BACK TO THE WEIRDEST SCHOOL YEAR EVER

All we parents seem to have talked of for the past month+ is school.  Will you go in person?  Will you go virtually?  Will you homeschool?  So many options, and yet, finding normalcy in the middle of them is not exactly on the table yet.  When school ended abruptly last year, some of us managed better than others.  We learned that virtual learning is not the best plan for the twins, and knowing that there is still so much uncertainty with this coming school year, we made the difficult choice to switch schools.

So, we went from having all four kiddos in one beloved school, to having four kiddos in 3 schools, two of them totally new to us.  I've adjusted to the idea all summer, but now we are learning the ins and outs of executing that plan.  None of that even takes into account the Covid measures that our schools are taking which also change everything.  (As a side note - this is a MASSIVE SHOUT OUT AND THANK YOU to all teachers, staff and administrators.  Y'all are the real MVPs, and I so appreciate everything you are doing to make this work!!!!)

Yesterday, everyone was at school for the first time since March 12th.  And though the drop off situation took almost 2 hours total including forgotten medicine and extra long car lines, it felt really good to drop them all off.

The twins actually started last week, and they are going in person, 5 days a week.  The school we have switched to actually never had to close during the pandemic, because the population they serve does not thrive doing school online.  We needed a pandemic proof school, so this is a match made in heaven.  I have been so pleased at the care and intentionality they have already shown, and so far, though the twins miss their old school, they seem to be doing very well in the new environment.

First Grade

Lily and Bella are doing the blended option for school for the time being.  They'll go in person 2 days a week and virtually 3 days.  Bella is the only one going back into familiar surroundings for 4th grade, and she was SO READY to be back in a classroom setting!  We had a virtual meet and greet with her teacher, who also taught Lily, and so far, it seems to be going well.  We'll see how virtual looks tomorrow.

Lily, bless her heart, has started middle school in the midst of everything.  This has included an outdoor meet and greet for 6th grade girls, but it did not include a tour where we got to walk her schedule.  I basically dropped her off with her classes/teachers/rooms/times printed out and hoped for the best.  She really does seem to be rocking it so far, even though this is a massive change.

We've been trying to celebrate and also pace ourselves.  The beginning of school, especially after a 5 month break, is exhausting.  I realized that I am still traumatized by all this year has contained, and this shift is welcome, though also filled with unknowns.  It's so good to be getting some routine back. It is so nice to have even two days a week in my house where I can think my own thoughts.  I will absolutely take it and be grateful for it and hope that it can last.

Wherever this school year finds you, I hope that you are making the most of it!  We certainly are doing our best.

FIRST DAY OF SCHOOL

In a totally weird twist of fate, this morning ran completely smoothly.  As in, we ran ahead of schedule, had all smiles for pictures and no tears at drop off.  No one is transitioning schools or making a major move this year, and we are welcoming the sweet familiarity of having done most of it last year.

These sweet kiddos were both excited and not excited to get back to school and learning and extra friends and more work.  I was mostly excited to regain routine and also a teeny bit sad that another summer is in the books, and time is flying by more quickly than I can ever grasp.  I am exceptionally glad that I will have a bit more time in my head in the coming months: I always feel like I need to become reacquainted with myself after a summer full of fun and always up close with kiddos.

We met our teachers Friday night.  Lily (5th) and Bella (3rd) both have teachers new to the school who seem very excited about the new year.  William and Violet are taking a victory lap in Kindergarten, and they are continuing on with their rock star teachers from last year.

At our school, 5th grade is the oldest to still be in elementary school, and they make a big deal out of it.  There was a caravan to the school with decorated cars and friends.  I CANNOT believe that she's almost finished elementary school, and I remember crying BUCKETS of tears when she started K.  We've both come so far.

Bella marched into 3rd grade as if she owns it.  And basically, she does, because that is her.  She's looking forward to another great year of achievement, though she is dreading the Science Fair already. 😂

Violet gained a lot of confidence being able to walk into her old classroom and immediately know what to do.  I got the most precious text from her teacher this afternoon about what a great friend Violet was to a girl who was really struggling.  😭🥰  And that she listened all day.  😅

William is a little disappointed not to be going to 1st grade this year, but he did warm up after seeing another friend in his class again.  He loves lunch and recess and making new friends, and we can't wait to see what another round of Kindergarten will do for him!

I love new beginnings, and it feels wonderful to be at the beginning of a fresh start for us all.

Happy Back to School!



And for a crazy walk down memory lane and a rather hilarious look at which years I cry a lot and which I don't, here are our past first days.

{FIRST DAY OF SCHOOL 2018]

{FIRST DAY OF SCHOOL 2017}

{FIRST DAY OF SCHOOL 2016}

{FIRST DAY OF SCHOOL 2015} {& HERE}

{FIRST DAY OF SCHOOL 2014} {& HERE}

{FIRST DAY OF SCHOOL 2013}

{FIRST DAY OF SCHOOL 2012}

FIRST DAY OF SCHOOL

With Meet the Teacher under our belts and lunches packed and uniforms laid out and alarms set, all we had left was to actually go to school.  We can walk our kids in the first couple of days, so John and I backwards planned on the time we would need to park and get all kids tucked into their classes. Amazingly, this process went mostly smoothly.  Mostly.

I really did have an excited bunch!

Violet walked into school like a boss but turned shy and apprehensive in the classroom.  Lily's former kindergarten teacher (who is now retired) was there helping out Violet's current teacher, and she helped Violet transition into the classroom.  😭🙌🏻

William acted like he had always been there, and the girls walked in to lots of greetings from old and new friends.  When given the opportunity to write a hashtag that described how she felt about going into 4th grade, Lily chose #excited.

We left each teacher with their own set of Back to School cookies, because I am better at cookies than I am at checking folders.



I stopped by the nurses office to drop off inhalers and epipens, so that was a new experience at the elementary level, but it was so easy thanks to the labeling from our old school.

Then, John and I drove home, and I cried a bunch.  I skipped the Boo-Hoo breakfast, because I learned 4 years ago that attending the Boo-Hoo/YaHoo Breakfast while actually crying is not the kind of theming I enjoy.  It is a very awkward way to meet people. 😳😬🤦🏻‍♀️  So I cried at home, because there is so much new with the twins there, and I want so badly for it to go well and only get to influence a small part of that.  I am still working to relinquish that to the Lord.

I did thoroughly enjoy being able to complete thoughts and have time to myself.  I polished off most of a season of Sugar Rush on Netflix while organizing our pictures from this summer.  And, I took a long walk in the sprinkling rain, which turned out to be quite refreshing.  I am pretty fried from spending all day every day with children, and I am looking forward to recovering from constant kids now that they are back in school.

A couple of years ago, there was quite a mixup on the bus on the first day of school, so I was concerned about all 4 making it - but they all hopped out in a row!



It was good reports all around for as much intel as I could gather.  I can hardly believe that we are doing it all again tomorrow with fewer pictures and less fanfare but everything else.  It's just the beginning, and I am going to continue to hope and pray for the best and try my darnedest to check the red folders.  Thankful for a great start!

{FIRST DAY OF SCHOOL 2017}
{FIRST DAY OF SCHOOL 2016}
{FIRST DAY OF SCHOOL 2015} {& HERE}
{FIRST DAY OF SCHOOL 2014} {& HERE}
{FIRST DAY OF SCHOOL 2013}
{FIRST DAY OF SCHOOL 2012}

MEET ALL THE TEACHERS

I interrupt this vacation programming to bring up to date family news about school starting.  Gah.  I just went back and read through last year's beginning of the school blog post, and I found such a calm version of myself that is hard to recognize looking through this year's lens.  We are upending everything again, and the twins are headed to Kindergarten!  In many ways, they feel ready.  In other ways, I am panicking a little about how tomorrow will go for them.  And, I'm praying in advance for all of my kids' teachers.

We headed to the school Friday night, and this year, we had to figure out four different class rooms within the allotted hour.  Thankfully, this was not our first rodeo, and with a little moxie and movement, we made it to every class, unloaded the pre-ordered 🙌🏻 supplies and snapped a quick pic with the new teacher.  (and apparently had time to lounge in a beanbag)

I really am thrilled with each kids' teacher and thankful knowing they are in fantastic hands.

Nothing says start of school like a bunch of hand sanitizer and neatly organized books.

My "helper" husband (Enneagram 2), made sure we picked up handfuls of "helping hands" to get extra supplies for the classrooms.  When this is multiplied over four kids, it means we will be taking a wagon into school tomorrow to distribute them all. 🤣

Tonight everyone helped with lunches which meant that I kept having to replenish what the twins ate out of theirs, but we got there in the end.  I am thinking about paying the girls to help the twins with lunches so I can continue to live my outsourced lunch life the way I like it.



Tomorrow is a whole new adventure.  It feels like the stakes get higher when we are all in regular school, and I would be lying to say that I'm not a bit anxious.  I've actually woken in the night with concern which is hugely out of character for me.  There are so many unknowns, and frankly, I know there will be many challenges that we haven't had so far.  I'm hoping and praying that we are up for them, all while knowing this is what God has for us right now.

William and Violet are excited and very much looking forward to being at the "sisters' school."  They are also dying to ride the bus, so we can all be praying that works out for the best. 😳  I will be doing my best to adjust quickly to new information and working closely with the teachers to help ensure they have the best possible experience in this new environment.



Also, I'm trying to prepare myself for the exhaustion of this week.  I am ready for them all to be in school again, but it is a whole different animal, and it definitely takes some re-adjustment after summer break.  Here goes nothing!