Before we even get to the pictures (they're good ones, too; Gwen is such a big kid, those five years went so fast!) and in the interest of I-don't-know-what, I just want to make a quick point here...
Since "we" started Kindergarten this year, we have collectively as a family referred to it as "real" school as opposed to preschool being more of a "pretend" school, even though we don't call it that. Kindergarten is "Big Kid" school - the real deal. Granted in Alaska, Kindergarten is not a legally required grade, but it is still more official than the wonderful cooperative preschool Gwen attended last year and which Amelia has hopes of attending next year.
So we are all geared up for "real" school, the place that Greg reminds us often where we can't be late, ever. (We, along with many of the other parents and preschoolers, were often tardy for preschool, but only by a few minutes.) Thus far this school year, we have not been late even once, nor even frantic or rushed or panicky, I might add. Believe me, I'm just as surprised as you are.
Today, Gwen wanted to take the bus. I casually mentioned it to her last week one day, thinking we might work up to it, but if not, that would be OK too. Well, she was bound and determined to do it and she had her brain fixed on today being THE DAY. Uh huh. Gwen is milling about with at least three of her classmates while waiting for the bus. Amelia and I are off a ways sitting in the car, waiting for the bus. And we wait. And we wait. And then we finally wait some more.
Once I realize that the bus is really running behind schedule I have to decide if it is better to just be a little late (and risk Greg's frustration) or to rip Gwen away from her pals and suffer the subsequent breakdown just to get her to school on time. We opted to continue with our bus adventure, with Amelia and I following in the car, since our mission was to follow the bus to school and wave at Gwen as often as we could. We all made it just fine, and here are the pictures to prove it:
(EDITOR"S NOTE: We're still not sure what the point of this story is, as alluded to in the first paragraph; maybe it is something about how the mom was doing fine without the "help" of the bus. Maybe some attempt at illustrating to the dad how the "real" school messed up the perfect attendance that was so carefully guarded and prized by the mom. It's hard to tell what the point is what with all the incessant rambling.)
At first, Gwen was just barely civil as we got ready to leave the first day of school (this is way back on Aug 27, FYI.). She wasn't going to smile at all, even though Amelia seemed pretty excited about Sissy being gone all morning. Nonetheless, these girls are not yet early birds, even though Greg is trying hard to instill that trait in them both:
Nope, not gonna smile or smirk or grin:
OK, maybe a smirk:
Oh, wait! She forgot all about her swanky new backpack and lunch bag and all the supplies!
Now she's ready for her first day of REAL school!
She's in Ms. McLaughlin's class. It's a straight K with only 15 full time students, and two part timers. To the right side of this picture, you can see the red board; that is where the calendar action takes place. Just as suspected, Gwen is NOT the calendar girl this week. Her friend Alyssa is, and that seems to be just fine with Gwen, although she claims Alyssa doesn't do it "right". As a person who is always right, I am hoping to steer both girls far away from this line of thinking. I finally got Gwen to admit that Alyssa has her own way of doing the calendar and that it is just a good as Gwen's way, just different.
As you can see, Amelia thinks she belongs in this class as well. I've had to make a pretend classroom at home and do fun activities with Amelia, too, since she is, as she says, a "Big Girl too!"
Everything in the classroom is well organized and tidy. It's so different from our chaotic house, that Gwen is sure to learn all sorts of things such as how to keep your stuff put away.
There are several big bins of dress-up clothes and both girls think that is the very best part of school:
Fast forward about two weeks and here is Gwen at the bus stop for the first time. She was a big hit when she arrived. That's her new friend Alyssa, also smiling for the camera. The kid in the second picture, over to the left in a green jacket is Cade. He lives two doors down and we've been playing all summer with him and his brother Jake, who isn't in this picture, since he rode his bike to school this morning. Sorry these shots are so blurry; those kids are on the move early. They just wouldn't stay still.
My camera went on the fritz before I could snap a picture of her getting in the bus, but I got one of her exiting. She was literally on the bus for less than a mile and yet, she seemed to have forgotten all about the plan for Amelia and I to meet her at school and walk in to the building with her.
Nope, not gonna smile or smirk or grin:OK, maybe a smirk:Oh, wait! She forgot all about her swanky new backpack and lunch bag and all the supplies!Now she's ready for her first day of REAL school!She's in Ms. McLaughlin's class. It's a straight K with only 15 full time students, and two part timers. To the right side of this picture, you can see the red board; that is where the calendar action takes place. Just as suspected, Gwen is NOT the calendar girl this week. Her friend Alyssa is, and that seems to be just fine with Gwen, although she claims Alyssa doesn't do it "right". As a person who is always right, I am hoping to steer both girls far away from this line of thinking. I finally got Gwen to admit that Alyssa has her own way of doing the calendar and that it is just a good as Gwen's way, just different.As you can see, Amelia thinks she belongs in this class as well. I've had to make a pretend classroom at home and do fun activities with Amelia, too, since she is, as she says, a "Big Girl too!"Everything in the classroom is well organized and tidy. It's so different from our chaotic house, that Gwen is sure to learn all sorts of things such as how to keep your stuff put away.There are several big bins of dress-up clothes and both girls think that is the very best part of school:Fast forward about two weeks and here is Gwen at the bus stop for the first time. She was a big hit when she arrived. That's her new friend Alyssa, also smiling for the camera. The kid in the second picture, over to the left in a green jacket is Cade. He lives two doors down and we've been playing all summer with him and his brother Jake, who isn't in this picture, since he rode his bike to school this morning. Sorry these shots are so blurry; those kids are on the move early. They just wouldn't stay still.My camera went on the fritz before I could snap a picture of her getting in the bus, but I got one of her exiting. She was literally on the bus for less than a mile and yet, she seemed to have forgotten all about the plan for Amelia and I to meet her at school and walk in to the building with her.All grown up! Such a big kid! Wow.
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