First Helping Parent Day with Addie

The Raleigh School does a neat thing that most other preschools in the area don't do- they have a helping parent in the classroom every day. You wind up getting to spend a day in your child's class 5-6 times a year which is neat because you get to see how they act in their school environment, learn more about the other kids, and get a real feel for how the class operates.

This was my first time getting to be with Addie at school, and I was impressed! She's already pretty independent there. She's not really playing with other kids yet (it's still mostly parallel play), but the kids in her class are nice and apparently pretty advanced. I noticed that they all listened to their teachers pretty well, played nicely alongside each other, and that there weren't many meltdowns. This impressed me for a bunch of two-year-olds! Ms. Escuti said this group is actually pretty advanced for their age because all but one of them have older siblings who have gone through TRS. They just have a leg up because they are the 2nd (or 3rd) child in the family. She said normally in the 2's class, they don't attempt to do a circle time until after Christmas break, but she was already doing one with this group in late September.

Here they are cleaning rocks...and then Addie and Drew painting theirs. (Addie painted herself a red Wolfpack one and me a blue Tar Heel one.)

Addie likes playing in the loft area...

and cute little Amelia joined her.

They have all kind of neat play centers in the classroom...

The helping child gets to ring the "clean up" bell...she was pretty excited to get that honor.

Here's circle time...

and playground time...

and backyard time.

And just like that the day was over. When they get ready to leave for the day, they sit in their cubbies and Ms. Escuti reads them a book and then they sing the "Goodbye" song. Then they run out to their parents one by one, and it is the cutest thing.

When all the other kids had left and I had finished cleaning (helping parent duties), I asked Addie, "Ready to go?" And she said no, she wanted me to go outside the room so she could run into my arms. Adorable.

Pretty impressed with this 2's class and so happy that Addie is a part of it!

Football Saturdays

Here's what Saturdays in the Fall look like around our house...all things football! If we are not at a game, we are at home watching multiple games or making game-type foods to eat while watching football. It's all-encompassing September through November which proves how much we must love it!

This outfit was HER idea. Proof that at least one of my children is a Tar Heel at heart!

Lacy Welcome Picnic

I guess Collins is now officially a Lacy Lion! She loved the Welcome Picnic they held after school started, especially when she got "Skye" from Paw Patrol painted on her face. There were lots of long lines, but the kids didn't care as they ran all over the Lacy playground and field. Collins got to hang out with her new friend from her class, Audrey, and Reeves of course. It was a fun night!

Addie's First Haircut

Ah, that poor second child. Much fanfare was made about Collins's first haircut; Addie not so much! With Collins, Brian came from work and we stood by her side as the lady with the scissors got closer and closer. She got a certificate for doing a good job, and we took lots of pictures.

Addie got a haircut and that was about it. Because honestly, we now know that it's not that big of a deal! I was a little sentimental because Addie has always been known for her beautiful curls. I was a little sad to chop them for the first time, but they were getting too long and tangled so it was time.

Luckily, she was not scared at all and liked her new 'do!

We'll see if little brother even gets a blog post about his first haircut. :)

Gymnastics Love

Addie loves her gymnastics class this year. But it didn't take her long to ask for a gymnastics leotard like her sister's. Although none of the other tiny tumblers wear a leotard, I decided it was fine when I realized Collins had outgrown her old one. Turns out, it was a perfect fit so Miss Addie was in business.

And I have to say her gymnastic skills might have advanced upon donning the spandex! She is actually surprisingly good at the trampoline, the uneven bars, the rings, and the balance beam. Only time will tell if it's a real love or just a fun activity to do in a bright pink suit. :)

Addie is Off to School

After all the anxiety I have experienced with kindergarten, I have to say sending Addie off to school has been a refreshing change of pace. It has been so easy! She has literally not cried once when I have left her which I think is pretty amazing for her age. She has gotten a little clingy to my leg a few times, but for the most part marched herself into that classroom ready for her day.

One morning she told me on the way to school that she was a big girl and could walk herself into school. Because the school does not actually allow this, I walked her in. But on the way to her classroom, she abruptly dropped my hand and confidently strode into her room. It was super cute.

Here she is on her first real day of school. So sweet that she wanted soft baby to come along, too.

Apparently, little miss didn't have trouble opening up on the first day. Ms. Escuti told me upon pick-up that Addie was "hilarious". She was talking about how she didn't like some kid's water bottle, how Mommy wouldn't let her go into the attic because it was "too dangerous" and who knows what else? I'm a little afraid of what she is going to tell her teachers this year. :)

I am excited for Addie's year of preschool and so grateful that I can leave her for three hours and know that she is well taken care-of and happy!

The School Year Officially Begins!

Officially off to school and excited about it! Collins did great at drop-off, and Mom and Dad did a little better too. :)

First day pick-up...

Me- "What was your favorite part of your day, sweetie?"

Collins- "I forgot."

Me- "Okay, what was your least favorite part of the day?"

Collins- "When you forgot to pack me a water bottle, and I was really thirsty."

Umm, major parent fail? I felt terrible. And then when I asked her who she sat with at lunch time, and she said, "no one", I felt even more terrible.

It's a good thing I had the idea to buy her a cake to celebrate her first day of school...that somewhat made up for the dehydration earlier in the day!

Here is her own assessment of her first day of school...

But then on the second day pick-up, the first thing out of her mouth was "I made a new friend today!" Talk about making a mama feel better instantly. I was so relieved!

But now a few weeks later...WOW is all I can say! Apparently, I did not underestimate the big change that kindergarten would be. It was a wild first few weeks of elementary school, with me feeling like we were on an emotional rollercoaster. The first three weeks, she had very high highs and very low lows and a lot of meltdowns in between.

High highs

• Coming home from school and wanting to play "school". Collins was the teacher of course, and turns out a pretty strict one. She would say things she heard her teacher say like, "Class, class!", and Addie and I would have to respond (immediately), "Yes, yes!". She'd ask us, "Do you know how to write the number "100"? And then she'd draw a picture of an amazing shark and Jumping Jim from Letterland. It was obvious from her "lesson" that she was absorbing a ton of new information.
• As I was doing laundry one night and Collins was in the bath, I overheard her saying to herself, "one nation under God". She was reciting part of the Pledge of Allegiance! A couple days later when we were playing school, she recited the entire thing. You should seen Brian's face as she went through the whole thing. A proud moment for Daddy!
• As she and Brian were doing her first week of homework assignments, she read a sentence with Brian and then saying, "Mommy, I can read!"
• Coming home so excited about her first ever pep rally (for Fall Festival)- "Mom, you sell raffle tickets and you can win a trip to Disney or headphones!"
• Being out for dinner and seeing a period in the restaurant and saying, "That is a period- it ends a sentence."
• Telling Addie, "Addie, you don't really learn anything in preschool. You don't even have your own desk and all you do all day is play." :)
• So much energy/excitement leaving school that she literally skipped home from school.

Low lows

• Getting hit in the face with a soccer ball during recess
• Frustrations in computer lab because she cannot figure out the program
• Kids in class sharing scary stories and her not being able to sleep because of the hammer man that comes into your room at night if you are not sleeping and hammers nails into your head (I know...terrible right?)
• Complaints of tummy aches and headaches for first time in her life (because of anxiety)
• Meltdowns upon getting home from school from being so tired- snapping when I asked her to put her shoes in the shoe basket and acting like a crazy person screaming and crying

I am relieved to say these extreme moods have evened out....thank goodness. She does still bolt out of school with an alarming out of energy every day. Which is part of the reason I enjoy walking to school to get her so she can walk/skip/scooter some of that energy out on the way home.

In this moment, she was literally running and pushing the double BOB along which is not so easy to do...

and here she is scootering home. She and Addie attempt to take turns, and it takes us awhile to get there, but I think it's fun that we're within walking distance of school.

The one other issue with kindergarten? Fitting in all we want to do when she gets home from school. This has been pretty hard when she wants to have a snack, watch a show, play by herself, play with us, be outside, read books, take a gymnastics class, etc. This doesn't include the mandatory homework, dinner and bath! I have been letting her take the lead on what she wants to do in her four free hours away from school each day, but it's not been easy to adjust to this smaller time frame of free time. It's getting better though.

Overall, bottom line for us. Kindergarten has been a hard adjustment, but a really cool one. She is learning so much when she is there, she is making new friends, and she is getting empowered by all of this. Now that we are (hopefully) adjusted, I am excited about what is ahead for her!