August 25, 2014: A new school year begins!

I think this was probably our easiest transition of back-to-school yet.  Although it was a big year with Liam starting kinder and Bryn moving to the primary class, both kids were super excited and ready.   We also prepared well over the summer...

We completed another reading challenge through the library. Liam read 100 books and Bryn read 20!

We got (much needed!) back to school hair cuts. For Bryn it was her first haircut!!  I was so nervous about cutting her curls but after a "curl consultation" I knew we were in the right place :)
Before-

 Super brave during the wash, cut, defusing, and styling...

 After-So much better!

We did back to school shopping for packing lunches.  I really enjoy packing their lunches even though sometimes I'm doing it at midnight :) Favorite lunches so far have been turkey sandwiches Mike's Way (olive oil, red wine vinegar, and oregano), warm tomato bisque soup in thermos, apples with sunflower butter (both kids are in nut free classes), english muffin pizzas, carrots/cucumbers with ranch, and lots of fruit.  The absolute favorite of all three are my carrot/applesauce and/or banana/choc chip mini muffins.

My big helper getting laundry ready for our first day of school clothes...having one in a uniform definitely makes it easier :)

 We went to meet the teacher night!

 Caught an end of the season Rough Riders game with our friends...

We had our end of the summer playgroup party.  It was bittersweet knowing our oldest kids would no longer get to meet up on Fridays.  We've played almost weekly since Liam was 18months old so even though I'm happy our younger kids will still be playing together, it won't be the same without the 'big kids'.  These are some of my kids first friends and a group that truly became our 'framily' :) We celebrated the kids with a wonderful afternoon swimming and playing in the sand.  Thanks for the cute pics Ashely!

Barkers (Nora, Bryn, Liam), Henns (James, Sophie, Andrew), McCoy (Michael), Haynes (Brenna, Jackson), Hagedorns (Jackson, Emma Kate on the end), Sheehans (Mia, Cate)

And finally, we woke up to our first morning of school!  Some of us woke up happier than others :)

 Our big kindergartener!

 Walking him in on the first day...

 Finding his cubby...

 At his desk and ready to go!

Dropping the girls off next...

 So far the kids have all done great!  Liam comes home every day with stories of his new friends, favorite part of the day (playing American Ninja Warrior on the playground), and loving his lunchbox napkins (I write him secret codes to figure out or questions to ask his friends like "who is your favorite superhero?").  He writes everyday at school and I love seeing real sentences in his journal describing his trip to NYC and his birthday.  He's already done a science experiment about colored liquids which he loved as well.  He has had perfect behavior and his clip is always on the "ready to learn" category.  All the kids are assigned a number that coordinates to their cubby, desk, behavior clip etc.  He has already memorized most of his classmates number and will sometimes refer to them by their number instead of their name when retelling a story "#7 had to move his clip down".  He was the 'caboose' the first week meaning he held the door for all his kinder friends and went last in all the lines.  I love seeing him talking with his teachers and friends at car line, he just seems so comfortable and happy...not that he has much time because I'm one of the first 5 cars every day to pick up :)  Bryn is definitely feeling like a big kid in her new class.  She now demands to  be dropped off and walk herself into class like Liam.  She is the youngest in her class but already a helper to her teachers, and she comes home with many stories about her friends.  Nora's in the same class but with a new classmate...Fox!  She is trying to say his name "ah-x" and is always excited to see him when we drop off.  My new favorite part of the day is picking all the kids up and hearing them excitedly tell each other about their day :)