It's the Most Wonderful Time of the Year

The kids are gone! The kids are gone! Woohoo!

I love back to school. I get hours where the house is quiet and clean. No one whines or fights. I only wish they would keep the kids longer -- like until bedtime. That would be great. All I'd have to do is have prayers and send them to bed.

Actually Emma doesn't start school until next week because this week they are doing kindergarten testing. But on Monday they had the kindergartners come to school with their parents for an hour and a half. They showed the kids their seats, read them a story, and had them do a craft and make a snack. After that they took them on a tour of the school while the teacher talked to the parents. Emma was so excited because this year the theme is monkeys. For the snack the kids made peanut butter, banana, and chocolate sandwiches. She has asked for that every day for lunch since.

Today she went in for her meeting with the teacher. She did pretty well. It always amazes me how kids can know things at home (like shapes, counting to 20, and beginning sounds) and when they are tested on what they know, they forget everything. I need to remember that this isn't a reflection on me as a mother. I fought the urge to interrupt the testing and remind Emma that she knows the answers, or to tell the teacher how well she does at home.

I felt very old taking her to kindergarten on Monday. All of the other mothers were young and cute and skinny and so excited. I, on the other hand, brought a book to read while the teacher talked to the kids. The nice thing is that they're all so thrilled to volunteer for everything that I don't need to feel guilty for hardly volunteering at all.

Ashley and Celeste definitely weren't thrilled about school. They tell me they don't have any friends and that they hate their teachers and that school is stupid. Ashley keeps getting lost because she can't find her classes, and Celeste is upset that she didn't make the volleyball team. However, today they both came home feeling somewhat happy. I think Ashley's starting to talk to other kids, and Celeste found someone new she thinks will be a good friend. Neither girl will tell me anything about the boys (I keep asking).

Hannah, of course, was thrilled to return to school. She couldn't wait to go back -- and not just because of her friends. She likes school. Of course she also likes going to the dentist. She's just weird that way. Being in a new class this year she is making friends with new girls, but she tells me that her old friends are getting upset about that. There's not much you can say when this happens. It just makes me happy that I'm not 10 anymore.

Well, we're off to a good start. All of the girls did their homework today before I left for school. I hope this pattern will last.