TOUCHDOWN!

And so it begins.  Organized sports on weekends.  JP had his first Flag Football game today at 8:00 AM (and practice at 7:15)!  Not only was it early, but it was cold.  And wet.  Not a lot of ball throwing and catching, but a lot of running and touchdowns.  They didn't keep official score, but I'm pretty sure the Raiders won!  JP scored a touchdown at 8:07 AM.   (The Littles and I arrived at 8:08 AM!)

PACKAGE

We have the coolest dentist ever.  (Or maybe the most expensive?!?).  As promised by Dr. L, AA received a package filled with a special letter and Frozen gear (books, watch, stickers, purse) just because she stopped sucking her thumb!  Even JP received a small gift for "encouraging" her.  It's not every day AA receives mail like this!

KINDERGARTEN UPDATE

When JP hopped off the school bus on Monday afternoon with a big smile, I though we were in the clear.  Rookie mistake.  I had put so much emphasis on the FIRST day of school, but really, the SECOND day should be what really matters.  On Monday night JP seemed really tired and almost stressed.  He asked if he needed to go back to school the next day.  I heard him tell AA to tell me that I could drive him to school if I wanted.  My heart broke.  We talked a lot that night when I tucked him in.       I told him to give the school bus a try for just one week.

On Tuesday morning he again asked if he could stay home for part of the day.  Ms. Jeffre walked him to the school bus and reported that he just didn't seem as "enthusiastic" as he was on Monday.  

I was a basket case all day at work.  Tuesday was much harder on me than Monday.  But by Tuesday afternoon, JP ran off the school bus full of energy and smiles.  And he's been that way every since.  I'm not sure what happened between later Monday night and Tuesday afternoon, but somehow his stress had been lifted.  

On Tuesday he had "one friend.  I can't remember her name, but she's a girl."  By Wednesday, he had "one girlfriend and two friends that were boys." And by Thursday, he couldn't count how many friends he had made.  JP loves when Mrs. Wenum "wears her hair straight" and he was thrilled that he was one of only a few to receive "a special star."  Apparently "two girls got yellow lights because they were talking when Mrs. Wenum asked them not to" and one boy already "got a red light" but he didn't know why.  JP has "rest time- not a nap, Mom, on a little carpet squares that we can put where ever we want" and he loves using the "stylus on the SmartBoard."  JP has already recited a few songs and crafted a few art projects.  He hasn't "worked too much on reading because Mrs. Wenum is just giving us the easy stuff this week to see where we are at."  Bless him.

One of the most beautiful things A and I have witnessed is his friendship with the three kids at the school bus stop.  Parker and Eli (sixth grade twins) are the nicest boys I have ever met.  They are complete athletic studs.  For the last three days, they play catch with JP before and after school.  (Like twenty minutes after school).  They give JP pointers and even let AA play along.  They converse with JP and AA in the most polite way.  Even today in the pouring rain.  Their little sister, Kate (fourth grade) gives AA a hug good-bye when we depart.  JP now LOVES the school bus.  He is still required to sit in the very first row, but he feels pretty cool to be in. 

I guess I'll call our neighbors his school bus Guardian Angels.

And I'm so thankful he survived … we survived the first week of Kindergarten!

QUIET

Where's my brother these days?

FIRST DAY!

Kindergarten!

JP awoke sooooo excited this morning.  He picked out his shirt (I vetoed the bowtie). 

The whole morning happened just so fast.  

We ate a quick breakfast, snapped a few scrapbook-worthy photos and walked down the block to the bus stop.  The bus was scheduled to arrive at 7:15 AM.  We arrived at 7:08.  We greeted our neighbors (a family of twin sixth grade boys and a fourth grade girl), and JP announced he was ready for the day. 

Before I knew it, the big yellow bus chugged around the corner at 7:09.  I gave JP a quick hug, snapped a photo, and that was it.  He hopped on and never looked back.  By 7:09 and 32 seconds, he was gone.  I stood there, camera in one hand, AA in the other, with our nanny and the neighbors, and I panicked. Tears filled my eyes.  I looked at AA and asked, "Should we follow the bus?"

She agreed.  Except in the two minutes it took to run back to our house and find my car keys, the bus got ahead of us.  Way ahead of us.  I drove around the nearby neighborhoods like a mad woman.  I think I spotted it once or twice.  Suddenly, I had a better idea:  immediately drive to school and wait for him to get off the bus.  We arrived at Bonner Elementary at 7:25.  I literally parked right next to the school bus drop off.  AA hopped in the front seat with me, we put on sunglasses to be incognito and we waited.  And waited.  My heart was pounding out of control. 

When the crossing guards came out and started shooing other cars away from this No Park Zone, I pretended like I couldn't see them.  They never tapped on my window.  I'm sure it was the glasses.  By 7:40, the Yellow Horse Bus #21 rounded the corner, and there he was.  He stood in a sea of energetic children with new backpacks and shiny shoes that were surely to be dirty by the end of the day.  JP looked around, somewhat confident, and then was escorted to the playground by a teacher.  That was it.  He never saw us.  

I took the day off from work.  It was one of the LONGEST days of my life.  I kept looking at the time thinking, He's still at school.  He's still at school.  I just could not keep my mind off my little blue eyed babe.

AA and I went to the Olive Garden for lunch (her choice) and shoe shopping.  She thought our girls date was pretty cool, but she too kept talking about JP.  This was a big day for her too!

FINALLY, it was time to pick up JP!  We walked down the block extra early … and, of course, the bus came ten minutes late.  But there he was - all in one piece, and a smile that made me cry.  He did it!

FLAG FOOTBALL

Fall sports have started!  JP's first Flag Football practice.  

Big mouthguard and all, he survived - I survived!

MY BLONDE BOYS OF SUMMER

MAMMA!

I wish I could have recorded our homecoming today.  

Although A kept Baby J busy without the rest of us over the last 2 days, it was very clear that Baby J missed us!  JP was first to come in the house  … Baby J immediately ran towards him with the biggest hug.  When Baby J saw me, it was nonstop "Mamma, Mamma, Mamma, Mamma, Mamma!" and one of his head-nestled-into-your-shoulders-hugs that went on forever.  He quickly paused to give AA a hug and then came back to me.  

Good to be home.

BIG KID TRIP!

There were many reasons for our quick trip with just the Big Kids out to DC … the end of summer for JP, the end of AA's thumb sucking era, and a much needed girls visit for me!  Baby J stayed back with A making this trip only 0.5% work and 99.5% fun.  Traveling with the Big Kids was so easy (even if we were flying standby and our flight was delayed due to thunderstorms)!  We didn't need to lug strollers or carseats or diapers.  It didn't matter how late we stayed up or what we ate.  It was fun. Fun. FUN. We arrived Thursday evening and came back early today.

While Ms. N and I chatted all day long, JP and AA played great with EJ and Thatcher.  We had smoothies and whip creamed topped pancakes for breakfast.  The kids played hard all day!

We swam in the morning.

and swam in the afternoon.

We played a game of kickball, and hopscotch, and bumper cars.  They played Legoes, and dress up and colored.  

Ms. N gave them all new jammies for their movie night.  Popcorn and Ice cream for dinner.

A playdate with the H's is definitely going our "Summer Musts" list!

MEET THE TEACHER

Kindergarten.

This boy.

Here we go.

Today we took JP to "Meet the Teacher" at Bonner Elementary School in Stewartville.  Kindergarten officially starts on Monday, but the school hosts this "One Stop Shop" today and tomorrow for the elementary school students.  With his backpack bursting at the seams with school supplies, my bright eyed babe - this blue eyed SCHOOLBOY jumped out of our car as fast as he could.  JP was sooo excited for today.  A and I held his hands as we stepped foot into the school.   JP beamed from ear to ear and my eyes filled with tears.

We were greeted by the Principal and many staff.  We toured the school office and cafeteria.  We found JP's locker and school bus station.  JP had his pictures taken and we filled out forms.

We had a private 30 minute session with his Kindergarten teacher.  The moment we entered his classroom and shook her hand, I just knew that everything was going to be okay.

(A and I have agonized - AGONIZED - about where to send JP to Kindergarten over the last year.  We've made lists over and over again about the pros and cons of joining the Stewartville school system versus staying at the Catholic school where JP went to preschool.  We've literally interviewed other parents and teachers from both schools asking questions that we just couldn't find on websites or the MN states school statistics.  We've prayed and prayed and prayed.  We've agonized, asked more questions, and then prayed some more.  We officially made our decision several months ago.  And although we've felt very confident in our decision, I've been filled with anxiety as today has drawn closer and closer.

My recent anxiety probably isn't so much related to where JP will attend school; it's the fact that school is starting.  On Monday, JP will step foot on a school bus and begin a 20+ year learning adventure.  His waking hours will be filled with influence from others … influences that are completely  beyond my control.  I can only pray that A and I have equipped him with the necessary tools to know right from wrong, and to treat others with kindness.  I won't ever get his early days back - although we tell him over and over again how much we love him - now will be the test to see if he really understands this.)

Mrs. Wenum's big smile and gentle voice just put me at ease.  The classroom - clean, colorful, organized, and beaming with natural sunshine - settled my soul.  JP sat and talked with Mrs. Wenum while A and I sat off to a distance.  She conversed with him and asked him several tasks (counting, reading, writing).  Her classroom theme just so happens to be Pirates!

After leaving the school today, I realized that this "Meet the Teacher" was really for the parents … I wasn't the only one with tears!  Nonetheless, I feel much better about watching JP hop on that "Yellow Horse" school bus Monday morning.  

But I can't promise I won't be hopping in my car and following it to school!

COUSIN TIME!

More cousin adventures!  

A took the kids to meet the Big Cousins at the MN Zoo while I was at work.  Afterwards, Andrew and Evan (and Grandma S and Grandpa J) came down for a sleepover.

We went to the Air Ambulance Open House at the Airport and climbed in airplanes.

and later we played some awesome basement games.

So thankful for family!

HELPER

Most days I try to walk "the loop" with the kids - about 1.7 miles around our neighborhood.  The Big Kids ride their bikes while Baby J gets pushed in the stroller.  The route has many tiny and big hills.  Depending on the day, I normally have one hand on AA's back,  pushing her up the incline and one hand on the stroller.

Apparently this routine has not gone unnoticed.  AA was whining for a push today on the flat part of our walk.  We were almost home, so I just ignored her (is that bad?).  Baby J started squirming out of the stroller, grunting and pointing at AA.  I finally let him go free, and he sprinted to his Big Sister.  He placed one hand on her back and ran with her the whole way home!