First Day 2009 - Photo Edition

They're finally posted! Photos from the first week of school! Thanks for being so patient - everyone in this house is worn out from such a full week. We will hit our stride soon - which is actually a requirement, since Mister J's much-requested soccer practice begins next week, and Miss M's dance lessons begin the following week.

You might remember that Mister J wanted me to set his alarm clock to help him get up in the mornings. While it didn't quite work the first day, he's gotten up without my help each day since. Here are a few snapshots of our first day.

The kids got to take the last links down from their "how long is summer?" paper chain. Mister J wants another one to show him how long school will last. I think we are going to start using a month-at-a-time calendar instead!

Getting ready to get in the mommy-van and drive to school! The arms around each other was their idea - so sweet! Those smiles lasted all day long! I was mostly smiling, but milestones like this always get to me a little...

Walking from the parking lot to the front door. I'm amazed that this 'action shot' turned out - many of my photos from the morning are blurry :(

After a brief pause at the door to get his bearings, Mister J headed straight to his class. Today, he didn't even look back! Clearly, he's comfortable in his surroundings and happy to be there each day.

Miss M was also excited to get to class (once we pointed her in the right direction!). I think with a few more tries she'll be able to find the way on her own. I'll try not to cry when that happens....
I think she looks so tiny in this picture! She's in a (pea- and tree) nut-free classroom, and I'm packing her lunch each day to be sure I know exactly what she's eating. The safety measures the school has in place are great, but I feel more comfortable packing a lunch. Mister J has expressed an interest in purchasing his lunch, which we will be discussing over the weekend.

Mrs. G shared this photo of Miss M and her friend, K. It sure is nice to have a peek into what the day is like, since M's not at the age where she tells me a whole lot. She and K seem to be fast friends - there are a few photos of them playing together. Miss M also knows another little girl in the class, H, whose family goes to our church.

I was behind the camera on the first day of school, but finally made it in front of the camera on Day 3 (many thanks to the mom who snapped this photo!). As you can see, our school is in a very metropolitan area - and I think we are going to love it!

Also yesterday, the Farmer's Market was open. It's in an area adjacent to the school, and open twice a week from late spring through early fall . A few students (upper grades) were walking through the market at the same time I was walking through.

One of my favorite things from this week - besides the art the kids brought home, which will have to be another post - is the lunch plan that Mister J has been helping me with (I found the planning diagram on the Laptop Lunch Box website). Each evening, I give the kids a few choices for what their lunch on the following day. They pick from a variety of fruit, vegetable & dip, and sandwich options. Jonah has been recording their choices, and then I pack the lunches after the kids are in bed.
I helped out a bit with spelling, but most of that writing is Mister J's. I am so proud of him for being such a great helper! I hope to continue this through the school year - I think it's a great way to teach them about choosing healthy foods and about making/sticking to a plan. The spelling and handwriting practice are just a bonus! By the way, we ignored the days of the week on this plan. The left column was used for J's lunches, the right for M's lunches, and each row was for one day. Maybe I'll match up actual photos to the diagram in another post over the weekend....