Back to School

I have no pictures from the first day of school. It's simply (another) something that I just can't pull off each year! Ethan was a little anxious about starting 5th grade, but being at the same school, with the same teacher he had in 3rd grade, with Betty still as his aide, made things pretty smooth. I think his nervousness had everything to do with knowing that another year older means more work and responsibility. Isn't it hard to grow up?

On the first day of school, Ben was pumped to be starting at a new school. We spent four months prepping him for the transition, and many phone calls and emails back and forth with service providers at the new school site. We were cautiously optimistic (not a great classroom for him, but a VERY supportive principal who was greasing the skids for mainstreaming asap). But then the shock came with a phone call from his school behaviorist saying that they felt he should move to a different school site to a non-public setting. LOOOOOONNG story short, I was livid. What followed was a very stressful couple of weeks and some of the lowest of low moments in my mothering career. But we made it through to the other side and are feeling cautiously optimistic (again?!) about Ben's new placement.

Eliza had to wait a couple of weeks after her brothers to start school, and bounded back to preschool with pent-up enthusiasm. She just loves it there. I'm rather amazed at the girl social system that establishes itself even in preschool. The first week at pick-up time Eliza was either in tears or ecstatic, all based on who she got to sit next to at closing circle. Thankfully, that has leveled out and she's pretty content with anyone or no-one now. Phew! I don't know if I can do this girl thing!

And Blake is not in school yet, of course, but just my constant companion for all his siblings school stuff. Thankfully, he's a very skilled tag-a-long.

This school year I agreed to be the treasurer for the PFC at Ethan's school. It's proving to be a much more time-consuming commitment than the secretary position was. But I'm hoping that after an initial learning curve the demands of the job will level out and not sap my time and energy as much. We shall see!

Here's a picture that I took in late September as a gesture toward a first day of school shot. I include simply because a blog post without pictures can be such a booooorrrrre.