a new year ahead..

This afternoon, the boys' elementary school held its annual open house event.  Its an opportunity for the kids to come see their class, bring their supplies, meet their teacher and lets face it... start to mentally prepare for another school year.  We start school Monday - Dylan, 3rd grade and Logan, kindergarten.  They're both very excited, and we're all ready.   It was fun to run into a lot of friends at school today and get excited about the year ahead.

Their teachers are both fantastic; we're so very lucky.  Among other kindergarten-y things, Logan will get to take part in planting and working in the schools' garden and he's so excited about it.  He has a couple of really good buddies in his class, and he's chomping at the bit to get in there and get busy.   Dylan has some good friends in his class too, and his teacher is so kind, and experienced.   I've signed up to help in both of their classes when I can, and always love to watch them in action at school and be a part of that experience. 

Dylan will switch out to other classes for Social Studies and Language Arts.   He has P.E. three times a week, and art and music, Spanish, and SEARCH (guidance).   Logan will only go half day this year, so most of this day is spent in his same classroom.   I'm happy DYlan's lunch is at noon - 12:30 this year.  Last year, 12:40 just seemed so late. Both boys are allowed to bring a snack and water bottle to school though.  I don't think we were allowed to do that when I was in school.

Dylan and his teacher, Mrs. W. 

Dylan and our next door neighbor, S.  They sit right next to each other in class!

Logan and his teacher, Mrs. H

He's so excited about all the fun stuff in the class!

These late summer weeks always seem to go on and on, and their boredom kicks in.  Fighting reaches an all time high, and my patience is running thin.   School starts a week earlier than usual this year, and will get out a week earlier in June.  This works for me!

Homework starts for third grade on the first day of school - around 40 minutes a night.   I'm hoping we can roll right back into that routine as smoothly as last year.  Logan will probably have a little homework as well.  And if he doesn't, I'll make some up!
T-ball, taekwondo, fall swimming and Cub Scouts will all be firing up soon and life is about to take on a whole new level of busy. But its all great, and I welcome it all!  Fall is a great time.  It almost seems like the New Year, instead of January 1st.   We all love the routine, the schedules, and giving our brains a work out again after summer. 

We still have a few summer-ish adventures coming up in the weekends ahead with a trip to Grandpa Joe and Grandma Bobbie's, and a trip to the beach at Chincoteague. We're not quite ready to totally say goodbye to summer yet. But we're definitely ready to welcome the routine of fall.