First Week of School

4 days in to Angelina's first week of school and so far I have learned I've totally underestimated my daughter. I know she's bright and confident, but I also know she's a bit hesitant, sometimes overwhelmed, and let's face it, a new big school can be scary. Throw in the teacher speaking 100% in a language she barely understands (Spanish - what little she knows is from her one week Spanish camp in July), and I expected her to beg not to go to school, to cry, to not want to leave.

As you can see, not an issue. She woke up extra early Monday morning, then had too much time to kill, so we put on a Backyardigans episode. However, we had to leave before it was done. She initially asked to stay until then end then asked "Oh? Is it time to go to Bonham?" When I said yes, she quickly turned it off and ran out the door.

We had to stop her so we could take some  First Day of School pictures.  

And one of the reasons she's so excited about Bonham, is that it means going to school with her "big brother and big sister" aka neighbors Wiley and Felice. 

When we arrived, she ran up the steps. Again I had to pull her back so we could get a picture!

She came out of school at the end of the day arm in arm with her new best buddy, Ava, bursting with Spanish words. She's in a dual-language immersion program, where in Kindergarten the teacher speaks 100% Spanish. Someone does come in with some English here and there, but mainly it's Spanish. She struggled a bit with Spanish camp this summer, so I figured she'd have a hard time when school started. Not so, she's loving the Spanish, and though she doesn't understand everything, she says "I just look at the teacher and try to figure out what she's saying." And she does! 

Each day she's so excited to go to school, and so happy when I pick her up, if a bit tired. She's quickly making new friends and loving walking to school which is just around the corner from our house. I am sure sooner or later the exhaustion will come out and it won't all be a piece of cake, but for the first week, I am so impressed and very proud of how well she has handled this transition. 

btw - the schools in our district all have "uniforms", all the bottoms (pants/shorts/skirts/jumpers) have to be khaki color with some specifications on style and shirts white or the school's color, in our case green. There are pros and cons to uniforms, but Angelina loves it - as far as she's concerned, it's all part of being a big kid and going to the "big" school. Also means we have a dresser full of clothes she'll only wear on weekends...

As for Lenaïc, he doesn't know it yet. but he's enjoying a more routine day with sister gone from 8-3:10. But he's oh so happy when she's home. 

First Day of School!

I am wondering how this little baby is suddenly old enough to start Kindergarten tomorrow.




















I blinked, and FIVE years passed. If I blink again she'll be off to prom.
It still seems like yesterday we were praying she'd make it through her first 12 hours alive.

And on my one first day of school, Sept 1974. I tried to show her this picture, to show her Mommy also had a first day, and she didn't recognize me. 

School Fiesta Parade

Not to be outdone by the Battle of Flowers, Flambeau or King William Parades, Angelina and Lenaïc's school also had a Fiesta Parade.

Each class dressed in different themes. The infants were the "T-birds and Pink Ladies." Angelina's class weren't meant to be hippies, but that's how she looked ;) The classes then walked the parade route and ended up with a big picnic. It was our first school event. Lots of fun for all!







Lenaïc, however, was more interested in a nap...


More Fiesta photos are HERE

First Day of School! First Day of School!

If you've seen Finding Nemo, picture Nemo's first lines....(ok, so we've seen it about 5 billion times in the last few weeks).

Angelina started preschool last week. It's really a daycare that's a "learning center," since the Circle School, where we really want to send her, doesn't have space. That's ok, we like this other place too, and they'll also take the baby when I go back to work.

We had been disappointed to lose our daycare and not have dear Nana anymore, but Angelina is not at all bothered it seems (she does say she wants to take the baby to see Nana, but that's all). She is soooooooo excited about school! She could not wait to go to school. She has had her backpack on and ready to go for weeks! So we finally started her last week, just 2 days per week. Both mornings she practically ran out the door and she comes home all bouncing and happy. I hope she always loves school so much!

The next trick is finding a school bus. She has had this fascination with school buses for awhile (she says it in French - bus d'ecole...then said "bus school", now she says "school bussy"). Every time we see one she screams with delight, and constantly talks about going on one. Alas, she doesn't ride one to school. So now we're on the hunt for some school bus excursion. I think a plane ride was actually easier ;)