First day of school 2012...

Today was our first day of school here in town.  As Mr. Shook likes to tease he says we ease in to things here like they would at Cloverleaf, it was just a 1/2 day.  With the amount of school supplies needed Cameron and Molly needed as extra set of hands carrying things in.  I was glad to be able to help.

Here are a few photos from this morning...

Cameron 3rd grade!

Molly 2nd grade!

For Kindergarten they have the afternoon class come for just an hour starting at 10:30 so Amanda and I had a few hours to kill beforehand.  She was very anxious to go back to school and see her class.

We were both very excited that Daddy got to join us for that hour at school.

Thanks for putting forth the effort to be there, Mr. Shook.  I love you for it!

Always great to see a few friends...

We are praying for a great year!  It should be fun!

One last one with me and the little "BIG" girl! 

MY BABY IS IN KINDERGARTEN!! 

All smiles here!

A few things around here...

We've been busy here, how about you?

But we hit a highlight here today...

It's called Kindergarten Round Up!

Today is the day where we go and visit the Kindergarten class and meet the teachers.  The kids stay and listen to a story and do a fun craft while the parents get all the info for the next year.  Having done this two other times I felt pretty confident that it would go well.  And it did!  Doesn't my girl seem ready to conquer school?

And of course Amanda and I had to take our standard photo.  After all, there isn't anyone home to take pictures of us together.  

Last week I had the fun time of chaperoning Amanda and her class on a trip to our local high school where the FFA hosts a Barnyard Zoo.  Here's a picture that I just loved:

That smile speaks volumes!!

Kindergarten is over!!!...

This is a picture from our first day of Kindergarten.

This is a picture from today, our last day of Kindergarten!!!

Dear Molly,

You turned 6 years old last week and we could not be prouder of the young lady that you are becoming. You try so hard to be independent, you try so hard with your school work, you try so hard at all that you do. Please keep up the hard work and your diligence. You look so much like Daddy yet remind me of myself so much. We are so blessed to have you in our family. We will always love you!!!

P.S. I sometimes think that you might be the only one to take care of us when we are old. Remember that we liked you best!! (just kidding, Cameron and Amanda!!)

Love,

Mom (and Dad)

P.P.S.S. You will be awesome in First Grade!!!

More Kindergarten pictures...

Musical chairs

As it goes with the first few days of school you rarely stay in the seat that you were originally assigned. The teacher quickly figures out who can sit by who and who shouldn't sit by who. Talking and whispering are 2 of the things that can get your seat moved. Both Cameron and Molly's teachers did some rearranging after the first few days. Molly told me that the boy next to her got his seat moved because he kept kicking her...

or was it something else??

Today on the playground a new Mom I have met recently says to me I heard why Davey (names changed to protect the not so innocent) got his seat moved away from Molly. I said that I heard it was because he kept kicking her. She says that she heard it different from her son who sits across from Molly. Her son said it was because Davey kept trying to kiss Molly.

EXCUSE ME...IN HEAVEN'S NAME HE WAS DOING WHAT??!!

I then realized that maybe what I thought had been kicking was truly kissing and I had to laugh out loud. Seriously?? In kindergarten??

I asked my girl about it and she got so embarrassed. I'm afraid her reaction (imagine huge big blue eyes) made me realize that this could possibly be true.

Thank you, kind Kindergarten teacher, for protecting my girl. They only boy she better be kissing is her dear old Dad.

Watch it, Mr. 5 year old. I am on to you!

Hello, Kindergarten parents...

It's coming.

I know it's coming.

Or at least I assume it's coming.

Probably by Friday we will receive a voicemail from the Kindergarten teachers welcoming us to Lincoln school and then inviting us to bring our kindergartner and their school supplies to school on Monday. Kind of a drop them off, see the room, meet the teacher hour. And the reason I know this is because I am some what of a veteran Kindergarten parents. I did this same thing exactly one year ago.

It's a cute voicemail. The teachers introduce themselves and tell you how excited they are to start school. I should have it memorized since I just deleted Cameron's welcome message this afternoon. I just couldn't part with the voicemail. It made me tear up every time I heard it. And I just couldn't delete it until today because keeping it kept my boy a kindergartner all summer even though he's been a first grader since the end of May. This is definitely one of those "OH MOM!" moments.

So I will be prepared this year. I will not cry, I will hold it together. After all I am a season veteran.

But, my Molly only goes to kindergarten once.

The next step...

This week has been full of things that are taking "The next step."

"The next step" is the slogan for our new fundraiser to bring down some financial debt at our church. About 21 months ago our church moved from its original location to a new church about 2 miles away. Our church now has to start paying on the loan they took out to build the new church. The amount can seem overwhelming at times but I have been impressed with the enthusiasm and the responsibility that the church leadership has taken to pay down this debt. We are already outgrowing our new building and there is a second phase to build education classrooms but we can't do that until we take care of our current financial debt. Today was the day that we pledge our giving for the new 3 years on this campaign. The church asked children to submit a picture that showed what they loved about the church and their picture would be considered for a bulletin cover. Cameron drew a picture of the church and his Sunday School class. It is very 6-ish looking but I allowed him total artistic expression on it and he did a great job! I just let him know that I was pretty sure that Darth Vader and Luke Skywalker do not attend our church...



Also this week Cameron had his Kindergarten program for the end of the year. It was soooo cute! Here are some pics of the big event!





Every child in the class had a line to memorize and Cameron did an awesome job speaking into the microphone. He talked loud and slow, just like we practiced. It is so hard to imagine that we only have 7 more days of kindergarten. First grade is breathing down my neck! My boy is much more ready that I am!

All the kindergarten things...

Believe it or not it is time to get Molly ready for kindergarten which will start in the fall. The state of Illinois requires an eye exam, a dentist exam and kindergarten shots to start in August. This past week we did Molly's first eye exam. I wish I had a picture to post from it but she wanted to do the whole exam by herself so I enjoyed a few minutes quietly reading a People magazine. By the way, Bret Michael's thinks he'll be just fine. Anyhow...Molly didn't need glasses, yea!

Today we did Molly's kindergarten shots. I warned her before school that we would be going right after class was over. Like a typical Hall, she took the news like a champ and was so brave. Not one tear! Not one little tear. Awesome job, Toots!

Can you see the band-aid?? Barely...



August will be here before I know it...

High expectations...

Well, it has happened again.


Cameron brought home a yellow slip from school.


Apparently we got a case of the giggles during a movie in the library. The librarian asked them to stop and they couldn't. I think about 5 boys had to move their number in class. It's kind of hard for me to be angry about this when it was laughing. I know that there are times to be serious but Cameron certainly didn't instigate the giggling. Cameron is not a natural leader. He probably started and just couldn't stop. I suggested in the future to maybe move his seat if something like this happened again. Of course, as the Mom, I had to bring down the iron fist on discipline. I told him no Wii or DS over the weekend. He spent some time in his room after school on Friday. We thought about our actions (or at least I encouraged him to do so). I then went up to talk to him about it. Tears were welling up in our eyes. I told him that we needed to make good choices at school. That even if something was really, really funny it might not be the right time to laugh so much about it. And then I told him that I would have to talk to Daddy about our potential trip to visit the Lego store in Chicago in May.

Side note - Mike had told Cameron that he could pick out a Lego kit if he doesn't move his number the rest of the year. Remember when he had to move it on birthday treat day??

Cameron's weepy eyes got as big as saucers and he burst into tears. (I know what your thinking, effective parenting, right?) I told Cameron that Daddy has very big expectations for him. And Cameron says through the tears, "What does that mean??"

So much for my good parenting. I have expectations that a 6 year old can't quite understand. Then I felt really bad. I told him to just really try and make good choices at school.

I'm having a hard time being really upset over this. This really doesn't seem all that bad. I have had the giggles before and sometimes they just feel really good.

The start of another milestone...

Today we went and did this...



Which means that this face...



is now registered for Kindergarten!

Let me say that again...KINDERGARTEN!!!

Do you hear the hallelujah chorus singing in the background? I think Miss Molly will be counting the days until August. She is psyched!!!