Stories From A Life Gone Crazy: Some Weigels go to school and some stay home

Back to school time! I am so excited! We moved and that was lovely, but we didn't really do anything once we moved. We didn't have money saved up so we didn't have money to spend, and moving costs money, so we just kept close to the house. We went out (spent money to visit some attraction) once a month over the summer just to vary the routine but that was about all. This also meant no summer swim lessons, tennis lessons, or even taekwondo for Jack (other than trying out a few schools). I found that while over scheduling your kids is bad for them not scheduling them at all for 2 or 3 months is also bad-- take my word for it.

So a new school year has been much anticipated in our house. A chance to break up the monotony of the day, meet new friends, perhaps find things to get involved with, and a chance for dear old mom to once again become a lovely person; not the evil, yelling, overwhelmed, and edgy lady that my kids now think I have permanently become. It also gives me the chance to leave the house without all 5 kids, and perhaps I will stop hearing: 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, she has five kids, how many kids do you have?, how do you do it?, that's a lot of kids, are they all yours?, do you have any twins in there?, must have Irish twins, and you are blessed. Every single time I went anywhere! I have never experienced so many people having so much to say about the number of kids I have. * I did go to the store this AM with just 3 and I still heard : You have your hands full, no kids in school. That is when you look forward to nap time, huh?

Anyway, back to the first day of school. We live very close to the school so we walk. Actually a lot of people walk. The crossing guard knew right away we were new, asked where we lived (she knew the house because she lives just down the road), and introduced herself. Jack's teacher also knew where we lived because she walks the path by the pond and saw three boys playing outside and knew they would be attending the elementary. She also lives just down the road. So there is definitely that small town feel about it.

Luke is in kindergarten this year! The first 3 days were half days so hopefully he adjusts well to full days this week. He wasn't scared at all. When we asked him what his feelings about going to school were he simply said he couldn't wait to make friends. Here they keep all the kindergarteners together for the first two weeks, they test and observe them, and then they divide the kids into classrooms. I asked him about school and he liked making a handprint with paint, he liked the story the teacher read at story time, he liked the singing, but he didn't not like all the waiting that was involved. The first day Pete spiked Luke's hair and on the second day Luke wore a button up shirt and tie so this means Superman hair. I guess at recess a boy liked Luke's hair better spiked so he ran his fingers through it and messed it up. Luke was very upset and even took all of us to the exact spot on the playground where it happened. It didn't completely ruin recess though because he did end up playing Superhero tag with a few kids. He isn't super chatty. He gives a brief run down and then asks if we can stop talking about it.

Jack is in 3rd grade. I was worried for him the most because he was the one that had to switch schools, and that is always hard. So far though he really seems to like it. He said he likes it better than his old school. Everyone asked if it was his first day, but not in a mean way (so he says). Everyone was nice and even if you could tell you didn't have a lot in common no one was mean. He wore his St. Louis Cardinals jersey and the music teacher said: Oh, I see you aren't a Cubs fan. Well, I don't think we are going to let you back in the building after today. Jack liked that she was funny. He said a lot of people in the school are goofy and he likes that. His said at lunch there is a spot for gluten sensitive and nut allergy kids to sit and he liked that the school cared enough about the students to do that. He sits at a table with another boy that has become his friend, and on the first day they were talking about how other people can fill your basket and how do you do that? The teacher asked Jack about it and Jack said he wasn't a basket filler. So the teacher asked the class if Jack had filled anyone's basket that day. The boy he has befriended said- Jack filled my basket today because he found things I liked and then asked me about them. Jack was really excited about that.

Thomas has had a really hard time. Where are my brothers, why can't I play with my brothers, why can't I go to school, when can I go to school? We played a lot of board games, we've gone to a playground/playgroup, and just chilled at home watching tv, but I am not enough. He and Meg aren't at the same playing level right now so she is fun for like 10 minutes and then that is it. We are thinking about sending him to a 3-year-old preschool twice a week.