Friends

We are one week in to the new school year.  I could cry.  I'm not, but I could.  I seriously miss summer.  Not the heat.  It's still here and I definitely wish it would find it's way to the other side of the world for a while.  I miss our lazy days.  I miss not having to get up and out.  It's been a hard transition.  The one who has had the hardest time is the one who started kindergarten.  She's done MUCH better than I thought she would, but my girl is T.I.R.E.D.  She has had her moments where she fusses about having to go to school, but she comes home so excited to tell me about her day.

And the one thing that has helped ...

If Mykah has it her way, this will be in their wedding slideshow.  She's slightly obsessed with this sweet boy, but I'm not so sure we should be planning the wedding just yet.  Maybe we should learn to tie shoes first.  They are in the same class, so the thought of getting to play with Jayden at recess spurs her on to actually getting in the car to head to school in the mornings. 

I'm so thankful my kids have such sweet friends at school!

First Day of School

I'm crying a little inside because summer is over.  And, let me tell you, we had a GOOD summer.  Especially compared to last year.  The girls were eager to start and I was a little eager to send them.  The hardest part for us this year was waking up!  All three kids figured out how to sleep in over the summer.  They spoiled me. 

We had meet the teacher last week.  Mykah was SO excited to see who her teacher was.  Karsyn was more excited to see if she had any of her friends in her class.  She doesn't, but she's being a trooper.  She makes new friends pretty easily, so I'm excited for her. 

Normally, I do a back-to-school photo shoot.  But to add to my "laziest mom of the year" award, I didn't do it.  The plans are to do it this weekend.  Better late than never, right?

The first day of school came.  8.25.14

Karsyn is big in 2nd grade.  She's excited to be in the portables and her teacher is Mrs. Yorek.

Mykah is excited to be in class with her friend Jayden.  She's in Mrs. Krenek's class, which I was super excited about.

 

I had to share this next one.  Mykah keeps saying she wants to be a rockstar.  I had her give me her best rockstar pose.  Clearly, we need to work on that. 

And then they were tired of me taking their pictures.  Hence the reason I don't get too eager to have photo shoots with them.

They came home and reported great days.  Mykah was a little more peppy than I expected.  She was in high gear and excited to tell me about her day.

The things she says ...

Mykah is a HOOT!  She constantly keeps us laughing and wondering all at the same time.  I wanted to share a few things she said just yesterday, mainly for me to remember, but also for you to enjoy.

M: There's a kid named Xavior in my class.
Me: That's a cool name.  Is he nice?
M: I do NOT like that name.
Me: Why?
M:  Because Jesus is the only Xavior.

M: Today I'm going to tell my teacher that I'm an Indian and she'll say "ATTENTION: We have an Indian in the class!"  (This led to unending giggles)

M: The class gets to vote on who gets to take Blueberry home at the end of the week.
Me: (knowing some classes do have pets) Hold up.  Who is Blueberry?
M: Our class dog.
(silence)
M: Don't worry, he's not real.  But our class gets to vote on Friday for who gets to bring him home.  And he likes to eat blueberry muffins.  Jayden said he's going to vote for me.  I want the whole class to vote for me.
Me: Well, some people might not vote for you and that's okay.  You do have to make sure you're being everyone's friend, being nice to everyone, and helping them if they need help.
M: Whew, I have a few days.

Y'all.  I wish you were all here when she says these things.  They are FAR funnier in person.  I'm so so so thankful God gave us a child with this sense of humor.  Karsyn is quite the character herself, but she's a little more serious and doesn't like people to laugh at her.  Jaxton seems to be a mix.  We shall see. 

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Look at all of those blue eyes!  This is Karsyn and two of the sweetest friends in the world, Mary Hellen and Kailei.  I'm so very thankful my girl was able to form such strong friendships her Kindergarten year.  I had no doubts that she would, but it makes my heart happy to know the depth of their friendship.  I'm really sad to be leaving Johnson Elementary and these friends, but thankfully we will just be across town.  These are friends that will last a lifetime I'm sure.

teacher appreciation

i admit.  i'm a slacker.  i'm definitely not the kindergarten-mom i thought i'd be.  but i'm not posting about that right now.  maybe this summer (or in 16 days, as karsyn reminded me this morning) when kindergarten is over, i'll have a reflection post about the year that's gone.  and try not to cry.

so this week is teacher appreciation week.  the slacker part came because i totally missed out on the chance to help with with lunches for the teachers all week long.  a dear friend had a list and was in charge of getting lunches together and i kept forgetting to sign up.  then the list was all full. 

i did decide to do something little for karsyn's teacher every day this week though.  something simple for my simple little brain.  karsyn and i talked about it and she decided that she wanted to bring mrs. mosley some flowers every day.  my simple little mind forgot to take a picture monday, but yesterday i snapped this picture ...

so monday, she went to school with a sweet mason jar because mason jars make everyone happy.  and we bought some bright spring flowers to fill it with.  then tuesday, she took these flowers.  and this morning she had a bunch of purple flowers to add.  her jar is pretty full, but karsyn is loving that each morning mrs. mosley says "MORE FLOWERS?!?!"  and gives her the biggest hug ever. 

friday we will bring her something extra.  she's been so great for karsyn.  she absolutely loves mrs. mosley and we have been so blessed by her and have had the best kindergarten year!

of course .. mykah has to get in on the action too ..

and, yes, mykah is in her jammies.  every morning, without fail, she begs me to let her stay in her jammies to take karsyn to school.  as long as we aren't getting out, i don't fight her.  that's not the mountain i want to die on, if you know what i mean.  she's definitely a "pick your battles" child. 

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this week is johnson elementary's 40th birthday.  to help celebrate, today was decade dress-up day.  early communication doesn't seem to be on the radar here, so we found out yesterday that karsyn was supposed to dress up today in her favorite decade.  it ended up being ... dress up in whatever we can find day.  whatever.  the side pony tail made it.  and little sister had to dress up in something too.  too bad these are clothes we wear daily.  and half of our things are packed, so the tom's were the only shoes to make the cut.  the hair though?  perfect 80's.  the rest doesn't matter.

kindergarten program

karsyn was so excited about her program.  when we found out about it, we also found out that we'd have to make a costume.  WHAT?!?!  a lettuce costume at that.  i had no clue what to do.  she talked it up at school though.  she had big plans.  plans that mama didn't know about.  we settled on a green dress, green flip flops, and a green bow.  a few of the kids/parents went all out.  i thought my little head of lettuce was cute as could be.  i like simple.

the program was "how does your garden groove?" and was the cutest thing ever.  the songs were adorable, as well as the hand motions and dances that went with them.  and my girl got into it.  she did so good!

she was mainly excited that nana and papa were able to be there.  :)

our first field trip

i have no pictures, but a story i do have.

we found out last week that karsyn had a field trip today.  we talked a lot about it.  when i was in elementary school, field trips were a BIG deal.  we went big places.  the zoo was one i remember.  the witte museum.  lots of moms went.  and we had tons of fun.  i had those days in the back of my mind when we found out about karsyn's. 

lots has changed since i was in school though.  her class was going to HEB and then to a local park for lunch.  i talked to her about me going.  i was trying to figure out how i'd do that with a baby and a 4 year old.  but i really wanted to be there.  when i asked her if she wanted me to come she quickly said "no".  WHAT?!?!?!  she wanted no part in me being there.  truthfully, that really hurt my feelings!!!  i decided to go anyway.  my baby?  without me in HEB?  i wasn't about to let that happen.  she didn't really like that idea, but i finally convinced her.  jaxton strapped to me and mykah running alongside, i was VERY surprised when i was just one of two moms that went along.  shocked!  i thought all moms went on field trips?!?! 

HEB was really fun.  they walked them through the whole store, teaching them how to be kings and queens of their bodies the whole way through.  i was really glad i went.  mykah enjoyed it as well!

the park part got rained out.  they did get to eat their lunch under a pavilion there, but then went right back to school. 

she has another field trip at the end of this month.  we'll see how that one goes.

teamwork award

i admit, i was a bit shocked, but not totally.  karsyn had her semester kinder awards yesterday.  everyone got awards and as i heard some of them read off, i wondered each time if that would be the award she received.  writing?  kind words?  most improved?  the list went on.  finally, the terrific teamwork award was called, followed by my girl's name.  we talk about teamwork all the time at home when trying to get both girls to cooperate while cleaning up a mess, making beds, etc.  it's preached here.  we help each other out every time we get a chance.  but to hear that she's applying it in school made my mama heart happy.

even better .. her best friend got the exact same award.  i'd like to be a fly on the wall to see how those girls interact with each other at school. 

. my school girl .

i am an emotional person.  1000%.  so i have a feeling there will be lots of blog posts in the coming weeks where i just ramble.  and it'll be emotional.  cause that's how i am.  and, right now, that's how i get through the days.  baby blues are killin' me this go 'round.  

ok, so ... the blog, and lots of other things, took a back seat during my pregnancy.  it makes me sad that i wasn't able to keep up with it, but i could hardly keep up with my own kids!  pregnancy makes me very lazy and i had every right to be, i'd say.  growing a baby is hard work!  after my last two pregnancies have ended, life resumes, and i finally start to feeling better, i always have a guilty feeling that lingers.  guilty because i basically lost 9 months of life with the child i already had.  for 9 months mama didn't feel good.  for 9 months mama was tired.  i can't imagine what went through their heads for those 9 months.  surely they noticed that mama wasn't the same.  but did they understand and were they okay with it?  those are the things i think of today.  i missed lots of precious time with my girls these past 8 months, this time around.  and now i feel like i have to catch up.

remember, karsyn started kindergarten?!  do you know how hard this year has been on this mama's heart?!?  to have my first baby start kindergarten AND have a new baby all close to the same time.  my heart has ached, all for good reasons, for the last 2 months.  i just thought karsyn starting kinder did me in.  then jaxton comes along.  and now i have 3 blessings.  ok, we won't go into all of that again.

karsyn has done so good in school.  i must say, she has already grown so much in the last month that she's been in school.  seriously.  grown tremendously.  she no longer lets me drop her off at the front door.  we've backed up to the sidewalk now.  "just drop me off here" she tells me every day.  and, yes, i'm the mom that parks it and watches her walk all the way inside the door.  that's me. 

she did miss one day for being sick.  i debated.  debated hard on whether or not to send her that day.  it was a monday.  mykah had been sick with a lower respiratory infection the week before and karsyn caught it by that weekend.  she never had fever, but was coughing up lungs for a few days.  i spoke with a sweet friend who was a school nurse and said to keep her home!  several said that she won't get behind in kindergarten for missing one day.  so, i kept her home.  we actually ended up at the doctor that day and got medicine, so thankfully she was better right away.  she acted perfectly fine the rest of the day, so she certainly went back to school the following day.

she missed the day jaxton was born as well.  who wouldn't have?  although we didn't know for sure what time he would arrive, she had it set in her mind the day before that she would be at the hospital and not at school.

then, the day i never even thought of explaining.  daddy went to pick her up last week and she was so sad.  "i didn't have a good day."  he even had to carry her inside when they got home.  i had no clue what could have caused her to be so sad.  and i never even thought about telling her this could happen.  she had a substitute teacher.  mrs. mosely was not at school.  and it broke her sweet little heart.  my girl is definitely a girl of routine and planning.  she has to know about things before they happen.  i never once thought about preparing her for this kind of day.  where the teacher would be out.  and it broke her heart.  thankfully, mrs. mosely returned the next day and all was right in the world once again.  i did have a talk with her though about how that could happen, so maybe next time won't be so traumatic.

and ... a day i actually prepared for ... she wanted to eat in the cafeteria.  GASP!  okay.  okay.  it's not life-threatening.  but she's always insisted that she takes her lunch.  now all of a sudden she wants to eat there.  it's not that huge of a deal.  my mom is a food nutrition director for the school district i grew up in.  i know how cafeterias work, for the most part.  and i know what kind of food they serve.  my hesitation was that i know what kind of food my mom's cafeterias serve.  not ours.  so i was hesitant.  but i let go.  and she loves it.  we check the menu daily and she decides if she wants to eat that or not.  and i'm ok with it right now.  our mornings are crazy enough with a new baby in the house.  it's just one of those things i chose not to fight.  plus, nana went to eat with her one day last week and gave us the "nana approval".  

. 241/365 .

 

this morning was different.  much different than yesterday.  i'm still surprised.  she was very eager to get up and get going again.  ate.  did the whole routine.  she had known for several days what she wanted to wear for the second day.  her sparkly shirt.  sparkly belt.  and sparkly shoes.  and she had to tuck her shirt in she said.  oh, and the side pony tail, which somehow ended up just looking like a pony tail in the back that i didn't get centered.  oh well. 

 

she wanted pizza in her lunchbox today.  and milk.  and was ready with 30 minutes to spare. 

 

the hard part came when it was time for her to be dropped off.  today she insisted that i drop her off.  you know, she wanted me to do that yesterday because she "knew where her classroom was already."  i had to explain that mama didn't know where it was, so maybe she could show me.  that's how i got my foot in the door yesterday.  today though.  drop me off.  and i was ok with that.  parking and walking isn't really my favorite thing to do these days with the big belly and swollen feet.  but i would have walked her in every day if that's what she wanted. 

 

but, she wanted to be dropped off.  so we did just that.  as soon as that car door closed and i watched her walk away into the school all by herself, i lost it.  completely.  and have cried for an hour afterwards.  big, ugly tears.  i'll never lose that picture of her walking in from my head.  she had her backpack on.  lunchbox in hand.  opened the door and walked right in.  without me. 

 

and now i want to know.  since when did they start teaching them to be teenagers on the first day of kindergarten?!?  today was hard on this mama!  my mom said it best.  she called me shortly after and i boo hoo-ed to her.  she reminded me that i have raised her to be independent.  i have raised her for this very moment.  i have raised her to be strong and courageous.  i just didn't prepare myself to see that moment. 

 

 

. first day report .

i wondered all day how she would be when i picked her up this afternoon.  would she be quiet?  she tends to not want to talk about things unless it's on her terms.  i brought her some orange juice and chocolate chip cookies because i knew she'd be hungry.  she had a bag of goodies from her teacher that she eagerly showed mykah.  and she said "it was good!"  she told us that she went to art and that the little girl that sits next to her, mary hellen, followed her around all day long.  she talked about that several times and even brought up once that she "tried to get away from her."  i kind of chuckled, but tried to explain to her about being a leader and that maybe mary hellen was scared and saw that karsyn wasn't scared so she wanted to be with her and be her friend. 

she said they got to go on the playground twice and that she did everything by herself all day.  i had several talks with her prior about it being okay to ask for help.  she's VERY independent.  always has been.  and even if she can't do something, she won't ask for help.  so i wanted to make sure she knew that it was ok to do so.  she was very proud to announce that she was able to open her water and her chips all by herself at lunchtime. 

seems like a successful day to me.  and she's more than ready to go back tomorrow.  she was hyper all evening and didn't fall asleep as quickly as i had imagined.  my favorite part was when she came to me not too long after we got home and said "i just want to spend time with you mama."  so we did just that. 

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. kindergarten 2012 .

today was the day.  the first day my baby went to kindergarten.  today wasn't as hard as i expected.  i cried throughout the preparation of it all, but when it came down to taking her, i was okay.  i cried when david left for work.  he cried when he got in his car.  it didn't help that karsyn was being sassy and saying "i'm going to kindergarten and you're gonna cry!!!"  it's like a dagger to the heart!  we got up early and david had already gone to chick-fil-a for a special first day of school breakfast. 

she was so excited though that the day had finally come.  she did her countdown daily.  told everyone she saw.  picked out her clothes.  and was on cloud 9 for several days leading up to it.  we did have lots of talks because she seemed so anxious about it all.  she is very detail oriented, so she needed to know everything that would happen in advance.

mykah was super excited for sissy as well.  at first anyways.  notice the shirt she picked out to wear today?  big sister in charge.  she took that title and ran with it all day long.  she about sent me into labor by the days end.  seriously.  can you blame her though?  she has NEVER had time alone with just mama.  and she took full advantage. 

she was ready to go quite early.  i'm very thankful that i don't have to drop her off until 8:10.  that will give us plenty of time in the mornings.  she gets up and at 'em though.  she was ready with LOTS of time to spare, which left lots of time for mama to think about the coming events. 

she has insisted all along that she takes her lunch every day as well.  it didn't matter to me either way, so we talked about it lots and she knew what she wanted.  today we packed a ham, cheese, & mayo sandwich, a bag of sun chips, applesauce, a cheesestick, and a gogurt thing.  along with a bottle of water.  i did not include the cooked broccoli that she asked for only because i have to figure out how to pack it to stay warm.  seems like i packed a ton of food too though, but i knew she'd be hungry!

 

right as we got to school, one of karsyn's sweet friends met us at the door.  they aren't in the same class, but her class is right by karsyn's.  i think walking with them helped for sure!  i almost lost it a few times, but was able to hold it together until mykah and i got back in the car.

 

 

and leave it to her.  she walked right in.  emptied her backpack of the last few school supplies she needed.  hung it up.  put her lunchbox where it went.  and strolled right to her desk and started playing with playdoh that the teacher had set out for each kid.  like a pro.  i was VERY thankful for how she did.  i was very unsure and very nervous about how she'd do.  lots of times she quickly returns to me and clings for a while until i bribe her to let go.  nope.  not this time.  she turned teenager on me in a matter of seconds.

 

 

i knew i wanted to make my departure short and sweet.  mainly for myself.  she was a little quiet, but said goodbye and sent us on our way.  honestly, i was shocked that it went so smoothly.  but thankful at the same time.  she's so big!!

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. preparing for kindergarten .

i cannot believe how fast the new school year has come.  it's ALL new to us as karsyn is our first to go on this journey.  it's been full of ups and downs.  fear of the unknown, rather.  and this mama has come unglued once or twice in the process.  big, fat, ugly tears we're talking.  and the pregnancy hormones don't help a lick. 

karsyn is definitely our "school girl".  she will excel i imagine and be top of her class.  she's a perfectionist and expects only the best of herself.  i'm very thankful for that.  she loves school stuff.  writing.  coloring.  cutting.  learning.  so we don't worry at all about the school aspect of it all.  she'll do wonderfully.  what i worry about is that she's quiet.  she probably won't ask if she has a question.  or ask if she needs help.  or ask if she needs to use the restroom.  she may surprise us though.  she's done that a time or two. 

and the countdown for kindergarten began. 

 

i probably didn't even need a countdown for this kid.  once she heard the first number, she had it going from then on.  she's a planner.  and she's a numbers kind of girl.  she likes to know when it's all gonna happen and in what order.  so the second i told her it was 23 days until kindergarten, we heard the whole countdown each day afterwards.

nana and papa came one weekend and took her school shopping.  they may never volunteer for that again, but we were so very thankful.  she got all of her school supplies, backpack, lunchbox, and even some clothes.  that's when it got real.  and she's been excited every step of the way.

as the days went on, it became even more real.  we got a phone call from her teacher who wanted to schedule a time for a home visit.  she came that next day and we had a nice visit.  she's super nice and i really think it helped the whole process for karsyn.  she was able to see a face and meet her twice before school even starts.

 

meet the teacher night was exciting.  we were able to see her teacher yet again and also take all of her school supplies and see where her desk will be.  her school is the smallest elementary in the district, which is why we love it.  it was so easy to walk in and find her class. 

 

 

we received even more information that evening and was able to ask questions about little things that we were unsure of, which made this mama's worried heart take a breather.  there's still some worry there, of course.  i've been her teacher.  i've been her supporter.  i've been her helper.  i've been the one she runs to all day, every single day.  and now i won't be there for 7 hours of her day.  that stresses me out!  what if she needs me?  what if she needs help opening her drink at lunch? 

 

i know the answers to all of these.  i know it's always harder on the mama than it is on the child.  and i'm sure she'll do just fine without me by her side.  we're so excited to see how she grows this year.  to see what kind of girl she turns into.  what new things she'll learn.  and to pray even harder that she knows who she is and what we've taught her.