The First Days of Schools...

Tis the season, right? 

I could have (and maybe should have) broken this post into 3 individual ones... one per kid but preschool started (accidentally I'm told) a week early so 2 first days in one week = justified : ) 

I labeled all E's stuff the night before. She didn't go shopping with me this year for supplies because that's #complicated and she's a bit #picky. I did make legit attempts to find her a Rey or Leia folder but after spending waaaay to much time I realized it wasn't going to happen. 

Same headphones and bookbag (but she threw a tearful fit over the size or lack thereof this morning because folder + reading book + lunchbox = #supersized)

Waffles which can only mean one thing - BAKING POWDER not baking soda #mixedthemupbefore actually #twice

 Supplies

Waffles

1st grade

No teeth

Pippy longstockings

Everyone's looking but E was in a shadow #takingkidspicprobs

Hey there is a whole another person visible this year!

Then it was R and M's turn to try their hand at the first day of school thing... 

New shoes and R's pencil box but I still owe Mrs. Wanda about 75% of R's supplies #thankgoodnessitsjustprek

I could probably write an entire post on how these bookbags show the personalities of the little girls who wear them

Their breakfast pick... Pumpkin muffins! #gonnabuy10casesthisyear

Pre-K!

Except not looking : ) 

But this time she is!

#cannotpleasethemall #itoldhershecouldnotholdA

She is so cute and she happens to know it

2 yr old class

So excited to have her own bookbag

Probably one of the best kid pics I've taken in a while

So ready to go

Nervous but ready!

Some things worth remembering from the first week...

E,R - Bantering in the van

Me - R, wouldn't you like to hear about E's first day?

R - Nooo (like the heck no, kind of no. Like of course I don't, kind of no)

Me - Okaaay

Me - So you used one folder for homework and what did you use your glitter folder for?

E - Poultry

Me - What did you say?

E - Poultry!

Me - Poultry?

E - POULTRY!

Me - So you have a folder for chickens?

E - I guess soooo...

(thanks to a wise parent in the class, we discovered it is a POETRY folder - just for the record)

Also, R and her BFF/the one she's getting married to (according to her) were coordinating on the first day. He was in a yellow shirt and I PROMISE you his mother and I did not plan it. It was sweet especially since this is their last year together #lovebirds

Let's Party Like It's Lent

Actually Lent started Sunday night around these (Eastern Catholic) parts but since today kicks off Lent (hi, Ash Wednesday) BUT it was R's actual birthday so we celebrated : )

One year away from a full hand of years!

Waffles for breakfast... because that's what she wanted

It is way better than last year's debacle involving baking SODA. Though I did call Lee to find out why the waffle iron was oozing with butter... SO. MUCH. BUTTER. Thank you recipe that calls for anywhere between a half stick and two sticks?!?!?!

 Well the waffles were darn good so whatever. 

The sisters... 

Picture taking has never been more difficult

Happiness. 

R has been asking about turning four for weeks. Every time we would talk about her birthday and tell her it was a few weeks away she'd always follow it with - It my birthday tomorrow? and then get very upset and cry when we told her it was not in fact tomorrow. 

She took some popcorn, cookies and juice boxes for snack at school and then we had round 2 of cake and presents after dinner (we had her birthday party on Saturday with friends and family). 

She really appreciated her cards and presents and was quite excited by them. 

Her expression in this one sums up the night

I had to include this picture because E made R 2 cards and one envelope (it looks like a mailbox) and E used all her Hello Kitty stickers in the process : ) 

Happy Birthday sweet R. 

You are such a caring and happy girl. You are stuck in the middle of two sisters who you love and you can easily swing playing big things with E or playing little things with M. You LOVE LOVE LOVE to play with Legos (yes the little ones). You spend many afternoons playing house or holding court with all your little people. Books and Legos were the only thing you asked for your birthday (and you made out like a bandit). You are very observant - you woke up this morning and saw A laying on the floor and said, "mama, he is so beautiful." You love looking at books. You can be very reserved until EVERYTHING comes tumbling out in an emotional whirlwind. You like to sing especially songs from Frozen. Anna and Elsa are your favorites. You usually get stuck being Anna when E is around but you don't mind (Anna is the hero in the story, right?). My favorite memory from this year was you finishing the Rocket Mile. I signed up you just so you'd have a number and shirt like E but my hopes for you finishing were next to nothing. You proved me wrong. So wrong. When you crossed that finish line after we chatted it up almost 19 minutes, I could not have been prouder of you. You are such a joy my not-so-little R and we cannot wait to see what you have up your sleeve this year!

R Starts Preschool... This Year : )

Just so R has her first day of school on the blog and she can't say I left her out just because she's the middle child here's how it went down... 

Second time making waffles in two weeks? 

Yes I could have pulled extra ones out of the freezer that I made for E's first day but I'm a glutton for extra work so fresh waffles it was - lovely clean counter, no? 

Giving the van a once over because we had church the night before.

Teacher made a list... we checked it twice. 

Ceremonial new shoes. I think I was more excited by the prospect of her not having to wear those BLASTED shoes with laces that had been driving me NUTS for the past several weeks... OCD? Quite possibly

Lunch/snacks packed #forthewin

But not for the win was the state of the kitchen when we left. Dishwasher was not unloaded. Mac and cheese lunch remnants was on the stove. Waffle iron had been overfilled (rookie mistake, I know) and was still overflowing. Syrup dotted the table. Breakfast dishes were left in their spots on the table. 

That is what taking 5 minutes away from my mornings - in the name of pictures of course - will do. I promise I am a scientist when it comes allowing time to get out the door. 

MOVING ON.... 

So excited to have the spotlight!

Cheesing it up!

Because the sibs were there too... 

Such a happy colorful 3 yr old! - (here's 2 yr old first day)

Enter the skeptic

She's carrying a flower she picked for me : ) 

She and her friend cried when the moms left - I was super super super surprised

Ever since she goes in like she owns the place. 

I never hear about too much other than they played... and played and played - and I think she says that to spite E : ) 

So the First Day of Kindergarten Happened...

Before the first day though there was this... 

Last day that our bags at the door would look like this as book bags are put away at the end of school and taken back out at the beginning

I put the call out for some chocolate and Nani came through in a GIANT way. 

Nothing like powering through an emotional meltdown with some chocolate - you know!

Uniforms - check (though we are still waiting on another skirt because they are on super backorder = not helpful!) 

I washed up E's book bag as well as her tote bag the night before orientation and crossed my fingers the book bag would be dry!

We had already been shopping for school supplies... Sharpie + coffee

Papa's contribution to the supply list

Okay now let's have a discussion about this because I happen to think this is super funny. I asked Lee to get disinfecting wipes from Sam's because well bulk is good for us. He comes home and asks-Who are these wipes for? I tell them for E's and R's teachers, not thinking much of it. Well come to find out he's got the 'Professional' grade wipes that will probably be great for the classes but seem a bit over the top for preschool and kindergarten - but hey, we'll take them!

With supplies packed we headed to orientation. 

Papa was able to come to orientation which was same time, same place as the first day of school but just a day early. It was definitely a good dry run for the first day. The kids went to the library while the parents got 'oriented' in the classroom. It was just an hour but still the thoughts swirled in my head as we drove to school and I turned on the music and tried hard not to think too much of it. 

Orientation success!

Then the real day came.

Waffles for breakfast per E's request though I think the squirrels got more waffles than the girls

It was only a halfday so I made some lunch... 

They were up SO early! As in 30 minutes earlier than normal which was fine but unexpected!

Trying the banana chocolate chip bread we brought for the teachers on the first day. There's still 2 loaves left for R's teachers. Too bad the girls 'Don't like bananas' - but they said the bread was worthy of bringing as a Happy First Day of School treat!

We hustled and bustled about. I allotted an extra five minutes for obligatory pictures - which was a good call. The kitchen was a WRECK until Lee got home in the late afternoon. Between, waffles, mac and cheese, other stuff and snack stuff he ran the dishwasher before dinner. I think I might have convinced him that it is nearly impossible to leave the house in good condition when there is a change in schedule, add on top of that the first day pop-ups and working in the afternoon and, well, let's just say he's a more than a good sport about cleaning up the mess. 

Now pictures... 

Everyone HAD to have a bow. 

R hiding bebe #4 

: ) 

Now this is where I could have totally lost it. So the whole school starts off outside with the Our Father and saying the Pledge of Allegiance - but the kids have to be in their class lines so basically we gave E big squeezes and she had to go to her class line. She was nervous but we kept our eyes on each other. Then when I thought I might start to cry, M wanted to be picked up (shocking I know) and held her tight and somehow made it though. Then each class marched into their classrooms and that was it. Had we taken them to their classrooms I think that's where the tears would have flowed BUT that was not in the cards (thank goodness). 

R promptly announced that she didn't want to go to school because she 'would have no one to play with' without E there - though she powered through and had a great time as I was told. 

It was actually nice being outside after the prayer line because there were parents mingling around and since we don't go to church at the school - which I am finding out there are a good number of non-parish member children in the school - it was good to meet and be introduced to some parents. I've met some really great parents (and now friends) at the girls preschool and I hope the same will happen here. 

I had to set a reminder on my phone to pick E up from her half day of school because - yes, I am that crazy and I didn't want to get a call asking why in the world I had forgotten to pick up my child : ) E said she had a good day and wanted to show me EVERYTHING she had done while we were in the carpool line : ) She said she couldn't wait to go for her first WHOLE day of school tomorrow. She knows one girl in her class from VBS but really hasn't said much else in terms of 'friends'. 

E has kept telling everyone who asks her ANYTHING about school what she'll have to wear each day... Skirt M-W, gym clothes R and jumper F. It is cute. Also, it takes the drama out of getting dressed in the morning. Because we've been there... please click it and understand just how dramatic E can be - it's an oldie but a goodie I promise. 

I think that E being gone all day will really hit us NEXT week when the new-ness has worn off a bit but for now we are basking in first week of kindergarten success...