Monday, August 27, 2012

time for school!

I don't think I have accepted that fact that the school schedule has started, that my first child has started kindergarten, Jackson is in his second year of preschool, and I will be home alone with Isaac four mornings a week.  (Although that last item sounds pretty good.) 
Lily got into a charter school over in Riverdale that we are in a carpool for (kind of hard to give up that bus option for the public school!).  We are very excited and really like the school.  Lily thankfully loves the uniform dress code - I was so worried since she can't wear pink. 
Adam got an alarm clock set for her to prepare for getting up early (Boualay comes at 7:30 a.m.).  I was nursing Isaac when it went off and she came out of her room and said "well that sure worked!"  We were pretty worried since last year we were constantly getting after her to get up for her 9 am preschool.  She is happy with her teacher, Mrs. Bever, and told me the night of her first day, "I was kind of nervous and scared to go into the school but then when I got in my class I wasn't nervous anymore and I had a lot of fun."
She is home by lunchtime each day and I have to admit that I am so happy she is not in full day kindergarten!  I can still feel like she is a little girl for a bit longer.  :)
Jackson started his preschool a few days after Lily.  He was so excited to get back there!
I've said it before and I'll say it again - we are so grateful for the opportunity Jackson has to go to this school.  He loves it and was quite upset he didn't start when Lily did.  When I went to pick him up (I didn't hear from the buses so I didn't know whether or not he had a ride home), he was NOT happy to get in our car instead of the bus.  It will be nice to get in a good routine throughout this week.
This is totally long winded but I did want to document Lily's first day of school.  We had a man in the ward pass away over the weekend, and the funeral was scheduled for that day.  So here is what happened:
6:30 - 7:45 a.m.  Isaac wakes up to get fed.  Get everyone up, ready, fed, and in the car.
8:00 a.m.  Drop Lily off for her first day of kindergarten!
8:15 a.m.  Get to church and enlist Jackson's help in setting up: cover tables with paper, count paper products, make final list for Costco.
9:00 a.m.  Go home to nurse Isaac for his nap, get Jackson ready for playdate (i.e. he was at this house for 7 hrs....),  drop Jackson off; neighbor drops by to get the 3rd ham to prepare for funeral, I run to Costco while she stays with sleeping Isaac.
10:30 a.m.  Clean kitchen and prepare funeral potatoes.  Leave (late) to pick up Lily and Sebastian.   
11:30 a.m.  Lunch and pack up car with stuff to take to church.
12:00 p.m.  Drop off Lily, Sebastian and Isaac at Boualay's house, then head to church to help set up more.
1:00 p.m.  Pick up the 3 hams at 3 different houses and take to church.  Go nurse Isaac and put him down for a nap.  Return to church before funeral, find out someone forgot to bring rolls, rush to Fresh Market to get more and some ice too.
2:15 p.m.  Realize that instead of 100 people coming like we thought, 40 did.  Begin worrying what to do with extra food!  Figure that out, clean up as much and as fast as I can before having to leave.
3:30 p.m.  Go to pick up Lily, Isaac and Jackson to go to Jackson's Back to School open house at his school, which ends at 4 pm.  On the way home, drop off clean dishes from people who contributed food.
4:45 p.m.  Get home and make dinner (this 'making dinner' is pretty unusual on busy days but I had a pork tenderloin in the fridge I had to prepare).
A few observations: 
I enjoy looking back at these days knowing that they only come around every 6 months or so.
I am grateful I had a small funeral before this one because I don't think I would have handled the stress very well (or at all). 
I live in a wonderful neighborhood that takes care of each other.  I had a LOT of help (with the funeral and my kids)!!!!

1 comment:

Britt-Marie said...

How cute! I'm glad you found schools you like for both of them. I think uniforms are a good idea. I'm glad Lily was happy with them. Makes it easier. Enjoy your time with Isaac.