Back to School Updates (and all that stuff)

Well summer came to an end as it always does and I think the kids were mostly excited, as was I. You know I love my kids fiercely. But I am a mom who just needs a house with a time of peace and quiet - especially given the conditions that life has given me.  This is our reality.  Anyway. We celebrated back to school with our traditional night of ice cream sundaes! Wohoo!

 

Isaac was starting middle school and we survived back to school night, showing him where all his classes would be and getting his locker open etc (he was very anxious about all the changes of course).

Abigail would also be at the middle school with him (more on that later). The middle school here is grades 7-9, even though 9th grade is technically high school and is on your high school transcript, which I find very bizarre but I'm trying to just let it roll off my back. Whatever! They were going to a brand new built school out here, which Abigail found weird (she went to a different school for 2 years prior) - it didn't have any of the landscaping in or signs or anything when we went to back to school night.

 

That means the younger 2 were at the elementary charter school by themselves. Elisabeth would be in 2nd grade and Samuel would be in 3rd.  So here's a little update on each of them with the back to school pics (if you are new to my blog, just a note: I don't use the kids' real names on the blog. I also don't use our last name. I know it's weird. Just what we decided to do. So they are, in order of age, oldest to youngest: Abigail, Isaac, Samuel & Elisabeth. But I do use my name and Zac's. Totally weird. Oh well. That's just how it is.;) ok.):

Elisabeth was very excited about started 2nd grade. She is still taking gymnastics and recently tested into Level 2. She is strong! She is climbing all the walls in the house (like the hallways and doorways) and can hang from just her arms. Silly monkey. She and Samuel play together a lot and that makes me happy (except when they also fight together a lot).  She can still be rather difficult at times (her stubborn streak is still strong as ever) but we're trying to work on it. But overall she is sweet and just loves to play and swim and climb and do cartwheels and give hugs.

Samuel started 3rd grade and he was much more excited than I thought he would be! He is usually a little timid and anxious but not so much this year, which is really great to see. He has jumped right in with getting his homework done too which is wonderful (well except for his reading, which he hates). And he fights me about taking his shower, which he also hates. We are trying to find an activity he can excel in (and that we can afford) because we'd really like for him to have a talent or hobby that he can do really well in and feel confident in. He doesn't really like to do much of anything except video games right now. Hmm. So that's something we're thinking about. He and Elisabeth decided to do an afterschool drama club that meets twice a month, which shocked me. My shy anxious boy with speech issues wants to do drama club of his own free will and choice?!? Ummm, okkkk.  We'll see how it goes.  Anyway, his teacher seems really sweet and I'm hoping this will be a good year for him.  They also do a class play this year which they've already talked about, so maybe that's why he's thinking about drama club. Not really sure. Hmm.

Isaac was pretty nervous about going to middle school but by the second day he was talking about how fun it was and how it was like a game, switching classes and getting to go different places to class and everything, so that was good.  Then we found out he had been enrolled in the wrong classes.  He had tested into an advanced learning program but they hadn't enrolled him into the classes for it, so we had to switch around some classes towards the end of the first week.  That was sort of stressful for me and him getting that figured out. But it worked out and his best friend was in the program classes with him so that helped relieve some of the anxiety about changing his classes for him. Phew!  He's not taking piano lessons anymore but is learning bass in orchestra now so that's good. He's also got some fun technology classes he's excited about. He is so responsible and hardworking and independent.  And he's getting so tall!!  haha.  It's sort of amazing seeing him around the house.  It's like, where did this tall boy come from??  And how did he become so good...?  One day he just said, "I'm going to do everyone else's chores and clean the whole house."  And he did!

 

 Abigail was starting 9th grade - technically high school!!! (but still middle school here - lol) She actually had the opportunity to make a decision between going to this middle school and attending a performing arts charter school in salt lake.... And this turned into a very difficult decision for her and for us. I think I'll write more about how that decision was made, and why ultimately we chose the local middle school, in another post, because it would just make this post way too long.  But Abigail is still writing lots of songs on the piano and sometimes experimenting with guitar chords, and singing. She has figured out some church hymns and has composed some of her own simple variations on them.  She is even accompanying the opening hymn singing for her seminary class today (starting in 9th grade they start taking a voluntary scripture study class for one class period, off campus). I think she's pretty brave for playing the piano for a hymn when she's never taken piano lessons before! I love hearing her play her songs. She is so incredibly talented. She is playing violin and viola in orchestra this year (hopefully trading off songs) and still taking private violin lessons.  She's also singing in our church choir now which is fun for her.  Amazing girl.

 And there you have it. A little update on them all. So, they all took off to school.... these four incredible kids.

 2 going to middle school together...



meeting their friends and walking off to the bus stop...

And that's how the first days of school went - 3 weeks ago. Yahoo!

(more on that hard school decision to come...)