New Beginnings

It's that time of the year again.  School is in session, summer is officially over and the calendar is already filling up with activities.  Nathan and Grace attended the YMCA summer camp this year and had a really great time.  They swam every day, stayed active and went on field trips once a week.  They made new friends and enjoyed their time away from school and all the responsibilities associated with the classroom.

But it's here again.  We had meet the teacher night Monday, and the kids were really excited to be in the halls of their school again, calling out to old friends they had not seen all summer and hugging teachers.  It was such a different scene from last year when we were new to this area and the kids didn't know anyone.  They quietly observed the other children and shyly said hello to their teachers.  You would never know by looking at them today that they were the "new kids" last year.  I was so proud of their confidence and friendly attitudes.  Another of many prayers answered over the course of the last twelve months.

Every year since Nathan started Kindergarten, we've driven them to school on the first day, walked them to their classes and stayed for a few minutes for a picture or two.  When I asked them if they wanted me to drive them to school on the first day, Gracie immediately made it clear that she wanted to ride the bus. Nathan still wanted me to drive him to school and go inside, but the closer it got to the first day I could tell that he was not entirely sure what he wanted.  So I asked them one more time this morning what they wanted me to do.  The answer broke my heart and made it sing all at one time.  I could drive them to school, but they could handle it from there.  They didn't want me to walk them in.

On one hand, it made me sad that this would be the first year with no pictures from inside the classroom and no picture of Trevor holding Nathan or Grace's hand.  No last minute hugs or kisses.  Just a quick "I love you mom!" as they stepped out of the Tahoe and then a fleeting glance of them walking into the school.  Not even time for a quick photo of them from the drop-off lane.

On the other hand it made my heart sing with thanksgiving to God that He had been faithful to answer my prayers that my children would make new friends and fit in with their peers in this new town.  That they were confident, happy children with an excitement for school and for Him.

So I sit here waiting.  Waiting for the sound of the bus pulling up outside, and then the excited chatter and laughter of children getting off the bus and running home.  Waiting for my babies who are not babies any more, to come barreling through the front door, full of stories and information about their first day of school.  Waiting for the new rhythm of our days to begin again and to watch as my children grow over the next year and marvel once again at the mercy and grace of God in our lives.

First Day of School

Here we are. The first day of school in a new town. This is a new experience for me because up to this point, Nathan has attended school in my hometown. Did I mention it was a small town? So no matter who his teacher was, I knew them either directly or in a roundabout way. My mom taught school in the district for almost 30 years, so she knew many of the teachers and my mother in law works for the district as well, so there were never any surprises.


It was comfortable. It was well within my comfort zone. It was as natural as breathing to send him to the school where I once played on the monkey bars and chased friends under the trees. The classrooms still smelled exactly the same and the halls were like old friends welcoming me back. (Except that I felt like Andre the giant...were the desks really that small?)



Moving to Tulsa and anticipating a new school that was a total unknown was scary for me. I knew that Nathan would be missing his old friends, and that Gracie would be surrounded by strangers. I was afraid that they would not want to go into their classrooms and had visions of bullies picking on them and making them miserable.

The first inkling I had that everything was going to be all right was when Nathan's friend Savannah from next door came over to walk the kids down to the bus stop. She didn't have to do that. She could have just walked down alone, but she took the time to include Nathan and Grace. We thanked her for coming over, but told her that we were driving the kids to school today.

When we made it to school and down to Gracie's Kindergarten class, I barely had a chance to snap a picture of her with the teacher before she ran in the room without a second glance in our direction. She was completely at ease and ready to start her day. It was bittersweet because for a fleeting moment I wished for a tear or at least a clinging hug, but then I came to my senses and was ecstatic that she was so well-adjusted.



It was time to walk with Nathan to his third grade class and strangely enough, that's when I got a little teary. He walked well ahead of us with a purpose. He knew where his classroom was, and he was excited to get there. He didn't need (or want) to hold a hand, and he looked so big. The lump in my throat went away when I snapped a picture of him with his teacher and he waved goodbye.


As Trevor and I walked out of the building together, I realized that we had just begun another season in our lives. Both children are in school now, and they are growing up more quickly that I like to think about. Time marches on and there is nothing we can do to stop it, so it's better to just embrace the moments as they come and thank God for the blessings that we have been given.

Would You Like Some Cheese With That Whine?

Has it really been an entire week since I posted? Wow. Time just flies when you're stressed out and have a million things on your plate. Wait....that's not right. Isn't it something about having fun?

As I sit here typing, there is a turkey roasting in the oven and 10 pounds of potatoes waiting to be peeled, cooked and mashed for the church-wide Thanksgiving dinner tonight. I've just had one of those weeks where I couldn't seem to catch my breath. We had revival Sunday through Wednesday night, and that was a challenge in itself with bedtimes and homework, and Nathan seemed to have about 32 Thanksgiving/ Pilgrim/Indian themed projects all due last week or tomorrow.

We are trying to get the house in shape for Christmas house guests (which takes up every spare minute on Saturday) and then we had a birthday party last night. Don't get me started on the way my children behaved there! Suffice it to say that we left early.

Then there was Sunday School to teach this morning, and children's church to prepare and lead. After that, we went out to lunch with the dear friends that we ditched last night because of the kids. But not before I ran home, took the turkey out of the brining solution, stuffed the cavity with onions and apples and threw the bird in the oven. I met them at the restaurant and had a lovely mid-day meal of nachos.

Whew! Are you tired of hearing the whining, because frankly, I'm tired of being the whiner. It's a new week starting tomorrow, and guess what? In spite of the craziness, it all got done last week! I also have Thursday to look forward to not going to work and having a great day with Trevor's family.

So today I'm thankful that the whining is over and that I have a whole new week to find things to (whine) be thankful about!

The List

I am so ashamed. I have no excuse. I have had the list since early July.

I sent my 3 year old to the first day of Parents Day Out with no school supplies today.

The list was not long.
The list was not unreasonable.
The list was not expensive.

Did I mention that I did not send the tuition check either?

I sent Grace with the promise to the director of a large bag full of supplies and a check on Thursday. I went out on my lunch break and purchased all the supplies.

I burned the list.

I do not want to be reminded of this lapse.

I called my answering machine with a message to self to write the check and put it in Gracie's bag.

I hope I called the right house......

The First Day of School

Click to play Make your own Smilebox

Last Day of Kindergarten

Today is the last day of school for Nathan. Kindergarten is over and first grade looms just over the horizon. Trevor went to the award ceremony on Tuesday where Nathan received his Kindergarten diploma, art award and an advanced reader award. He was so proud to have his daddy there and Trevor had some interesting stories to tell about the other parents who attended.

Apparently, our town's white trash population has exploded in recent years. There was one mother there wearing an informational t-shirt that let us know that "If you lick it slow, it will last longer."

Yes. You read that correctly.

This is the sort of person raising the children with which my son is attending school. Trevor could not believe the way most of these people were dressed. Not everyone can afford name brand clothing (myself included), but as my dad says, everyone can afford soap. You don't have to have money to be clean and presentable in public. This goes right back to my blog at Easter about how our society has become so informal and casual that people have no clue as to what is appropriate any more.

I long for the seemingly bygone days of straightforward etiquette regarding clothing and behavior that was the norm instead of the exception. Days when flip flops and dirty t-shirts were not acceptable attire for a school awards program. Days when people bathed and wore shoes before going to the grocery store. I realize that I live in a rural community, but come on! Unless you are purchasing snuff at the country store from the movie "Where the Red Fern Grows", you should be wearing shoes and a shirt when you go out in public.

Any, I digress. After Nathan's program he and Trevor went back to the classroom where they found a really wonderful laminated booklet that his teacher had put together for each of the kids. It was a compilation of all the major events through the year complete with pictures of Nathan, artwork and handwriting samples. I thought it was a really thoughtful thing to give the parents.

So today I am attending an end of the year family picnic with Nathan. I will stop and get a Happy Meal from McDonald's and I have a blanket for us to spread out on the ground. He was exciting about the picnic this morning but I think he was more excited that I was going to be there. There are so many events that he has had this past year that I was unable to attend, so it's always special when one of us can get there.

So, the year comes to a close and I can see such a difference in Nathan. When he started Kindergarten, he was a bit of a discipline problem. He had trouble staying in his seat, following instructions and keeping his hands to himself. But after a year with Mrs. Brown, his behavior is right on par with the other kids and he has learned so much. He is reading on a first grade level, and his writing is legible. I am amazed at how much he did in Kindergarten compared to when Trevor and I were in school, and I am so proud of him.

Education vs. Entertainment

I am mad at our school district. It has nothing to do with the education that Nathan is receiving or with the quality of the teachers that are employed there. It has everything to do with creating opportunities all year long to make working parents feel even more guilty about not being able to spend time with their kids. I have enough self-applied guilt, thank you very much, without having someone else create some for me.

Nathan has field day today, and then the day after Memorial Day he has an awards ceremony. For what?! He's in Kindergarten for goodness sake! I mean, I'm proud of the progress that he has made this year, but is it really necessary at that age to have a ceremony? I'm one of those people who think Kindergarten graduations are the most ridiculous thing ever. Ughh. What did they accomplish, really? They learned to walk in a line, be quiet in class and (hopefully) the Golden Rule. Is a graduation really in order?? I think not.

All year long I have been amazed at the number of activities the elementary school planned that required parental involvement. There was family picnic day, kite-flying day, Thanksgiving party/activity day, and Christmas party day. For each of these events (and so many more that I do not have the time or energy to list here), a flyer was sent home with pleas for parents to come and be with their child. I took off work to help out with the Christmas party and I sent sandwiches (in the shape of little turkeys) for the Thanksgiving festivities. Trevor took a day of vacation to go on a field trip with Nathan's class.

But we were unable to take off every time a flyer was sent home requesting our presence. We both work at least 40 minutes (or more) away from home, and to attend a one hour event requires that we take either a half or whole day off from work. If we had actually taken off every time that Nathan had something going on at school, we would have spent all of our vacation days for the year. It's ridiculous and our absence caused Nathan to feel left out which really made me mad.

For instance, on kite day I asked him if he got to fly his kite. He shook his head and said, "No, I didn't have anyone to help me." It broke my heart (and pissed me off) to think of him standing there unable to do it himself, and being excluded from the fun because of our inability to attend. If they are going to have these ridiculous activities, that should have enough staffing so that children are not left out.

And don't even get me started with the ridiculous "Red Ribbon Week" or the 100th day of school festivities. (Do children in Kindergarten and 1st grade really care what day they are on??)

OK....too late. The Red Ribbon Week was designed to heighten awareness about drug use. This is commendable. I am glad that the school is taking an active interest in educating our children about the dangers of drugs and alcohol. However, I do not think it is necessary to require the children to have an activity every day of said week. Let's see, there was crazy sock day, wear camouflage day...oh I forget all of them, but suffice it to say that it was a pain in my behind and of no educational value at all to the kids.

I think that the school sets itself up for failure when they feel as though they have to give the kids a reason and incentive to come to school. Whatever happened to going to school, sitting at your desk quietly and learning what you were taught? I'm not suggesting that we didn't do fun, age-appropriate things when I was in school, but those activities were few and far between. I didn't go to school each week expecting to be entertained. I went to school expecting to learn and to be disciplined when I didn't live up to my potential.

If kids think that they are entitled to this sort of environment, what are we going to do with them when they are older and the stakes are higher? To what lengths will the school district have to go to keep them interested and engaged at school? I want Nathan to attend school to learn what he needs to know to graduate from high school and then to go on to college. I don't want him to be entertained...I want him to be educated.