First grade-- off to an amazing start!

Meet the teacher went very well!  We used to have Hunter's new teacher for two years with Paige- and we absolutely loved her.  We were so excited to find out that she was Hunter's new teacher for first grade.

little highlighter gifts for the teachers

new furniture and books!

his fab teacher!!

Paige and this friend spent kinder and first together with Hunter's teacher!  Sweet friends!


We had a super fun weekend planned at a resort in the area.  Even though Peter had to work, I thought I could check in early and let the kids swim for a bit.  So let's think about this...taking the kids on my own to a resort, checking in, dragging the suitcases with the three kids in tow, and then going to a large pool?  On my own??  Obviously Hunter was in a good place, or it wouldn't have been attempted!!

 

 

 After a fun last hurrah, with rooftop dancing to a DJ, bubble blowing (Hunter thought he was pretty cool as the kids popped his bubbles), a fireworks show, and an entire day spent at an outdoor waterpark, we went home and spent a relaxing Sunday with games, animal parties, and getting ready for the first day of school!

 

 Monday morning, no one woke up before our alarm- go figure.  The only day in the entire summer that I had to wake the kids.   Hunter greeted me with, "I am NOT going to school today!"  Door slam.  Wall kick.  Grunting. Mumbling that I was a mean mommy. 

Awesome.  This would be fun. 

So I finally got him downstairs by 7:10 and convinced him that his friends would rather see him in clothes than his pjs, so he changed, ate his breakfast with a scowl, all the while repeating, "I am NOT going to first grade!"

I took Paige's pictures and had to grab one of this cute boy's best mad face.

 

 

 

 Paige was super excited to start the day!

 

When we arrived at school, he would not get out of the car, so I decided to walk Paige into class and have Peter "find a parking spot."  When I came back, he still refused to go...but we were able to get him to the front of the school until he darted.  Peter and I tried to get him to walk in, but he sat on the bench.  His special ed teacher walked over to him and he walked clear away towards the main, busy street.  Peter had hypothesized his moves and met him at the corner, where he became physically aggressive.  We had to basically carry him into school and when he was in the empty room around the corner, he went through his scripting of new, "naughty" words like butt, hate, etc.  Our awesome teacher held her ground and ignored his attempts to ruffle feathers, but then he tried the best line of all- say this in your best mean voice:

"Shut up and dance with me." 

 

HAHAHAHA!!!!!!!!!!!!  You have to hear his little angry self saying that line, thinking he was being all bad and using naughty words, when he was truly just quoting the new Kids Bop 29. 

 

 

They made it in the classroom by 9:30 without any dancing and he ended up having a super fabulous day.  His teacher hit the nail on the head.  When she asked him why he didn't want to go to class, it basically centered around his anxiety of starting a new classroom with new friends, a new teacher, and a new year. 

 

Change is- and will always- be hard. 

 

Once she reassured him, and he actually TRIED the classroom, he, of course, loved it.  And came home like this:



 



 

 

 

 

As we sat around the table with our milk and cookies and talked about the first day, he said, "Mommy!  I love first grade!!"

We knew you would, buddy. 

He had two more outstanding days, ran into the gym from the carpool loop, and we are already 4 months ahead of where we were in kindergarten. 

Thanking God for blessing us- these teachers with soft souls who truly, truly love this child WANT to see him succeed.  You can't ask for anything more.