It's hard to believe that summer is over and the new school year has already begun!! The kids were excited for school and have had a good couple of weeks. Here is Caden and Mia on the first day of school.
This was a hard year for me - watching my sweet little Caden head off to Kindergarten!! When did he get so big??!! He was very excited...and very ready. We got the most amazing teacher for him and I know he will do great with her.
~ Caden - Kindergarten ~
Kyle and I took the kids to school together on the first day. We took Caden to his class first. I was so sad to leave him. He was a little clingy at first but he found his locker, put his stuff up, and then sat down at his desk to color. As I was walking out, I noticed he had that *I'm trying not to cry look* and it just broke my heart. He just sat there, staring at his paper and coloring. We took Mia to her class next. She, of course, did great! She was sitting right next to one of her best friends and was so excited!! After we left Mia, Kyle and I went back down to Caden's class to check on him. We kept peeking around the door to look at him - being extra careful not to let him see us. He was still sitting there coloring. :) It was hard for Kyle and I to leave him, but Caden had a great first day! He LOVES his teacher (she is truly amazing!!) and we feel blessed knowing that he is in such great hands all day!!
~Mia - 2nd grade ~
Colton is in 6th grade this year. Am I really old enough to have a middle schooler!!?? We knew this was coming....and I have worried about it for a while. We love the elementary school our kids attend. It's a great school and Colton has found a great peer group there. Well, for middle school, almost all of the kids at our elementary school are zoned to attend the same school. Our small neighborhood, however, is zoned to attend a different school, one that Kyle and I aren't very comfortable with. We applied to transfer him to the other middle school and the transfer was denied. So, then we wrote a long letter of appeal, voicing our concerns, and took it to the assistant superintendent. Well, we were once again denied. I was upset, not as much because we were denied, but because I felt like our concerns were not taken seriously. Well, we knew going in to it that if Colton couldn't attend the school we wanted him to, then we would be pulling him out. It was not a decision that we made lightly. We spent the summer talking about it, praying about it, and seriously thinking about it. When all was said and done, we felt very strongly that this was what we needed to do for Colton. We don't expect everyone to understand our decision or to agree with it, but we are doing what we know is best for Colton right now. Having said all that.....the homeschooling is going great!!!! We are still adjusting (and tweaking) our schedule, trying to find what works best, learning the curriculum, etc....but I have to say, it is really going well. And best of all, Colton is having a great time!! So am I!! Yes, I am SUPER busy now, but I am enjoying it and it has been great to have all the extra time with Colton. He is truly an amazing kid.
~ Colton - 6th grade ~
Colton is taking 2 classes at One Day Academy, a really neat place that offers a huge variety of classes for all ages for homeschooling families. On the first day, he seemed a little nervous. To get to his classroom, we had to walk through a big *lounge* where kids were studying, hanging out, etc. in between classes. Colton seemed a little hesitant and shy (a lot of the kids were middle/high school age), but he had a GREAT time. He is taking 2 computer classes: Keyboarding and Computer Applications. When I picked him up on the first day, he was grinning from ear to ear. He loves the classes and can hardly wait to go back each week!
