The Most Wonderful Time of the Year

That's right! It's Back to School season! Last night was not unlike Christmas Eve at our house I realized at some point in the evening. The kids were very wound up in anticipation of getting up early and starting school. There were new clothes all laid out and ready, and bags of new school supplies, backpacks and book covers were strewn around after having been ripped open and examined and divided between the kids. The anticipation continued this morning and everyone was up on time, dressed, fed and ready to go.


Our neighbor came over in her stockings

to take our picture together as a family -
this year Peter went into his
own school late in order
to see the kids off to school

This year is also special for us in that it is the first year
that all four kids are in school at La Madera Elementary!
Harriet and Jack are in the same class again
this year, 5th grade GATE with all of their same friends.
Henry is in 1st grade, and Jed is starting Kindergarten!

Jed was probably the most excited of all (after me, of course). He is glad to finally be going to our neighborhood school instead of the preschool on another campus. He is also happy that some of his friends from preschool are now in his Kindergarten. He is excited and ready to learn to read, he has witnessed Henry get much stronger in his reading this past year and his competitive nature with his brother has kicked in. Reading is pretty much the one thing that Henry can do that Jed can't. Lastly he is excited for his teacher Ms Nolan.

She was Jack and Harriet's wonderful first grade teacher several years ago, and they have really talked her up to him.

Henry did great as well. Having been at a different school for the past two years, he came in as a "new" kid, not knowing everyone from Kindergarten. But he is such a social kid I know he will make new friends quickly and fit right in. It just takes a few days. His teacher is Mrs. Harwood and is not as warm and fuzzy as a mother would like for her son, but that is probably best for Henry in the long run. At the end of the day the parent paparazzi outside of the classroom was pretty thick, this is the photo I snapped of Henry leaving, still wearing his tattered name tag, pulling his brand new back-pack, slight smile on his face. Way to go Henry!!

Here's to a great year for us all.