First Day, Hooray!

abecedarian \ay-bee-see-DAIR-ee-uhn\, noun:

1. One who is learning the alphabet; hence, a beginner.

The first day of school was awesome. The kids were so excited that they didn't want to eat breakfast that morning for fear that they would have it come back up during reading time. So, being the good mommy that I am, I sent them to school with empty bellies.

Layna caught on to the excitement and would not leave the house without her purse and her own backpack, and while we were walking out to the car, she serenaded us with her version of Dora's "Backpack". Layna also insisted on wearing her purple striped T-shirt dress underneath her red corduroy dress paired with her hot pink shoes. It would seem that she is taking after her big sister when it comes to fashion.

We walked Corrine to her classroom and then had to hurry on over to the building just down the road because have I told you yet? I have a middle schooler now. MIDDLE SCHOOL. FIFTH GRADE IS CONSIDERED MIDDLE SCHOOL. AND WE AS PARENTS ARE SUPPOSED TO BE OK WITH THIS. Up until I met the teachers, principal, janitor, school secretary, lunch lady, and every other parent of a fifth grader attending this school, I was a nervous wreck. I considered home schooling. I considered making up a "condition" that would require me to attend classes with my fifth grader just so I could be there should he need me to cut his meat into bite size pieces during lunch. Needless to say, Hunter did not approve of either option.

After our meet and greet with both fifth grade teachers, my fears were completely put to rest. I could not be happier with them and I feel very confident that our son will get a better education than both his daddy and I did at that age. I can't express to you enough how much I love the schools here and how happy I am that our kiddos have the opportunity to live in a small town and experience all the things we did not. If a child so wishes to be on a sports team, or in drama club, math club, band, FFA, or even detention, all that child has to do is say so. Here, it's not who you know, rather what you know, that gets you somewhere. As long as the desire is there, so is the opportunity. I'm not saying this works in favor of the sports team or club, but here, that's not what's important. What is important is that each child feels they can, and is encouraged to, be a star.

I did not have such an opportunity. In my graduating class alone, there were more students than there are currently living in my town and the next town over. If all of us girls who wanted to be cheerleaders were allowed to do so, we would have taken up the entire football field and made all the football players wait while we performed one cheer. "First and ten! Do it again!" (I did not try out for cheer. Apparently you have to be able to coordinate and control your body movements with the chanting.)

So short post made long, I'm happy with where we are. And our little bug can't wait for the day when she too will become an abecedarian just like her older siblings. (I, on the other hand, can wait.)