My Dranesville Three

The beginning of a new school year is always a sort of magical time. The first day of school especially holds novelty as the kids get to meet their new teacher and see all the friends in their class and who they sit by. The kids were greatly anticipating going to school, and since they were too excited to sleep in their own rooms, Bridger and Myra laid out their school clothes, pulled out their pillows and brought in a blanket and slept on the living room rug.

Every year I'm somehow amazed that they are another year older and several inches taller. These kids of mine are getting bigger and learning so much. Bridger is now a 2nd Grader and Myra is bravely entering Kindergarten.

Bridger feels like a big kid at school. His teacher this year is Ms. Mooney. Since he's been there several years he already knew most kids in his class and has several good friends there. He keeps asking me to home-school him, but I think he is mostly interested in avoiding homework. For the most part he seems to understand his subjects and enjoy school. He loves art and recess most.

I was certain that it would be an easy transition for Myra since last year she went to pre-school at the Elementary school. So she was familiar already with the building. She had absolutely loved Pre-K and her teachers. At home she loves playing school and loves writing (I often find her with a paper and pencil copying words down from her favorite books). 

It came as a surprise when a few days later she told me she hated school. "All you have to do at school is do what the teacher says! And I don't want to do what the teacher says!" She does have a kind of queen-bee personality. I know she doesn't like it when I tell her what to do, but it didn't cross my mind that she might have the same issues with authority at school. One day she came home and told me she had a terrible day. So I asked her what she did that day, and she named off a few subjects including art. I said something to the effect of "Art! You love art! I bet that was fun." 

"No, it wasn't. I hated it! My teacher said we had to draw a circle, and I didn't want to draw a circle!"

I guess it is a long day of being told what to do. She informed me yesterday that she's already gone all day doing what she was told to do and she just couldn't listen to what I asked her, because she was spent. That's pretty much how our evenings go. She looks like such a sweetie pie but there's some tart in her too. I'm still learning how to best mother her. Her first month of school was rough. Although when I talked to her teacher she had no idea. (And I think her teacher is awesome, she has Mrs. Armor this year.) According to her Myra is a champ, totally involved and happy. Now that Myra has made friends with her classmates she comes home happy too. I think she has gotten used to the long day of being told what to do and it's been a while since she told me she hates school. In fact, she's pretty happy to go.  

Mom "What was the best part of school today" 

Myra "Snack and coloring."

We've been reading Junie B. Jones. As we read Myra calls out "we do that at our school too!" She relates and she finds the embarrassing parts so hilarious. I love to watch as her eyes get big and then she claps her hand over her mouth and giggles. Junie B is a great friend for a new kindergartner!

Bridger really, really wanted to ride his bike to school. He got a new bike with gears over the summer and is very proud of it. We practiced riding all the way there over the summer and finding the best route. All three of them can make it, it's about a mile and a half, which is pretty impressive I think! At first I'd pull Sawyer in my bike trailer, but he insisted he could do it, and so he can. While September remained warm we rode our bikes to school a lot.  

With the two big kids gone, I was left with my favorite little buddy at home. He is a good pal to have around! I don't think little boys come any sweeter than my Sawyer.

I was especially grateful to have him home with me when one day we came home and I saw... something... I didn't know what, slither like mad across my living room rug! We soon saw that it was a blue tailed skink. They are everywhere outside and somehow it had gotten in, and they are so fast too! I didn't want to touch it, but Sawyer was right on it! I opened the door and tried to shoo it that way, but Sawyer caught it first. The first time it's tail fell off, but he caught it again and took it outside, rescuing me!

I figured he'd stay home with me this year, but in October I found out that he had been accepted into Dranesville's Pre-school as a community peer (the same program that Myra had been in). I was kind of sad to lose my pal, but he was so excited to go to school. He absolutely couldn't wait when I told him he got to go to pre-school. When we drove up, he hopped out of the car and was not going to wait for me! He ran all the way to the pre-school doors and didn't even look back. Cute boy! He's so big. And is very much interested in all things that qualify him as a "big boy".

Every day when I'd tell him he got to go to pre-school it was like a surprise for him. "I get to go again?!" And then he'd cheer. But after the first couple weeks, the reality that he had to go to school every day dawned on him. So sometimes he is much less cheerful about the prospect of going to school. We talk about it and I tell him he just likes to tease me, because every day when I pick him up he is all smiles and non-stop chatter telling me all about his great day at school!