Back To School

 Like I said before, school starting has been a little bitter sweet. I loved when things closed down due to covid (I mean, I didn't love every aspect, but...) and Brooke started home and did school from home. I just love having my kids home and being with them. And I always felt like Brooke was gone for too many hours of the day when she was in school last year. 

Because of covid, the school came up with a plan and let the parents choose how they wanted their kids educated. There was an in school learning option, a distance learning option, and a homeschool option, all through the school. I deliberated about what to do, especially because this seemed like the perfect year to start homeschooling, and I've been really drawn to homeschooling for many years now. 

In fact, I kept wanting to interview moms that I know that homeschool, just to start doing my research about homeschooling. All throughout Brooke's 1st grade year, I kept wanting to do it and kept putting it off. And then covid came, and we were all thrown into some version of homeschool. 

Anyway, after thinking and praying, I just felt like homeschool wasn't right right now. The timing is bad, and I didn't want to try doing it with a new baby. My gut was telling me to put the girls in school. So that's what we've done. 

I was nervous for Camille. Brooke is mostly a responsible, hard working, kind girl. She gets along with almost everyone, and she's resilient. She seems to handle negative things pretty well. But Camille has had this falling apart phase, where anytime something doesn't go her way, she throws a fit, or she stomps up to her room saying that people hate her on the way up. She just didn't seem to have the same resilience as Brooke.

I took the girls back to school shopping the week before, and it made them really pumped about starting school. I had asked them what their preference for schooling this year was (not that I would let them decide, but I did want their opinion and input and to know how they were feeling about everything). They both wanted to homeschool, so they were both a little bummed that I was having them go back to school. School shopping really helped them to get excited. They loved picking out their school outfits and backpacks. And we picked up a few school supplies as well. 

We had our back to school feast the Monday before Brooke started school. We did tacos (I think... can't really remember) and I decorated the table a little bit. We talked about our theme for this year ("have courage and be kind" my favorite movie quote ever) and how this year will be a little different than usual, but that we can be courageous and kind. Our feast also helped get the girls pumped for school. For family home evening that night, Daniel gave the kids school blessings (even Jack 😊) and we talked about the priesthood. 

 

Brooke started school a few days before her birthday, on a Tuesday. We got up and ready, and we all piled until the car to take her to her first day of school. We took pictures with Buster, the school mascot, and sent her in. She has to wear a face mask anytime she's on the bus or in the building, but not when she goes out to play. It was a little strange dropping her off with her wearing a mask. And everyone else as well. 

 Her first week of school went well, I think. She got to bring in treats for her classmates to celebrate her birthday. She did a great job wearing her mask all day, she hasn't even complained that much about it. 

Camille started kindergarten a week after Brooke started school. We went to meet her teacher in that week before she started, and she couldn't wait to start once Brooke was in school. 

Just like with Brooke, we took Camille to school her first day, and I picked her up. She looked so tiny and cute going to school. Her backpack is about as big as she is! I was so proud of myself, I didn't cry much at all that day (just a little in the afternoon, when I thought about how my kids are growing up too fast). But my crying actually came the day before, my last day of having Camille home with me. While Jack was at preschool, and Sawyer was napping, she and I spent some time together, talking, playing games, coloring... basically anything she wanted to do. I was sad that day, thinking about Camille going to school. She's my little buddy. She often wants to do things with me, and she's such a sweet, cuddly little thing. I just couldn't think about her going away from me for part of the day without feeling down. 

Fortunately, because of covid, kindergarten is only 2 hours, plus the on the bus. So she isn't away from me too long. I still miss her, though. 

That first day of school, when I went to pick her up, the first thing she was bursting to tell me was that she got herself going on the swing ALL. BY. HERSELF. She was thrilled! It was so adorable. 

The girls have been in school for a month now, and they are loving it, despite the restrictions and masks. Brooke loves her teacher, predictably, and has struggled with math. Camille gets off the bus everyday bursting to tell me things about school: the new friends she's making, the things they do in circle time, the letter they reviewed, the kid that always gets in trouble. I love it so much. I love that she wants to tell me things, and that she knows that I care about what's happening. I feel like Camille has really come into her own, with school. For the first time, she has something of her own, unconnected with Brooke. She has her own friends to play with, not Brooke's friends. She has her own teacher and class. She's learning her own things. It's so fun to watch her. She loves it! 

Brooke is harder to learn about what goes on at school. I have to ask her more pointed questions. But she's making me friends, enjoying the school lunches, loving her teacher, and doing well. Neither of the girls complain very much about the mask; Brooke has said things a couple of times about how she wishes covid were over so she could stop wearing it. But they've both handled it remarkably well. I'm proud of them! 

Jack also started school! He and I are in a mommy preschool group with friends in our ward. He's one of the youngest kids in the group, but he was so excited to go to preschool. I'm really glad I decided to join the group. I debated about it because of having such a young baby. But I figured I wouldn't be doing it that often, and he'll keep getting bigger and easier to manage. Seeing how much Jack loves going makes me so glad we're doing it. It took him a while to understand the concept of going to different houses for school every week. But we've got it down now. 😊 The other women in the group tell me that sometimes he participates and sometimes he doesn't, but he's always agreeable. He gets so excited the days he has it, and always asks on the days we don't, and why can't he go? It's so cute. It's such a bitter sweet adventure watching my kids grow up. 

It's interesting to see him interacting with the other kids. He doesn't seem to actually play with them, but he likes being with them. He tells me his friend Blake is really cool, but his friend Weston is his favorite. And he likes sitting by Blake. ❤  We'll see if he makes good friends with these kids over time. He seems a little antisocial at this point of his life.