Eli Starts Kindergarten!

The big day arrived!  Eli began Kindergarten on August 9th (crazy early!)  He was so, so excited.  The kindergarten classes only had a separate Meet-the-Teacher night a few days before school started.  It was a bit chaotic, but at least we met his teacher and entered his classroom.  David went to work a little later the first day so we could have a nice pancake breakfast and take Eli to school.  There were a ton of parents who also took their kindergartners to school, too, only to learn when we arrived that parents were not allowed to go to the classrooms.  :(  This was incredibly hard on me.  I had these expectations, and thought I'd have more time with my boy to get him settled and to see where he'd be sitting, where his locker was, take some pictures, and have a good-bye, knowing he was well off and happy.  To have to abruptly end without getting any of that was tough.  I got tear-eyed but held them back to keep up a happy front for Eli, so he wouldn't be worried.  I understand it would have been a bit crazy with so many parents in the classroom, but they should have told us beforehand and then I would have been fine not going in.  Thankfully he was not sad.

Woohoo!  1st day of school!

Standing in front of his school, Washington Woods Elementary.

Headed off to Mrs. Pandoli's class (one of 5 kindergarten classes).  I am so grateful that his buddy from church (who was also in his Joy School group from way back when, Tristan, is also in his kinder class!

When we picked him up on the bus he was all smiles!  Such a big kid.  He was also all yawns.  The bus comes in the morning at 8:30 and he gets home a little before 4:00.  Yes, FULL days, 5 days/ week.  I hate that kindergarten is only full day here.  I feel like he's robbed from his carefree days of childhood way too early (especially when they start school in the middle of summer).  That first day he was crazy exhausted.  I could see it in his eyes.  We went in the house and ate the homemade frosted sugar cookies that I promised him I'd make, he had some downtime and then he got in his jammies around 5:00 and was asleep in bed (didn't even want dinner) at 6;00!  I was so worried that kindergarten was just too taxing on him.  He woke up around 10 or 11, asked for some dinner (then didn't eat anything), asked to take a bath (but sat there miserable for 5 minutes), said he felt like he was going to throw up (but didn't) then went back to bed.  :(  But he woke up the next morning feeling good and ready to take on a new day!  I think he was just over-exhausted.  We had spent the previous two days playing hard with visiting cousins at my parent's house, so I think those two things together was a recipe for way over tired.

He rides the bus every day, and the bus stop is across the street and down a little from our house.  There are two other kids at our stop, a boy in 2nd and a boy in kinder, Sam.  Eli didn't know Sam but was immediate friends with him, of course.  I was also thankful for Eli to have someone for the bus.  I had thought the bus driver would keep the kinder kids at the front, but she lets them sit anywhere.  I hate that, but it's another thing that I just don't seem to have any control over and just have to accept, hard as it is.

Happy to return on Day 2!

Waving hi to his bus driver, a nice lady named Tammy.

Eli's doing really well at school.  His teacher wrote a comment on a paper to me that said he is very kind to his friends.  :)  He has "specials" every day, library, tech (computer lab), art, music, and gym.  Those are his favorite parts of the day, along with recess.  :)  They only have one 30-minute recess a day.  I was very disappointed with that, with such a long day they couldn't fit in more recess.  Crazy how much they want to "work" the young kids.  Eli talks happily about school to us every day, and has enjoyed making new friends.  When he gets home he's ready for downtime/quiet time.  He gets pretty crabby/barky at us.  I know it's hard for him to have been disconnected from me all day, and be craving that time with me and time to just relax and do what he likes.

Clara, Ezra, and I have come in to have lunch with him a couple times so far.  That's been really fun.  He LOVES having us there, gives us lots of hugs and kisses when we're there, and it's so nice to be a part of his day.  We bring Wendy's when we come.  :)

Standing in line with his class I notice that Eli's one of the taller kids.  :)

I signed up to help be a Room Mom for the class parties.  I asked his teacher if there's anything I could help her with from home (since I doubt she wants me and my "circus" in her classroom), but she doesn't have anything yet.  She's an old pro, teaching for 27 years now, so I'm sure she has her "way" pretty well set.  There's an instructional assistant in the class, too, so I'm glad the kids can have more help when needed.

Last week the PTO held a fundraiser and had fun fitness activities for each grade to participate in separately.  Eli's was an hour in the morning, so I volunteered and brought the littles along with me.  They began with a Jazzercise warm-up, then split up and attended 5 different stations: soccer ball kick, run/walk the track, bean bag toss, "javelin" throw (a pool noodle), and then pictures and popsicles.  I helped out at the soccer kick.  I would have loved to have been with Eli the whole time and watched him participate, but it was nice being around still and getting to know some of the kids in his class a little better.

Clara enjoyed the Jazzercise, too.  :)

 

It's so weird Eli's off on his own at school now.  Every morning as soon as he leaves Clara sadly says, "I will miss Eli at school."  Even though he picks on her sometimes they are best buddies!  Every morning too before he leaves they give lots of hugs.  When Eli wakes Clara up in the morning he comes in her room and says, "Well!  I'm off to school again today!"  He's always happy to have the weekends, and we try to do fun family things since he misses out on our park days during the week.  Before he leaves I have a prayer with the kids.  I hope he will try hard to make good choices, try his best work, and be a friend to all.  We are proud of him.