kids and what he does.

Caroline's Meet the Teacher was a few days later and was a little more relaxing.  We are well seasoned Preschool parents.  She has Ms. Linda and Ms. Brenda, two of the sweetest teachers I think we've ever had.  Ms. Linda planted a big kiss on Caroline's cheek as we left.  Abby had Ms. Brenda in the 3's so we felt comfortable the minute we walked in the room.

Caroline had fun exploring her room with her friend Emilie.

 She was most excited about the two little play puppies drinking from a water bowl in the home center.

 She showed Daddy all the books she knows.

A Big Checklist

We had a gigantic checklist of things to do the week before school started!  After a photo shoot one day, we went shopping for clothes and shoes and had one last lunch at Chili's in the mall.  The dolls enjoyed the day with us.

 Haircuts and Teeth Cleanings were on the list. Check and . . .

 . . .check!

Our friend cleaned their teeth.  She is awesome and had a Tink movie already playing!  Her daughter was in Abby's dance class and we also figured out she knew Brent's family growing up.

 She let the girls experiment with all the tools.

 Caroline would only cooperate sitting in my lap.  Abby took pics for us.

 One of the last big things on our list was shopping for new dance shoes and leotards.

 

 

The Sunday before school started, our church had the Blessing of the Backpacks for students, teachers and administrators.  Pops took them up to the front of the sanctuary for it.  They are in front of the pulpit in this pic.

Happy Birthday, Bubba!

The last week in August, we celebrated Bubba's birthday in Bubba style.  Aunt Mary made his favorite chicken and dumplings and for dessert, we had our new favorite Tuxedo Cheesecake from Cheesecake Factory.  It was Abby's first week of school, so the girls went over in their pajamas.  We had to be ready to hit the hay early.