Day 2

Breakfast this morning consisted of eggs and toast.

Marcella: Well, if I am going to have a real breakfast, I better get out the pepper.

I think she may have Grandpa Hanson's pepper gene. That girl will not only put pepper on anything, but she will put a lot of pepper on anything.

Claire made it home and was happy. Which is a great sign right?! I wanted to share part of an email I received from her teacher. It made Jon and I chuckle a little. Sometimes I don't think people really understand that when I tell them she is a runner, she really is a runner. :)

From Claire's kindergarten teacher:

I know that it seemed confusing this morning…It always does on the first morning of kindergarten!  Claire calmed down as the morning progressed and was actually very content and happy later in the day.  It helps to have Mrs. Peoples with her.  She did run off down the hall several times and Mrs. Peoples went after her; but later in the day, when Mrs. Peoples was eating her lunch, Claire did beautifully in the classroom without her assistance. 


Today I met Mrs. People's at the front of the school and there was a little protesting, but no tears or screaming... definite progress.

Cella Bella

I know 3 posts in one day, but I had to when I found this picture. This is Marcella on the first day of 2nd grade. I would say she has grown up just a little this year. It is crazy to think she still had all her baby teeth. 

First Day of School

Marcella Anne is going into the 3rd grade. Her favorite colors are blue and green, although they change all the time. She has started to hate cheese, relearned to like eggs, and loves Spaghetti. She is an avid reader and is so excited to have homework. She enjoys playing the piano and is working hard trying to make the cut for the pre-team gymnastics class. She is a gamer. Currently you will find her playing, researching or emailing her dad and uncles all the new things she has found out about their game Terraria. She is thoughtful, kind and a wonderful big sister. I am going to miss her terribly while she is at school.

If you ask Claire what her name is she will tell you it is Claire Bear Wallin. This little ray of sunshine loves the color yellow. She will eat just about anything except candy. With the exception of a cookies and cream Hershey candy bar. She loves to draw, pretend, color, play at the park, pretend, play with babies, pretend, sing, do somersaults, pretend, read, did I mention pretend? She is always in her own little world playing with someone. She can entertain herself for hours. She loves to play with Marcella and do everything she does.  She is very empathetic, yet hates hugs and kisses. She only hands those out when you are sad or hurt. I will miss her sweet voice and laughter. Good luck in Kindergarten little one.

Kindergarten

When I thought about how Claire’s first day of kindergarten would go, I didn’t expect the things that happened. Reflecting on it on the way home I was able to realize how much of a trial and error process this really is.  I should have known these things would have happened. Yet when I thought about how it would go, everything we had planned just made logical sense. That should have been my first clue. Logic and Claire have never gone hand in hand.

Little Claire was soooo excited to go to school today. She couldn’t wait to go. Finally it was time. We walked up to the school, waited for the bell and then let Marcella walk her to her classroom, as it was on the way to her own classroom.  Jon and I waited outside, trying to decide if we should go in and meet her para (a gal that will be working with her every day. Helping her to stay focused and where she needs to be).   My first mistake was thinking that since we discussed her need of a para back in May, that they would have already had one hired and we would be able to actually meet her if not before back to school night, at least at back to school night. In reality, getting teachers hired apparently takes longer than I anticipated and not only was her para not available to meet at back to school night, at least she was going to be there for the first day of school.  At back to school night I also found out the special Ed teacher was just hired last Thursday and she wasn’t even sure who the other teacher was that is going to be in the classroom with her, as she was still in the process of getting hired.  

Back to waiting outside the school.

We decided to go in and meet Claire’s para. As we were walking towards Claire’s classroom, I see my 2^nd mistake. Oh, boy I thought why didn’t  I see this coming. I watch Marcella walk out of Claire’s classroom and start down the hall for her room.  3 seconds later Claire comes running out of the classroom catching up to Marcella with her teacher right behind. We approach as they have been trying to coax her to stand up and come back to the classroom. We wave Marcella goodbye and help Claire into her room.  3^rd mistake: We should have waited outside the school for her para to meet her.  Instead we wait in the classroom for her to arrive. We meet and introduce her to Claire. Then it is time for us to leave. Claire has a major freak out. Flaling her arms around like a mad girl so you can’t get a hold of her as she tries to run away. Meanwhile huge tears and screams are starting to be heard. We hand her over to her para say goodbye and walk away hearing her cries and screams get softer because we are leaving the building.

Mistake 4: thinking that since she has been going to school for 3 years, this will be a piece of cake. She knows how to go into a classroom and for the most part follow directions. The plan we had of Marcella taking her down and dropping her off and then picking her up again for the bus ride home seemed like the perfect idea. She would get to be with her sister, whom she adores.  However I never took into consideration the obvious things that now I am hitting my head over.  1. for 3 years I have never once taken her to school. The bus came, she got on and went to school.  2. It is a new school. It is way more hectic and crazy in the morning with hundreds of kids. 3. She spent the last year of preschool not seeing any kids but the kids in her preschool class.  They had to be moved to a house because of the tornado that destroyed their school last year so she not only is not used to being with so many kids, she isn’t used to navigating herself around them to find her classroom.  4. Didn’t even think about how now you are in kindergarten you get to spend most of your time sitting at your desk. Not playing and then sitting and then playing again etc. You are expected to come in and sit at your desk and wait for school to start.  5. I somehow ALWAYS seem to forget that this little girl hates chaos. She hates it being too loud and if things are a little too hectic she shuts down.  This morning was anything but calm.

On my way to school I felt that we had prepared pretty well for this day. On my walk home I felt like I had failed in every aspect.  She has been at school for 50 minutes and I am wondering if I should call and see if she is still crying.  Such a drastic intro in to kindergarten. My hope is that the remaining 5 hours are a bit better.  The sad thing is knowing that she can’t communicate well enough to tell me all about her day, so I may never know.  Good luck my sweet Claire. I love you.  

Summer

Summer is slowing fading away and soon we will be starting on new adventures. Marcella in third grade, which was my all time favorite year in elementary school and Claire in Kindergarten. Yep Kindergarten. She will be their ALL day long. It tugs at my heart. I know I was sad when Marcella went, but this seems so different.

Since school hasn't started yet, I am doing my best to enjoy all of the time we get to spend together. I have been trying to say yes today. Have you ever tried that?  I came across a quote by Sister Hinckley many years ago and one of my favorite lines is "I tried hard never to say "no" if I could possibly say "yes"."  I have found I am a happier mom when I say yes more and today I am reaping the rewards of that small little word.  Blueberry muffins for breakfast, (side note: they looked picture perfect, they tasted....well let's say we were all disappointed and had a really good laugh) Painted fingernails, and chocolate chip cookies (Marcella's secret recipe). I can't wait to see what the rest of the day holds. 

Ciao,
Kanien

“My mother taught me some basic philosophies of rearing children. One is that you have to trust them. I tried hard never to say "no" if I could possibly say "yes". I think that worked well because it gave my children the feeling that I trusted them and they were responsible to do the best they could.” 

                                                                                                                       ~ Marjorie Pay Hinckley