First Day of School (or not!)

Where did our summer go?  It seems to have gone so fast but when I think back to all we did, it seems like we had forever!  But the calendar says it is time for school once again.  I am excited about this year.  Last year I had 5 kids at 5 different schools.  This year I have 5 kids at 3 schools and one of them is driving!  It will be nice having both Kennedy and Cassidy in high school together.  Kennedy will be able to drive the both of them to seminary in the mornings, to school and home from dance team practice each day.

The kids didn't all start school the same day this year.  Kennedy, Cassidy and Layton were the first to start.  Kennedy is a junior this year and Cassidy is starting her first year in high school as a freshman.

Cassidy - age 14

KEnnedy - age 16

Two kids in highschool!!!

Layton is in third grade this year and turns 9 the first week of school

Will is starting Kindergarten.  My baby is in Kindergarten!  For many years, when it was super crazy at home with several little ones, I would dream about how wonderful this day would be.  I could have a super clean house, grocery shop by myself, catch up on scrapbooks, always have dinner ready by noon and maybe even go to lunch with a friend!  But now that it is here, I can't seem to enjoy any of those things.  Will is my buddy.  He goes everywhere with me.  He is never a problem but always good companionship.  He makes me laugh.  Seriously laugh...I can't believe how much personality is packed inside of him.  I will really miss him.  I was able to send him off to school without tears though.  The reason being his new schedule.  With all the budget cuts this year, the district has a new Kindergarten schedule that lets them save money on busing.  Instead of going 5  half-days each week, they go 2 full days and an extra 3rd day every other week.  Most parents are not excited about this schedule but I am thrilled!  Will is on the same schedule as Karsyn now.  I homeschool Karsyn two days a week.  These are the same days that I have Will home all day with me.  I am looking forward to teaching him as well and having 2-3 days of having him all to myself.  

Will had what they called a "Smart Start" for his first day.  This was only a half-day class with about a third of his classmates.  There was no bus for him that day so he would have to wait until the second week of school to take the bus with his brother.

Karsyn started school the week after all the other kids.  I was up at her school getting her schedule and books when I got a call from Will's school.  The secretary asked me if I had Will home with me that day.  I told her yes, then explained to her that he didn't officially start school until the next day.  After telling her which track he was on, she let me know that yes, today was his first day of school!  Panic set in!  How could this of happened?  Apparently this new schedule of keeping track of a random third day a week class wasn't so great!  I had it all planned out...Will looking so handsome, me getting all these great photos of him getting on the bus, waving good-bye to me as he started his journey into manhood...the bus pulling away symbolizing his new independence....but that isn't how it went down!  

Instead, it was me pulling up to school 2 hours late.  Will, wearing old soccer shorts, a hand-me-down t-shirt from Cozumel, and sandals showing off his over-grown dirty toenails!  Instead of getting his picture getting on the bus for school, I had to settle for a picture of him getting off the bus on his first day.  Maybe this was a sub-conscious mistake and sending him to kindergarten is harder than I am acknowledging!  Either way, he forgave me. He was a little sad that he only got one recess instead of three on his first day of school, but he still forgave me.  Needless to say, I made sure he looked extra cute his second day, got him there in plenty of time and even cleaned his toe nails!

Karsyn is doing part-time home school again for her gymnastics schedule.  She trains everyday from 2:00 - 7:00 p.m.  The Home Connection through the public schools works great for her.  She gets 12 out of the required 25 hours a week of core classes there.  They don't have recess, assemblies or specialty classes so she can finish all her studies by 1:30 each day.  Then I make up the additional 13 hours at home with her.  She has two days a week at home with me to do this.  She is 10 years old and in fifth grade this year.