My Babies Started School Today!

Time has really flown by! Today we have a Kindergartener & a 3rd Grader!

Last night we got everything ready. Had them take their showers and get ready for bed around 7:45. James thought it was strange they had to go to bed when it was still "during the day". Sun sets here around 8. They finally went to bed nervous and excited. I heard a thump late in the night, that would be James getting out of his bed and crawling into ours to cuddle. And Madeline woke in the middle of the night needing some water. Nerves...

First up, traditional photos by our front door. :)

I think Madeline grew a foot over the summer!

Our handsome baby boy!

James and Madeline will go to the same school together for the next 3 years, then they won't be in school together again until high school when Madeline will be a senior and James will be a freshman! Crazy to think of what the picture in front of our door will look like!

Madeline is a pro at this school thing now. But I still walked her to class as I always do the first week of school. Snapped a couple pics (not too embarrassing) & said goodbye!

The Kinder teachers always make their classrooms and hallway so cheerful, bright and colorful! When we went school clothes shopping this summer James insisted on wearing his favorite colors, blue and green, on the first day. Doesn't he look handsome!?

He was happy to see his teacher whom he met last Thursday. She told him to pick a cubby to hang his backpack. He of course picked cubby #5, it's his favorite number since he's...well ya know 5!

He found his desk and sat down right away and started coloring.

 I think one of the things James is most excited about in going to school (besides learning really fun stuff and playing on the playground) is meeting new friends!! I would say both my kids are on the shy side with new people, but James is definitely more social able. He asked me, "Mommy can I talk to the kids in my class and on my bus even though they're strangers?" or "Mommy can I make friends with the kids that sit next to me on the bus?". Of course you can! So when Sandra (his classmate who sits next to him) sat down this morning I heard James say to her, "Hi what's your name again?". :) Then they started talking about what color crayons they were going to use to color their school house. It was so darn cute!

When we left the house this morning and he was still nervous he asked, "Mommy on the first day of Kindergarten your mommy gets to stay with you the whole day right?". So as he saw the other parents come and drop their students off I asked him, "Honey are you okay if Mommy goes now?" and with confidence he nodded his head yes. Gulp. I know he's going to do just fine! Can't wait to hear how their first day went!

3 Years of School Pictures

Madeline brought home her school pictures today, I'm so pleased with how they turned out. There is a comment box on the photo order slip for any tips for the photographer - I told him to say to Madeline, "Princess Smile! :) "....um ya she thought that was a little embarrassing. LOL I can't believe how much older she looks compared to her last 2 years...must be all the adult teeth she has now. :)

P.S. And just for fun, Madeline brought this baby picture to school this week - her teacher is having them do a show and tell about where and when they were born and to share a baby photo. Madeline was 6 months here.

Grandparents Day Lunch at School

It's days like this that make it a downer we don't live near extended family. Last Sunday on September 11th it was National Grandparents Day so Madeline's school hosted a Grandparents Day lunch this past Friday. All the students were to invite their grandparents. Madeline emailed Oma (my mom) to see if they could fly out for it (they have free flight benefits). My mom planned on coming out. But as the date got closer all the flights started getting overbooked, there was no way she would make it on stand-by. We figured out why the flights were so full...Austin City Limits Music Festival was starting. Bummer. Madeline understood but she was still super sad. Her teacher said parents are welcome to come for the special lunch. So Stephen filled in for Oma & Opa and Nana & Poppi.

Instead of the chicken and baked potato the school was specially serving, Madeline and Stephen opted for pizza, carrots, apple and chocolate milk.

Madeline was very happy to have her daddy there. They just chit chat the whole lunch.

Stephen said one of Madeline's classmates had a conversation with him, went like this:

"Hi Madeline's Dad"

"Hi Madeline's classmate"

"You know I play football for the Invaders"

"Oh really, let me guess...quarterback?" (the kid looked like a linebacker)

"(Chuckling) No, offensive line."

"Ah yes, I should've known."

"Bye Madeline's Dad."

"Bye Madeline's classmate."

We have a 2nd grader!

School started back up on Monday and Madeline is now in 2nd grade. So far we've had a wonderful experience with her elementary school, with awesome teachers. I think this year will be no different, her new teacher seems very nice, upbeat and fun. 

click on image to view larger

Since Madeline started kindergarten only a few weeks after we moved into our new home, I decided to start a tradition of taking a photo of her (and James when he starts) in the same spot by our front porch every year on the first day of school. It's crazy to look at the comparison and see how much she's grown over the years.

She rode the bus to school. I met her there to walk her to class.

Her classroom is now on the other side of the school by the bigger kids in 3rd, 4th & 5th grade.

Her new classroom is decorated nicely with a warm and fun environment to learn in. They even have a class aquarium.

This was the first year Madeline was a little embarrassed that I was taking so many pictures of her and told me it was okay that I go now. Miss Independent! 

This week Madeline's friend is riding the bus home with her to stay at our house after school. Here are the girls after they got off the bus. They said they had a great first day of school!

In these first few days Madeline's class has gone into depth to discuss the Pledge of Allegiance they say every morning. I thought I must post this cool tid-bit. It's no secret America is turning more secular, the world is for that matter. Which makes our job as Christian parents more challenging, God has entrusted us with our children to teach, train, nurture and discipline them. It's imperative they know His Word, how to use it in their daily lives and to continually trust in Him. We have some family & friends who have chosen to homeschool so they may teach their children academic subjects through a biblical worldview rather than a secular one. I think this is definitely a great way to avoid spiritual battlegrounds that can occur in public and even private schools. But since we have chosen to send Madeline & James to public schooling and teach them to be well-versed in our Christian principles when they are home and also through our Church's religious education program, I pay close attention to what they are learning and picking up at school. After all children tend to adopt values of those with whom they spend a lot of time with, and "bad company corrupts good morals" 1 Corinthians 15:33. So I was pleasantly surprised when Madeline showed me this paper explaining our "one nation under God" and that God is the one we worship. We're thankful our school is still teaching the principles Lincoln gave us when he said, 

 'that the nation shall, under God, have a new birth of freedom.'  

So far this back to school week has been great. I'm a little tired from getting up earlier, but I'll get used to it again soon. And even though school has started it doesn't mean that summer (or shall I say our summer weather) has left. Pool time after school sounded like a great way to cool off!

Yahoo!!

Brought to tears

This is the last week of school and today Madeline's 1st grade teacher sent home a letter that brought me to tears. We are so thankful that Madeline has been blessed with both a wonderful Kindergarten & 1st Grade teachers. I just had to share this letter, makes a mama feel bittersweet and proud.

Dear Parents,


I give you back your child, the same child you confidently entrusted to my care last Fall. I give her back pounds heavier, inches taller, months wiser, more responsible, and more mature than she was then. Although she would have attained this growth in spite of me, it has been my happy privilege to watch her personality unfold day by day and marvel at this spledid miracle of development. I have thrilled at each new achievement, each new success, and each new expansion of self. I give her back reluctantly; for having spent nine months together in the narrow confines of a crowded classroom, we have grown closer, have become a part of eath other and we shall retain a little of each other.


Ten years from now, if I should meet your child on the street, a light will spring to our eyes, a smile to our lips, and we shall feel a bond of understanding once more, this bond we feel today. We have lived, loved, laughed, played, studied, and learned, and enriched our lives together this year. I wish it could go on forever, but give her back I must. Take care of her, for she is precious.


Remember that I shall always be interested in your child whoever she becomes. Her joys and sorrows I'll be happy to share. Please call on me if there is anything further I can ever do for her.


I shall always be her teacher and friend,
Mrs. Billo :)


P.S. Madeline is a true gift in the classroom. One day she will light up the world with her kindness and generocity. I will miss her!

Madeline's teacher is on the right.

Aquarena

Last Friday Madeline's 1st grade class went on an educational and glass bottom boat tour of the Aquarena nature center and preserved habitat. It is located in San Marcos, only about 5-10 minutes south of us. When we first moved here we walked around there with the kids but we never did the tour. Madeline had so much fun and was excited about seeing so much stuff including lots of turtles! I wasn't able to get off of work and volunteer for this field trip. Madeline was a little worried who she would sit with on the bus and who would take pictures then. Well she sat with her teacher on the bus, and her teacher kindly emailed me all these photos. She got some great shots!

Here is her class. Madeline is front and center wearing black stretch pants. Hook 'em students. :) Their backdrop is so pretty - maybe I'll take the kids here to do our Christmas photos.

Here they are in the glass bottom boat. They saw lots of turtles and fish.

Here they are walking on the Wetlands Boardwalk with their student teacher assistant from Texas State.

I guess Madeline is one of the taller kids in her class. They had a great time exploring around the Aquarena.

And here is the class doing a silly pose. I'm so glad thus far Madeline has had such a great experience with our school and her teachers. She loves to learn!

First Day of School!

We have a 1st grader!!! This morning was Madeline's first day of school. Summer couldn't have gone by fast enough for her, she was ready to go back to school!

She's grown so much since last year. (And so has our shrub in the planter :)

Put a special note in her lunch to bring a smile to her face at lunchtime.

Giving Daddy a kiss goodbye. She's such a Daddy's Girl.

She was super chipper this morning. It's still dark out but her bus comes to pick her up at 6:58am. When I woke her up this morning, still half asleep she said, "it smells like an airport morning...yawn". I thought it was funny she said that. Many times we'll take super early morning flights and she's always excited to wake up early for them.

Getting off the bus at school. Last year I drove to her school for the first 2 weeks to meet her getting off her bus because she would cry and be so worried. Not this year - she was super confident and all smiles!

She remembered from "back to school" night exactly where her new classroom was. Plus she knows it because it's the "puppy dog room", her teacher decorated the room in a dog theme.

She found her cubby hole right away and hung up her backpack.

And was super excited that this year she gets her very own school desk. Last year the kindergarteners sat 4-5 to a table. She got right to work at writing her name and coloring. So proud of our baby girl!

P.S. Here is an extra pic and video clip....Madeline's last summer swim before school starts.

Last Swim before School Starts from Melissa Spence on Vimeo.