Let School begin...

First School Picture - Kindergarten 2015-2016

We have now entrained into a new stage of family life, School.   Neal started Kindergarten this year and to say that he likes it would be an understatement, he LOVES it!  

We are in a district with year round school and so Neal started his school year the beginning of July.  He is getting ready to end his first quarter the end of this week and will have his first big break.  He loves being around his friends all day and comes home with lots of stories, mostly about what him and his friends played on the playground and how much fun lunch is with everyone in the cafeteria.

It sure has made the house different during the day having our oldest gone at school.  The house is really quiet but in a way it makes for a nice way to get things done with one of four children not underfoot.

Gwen doesn't seem to mind that Neal is gone all day, however she does squeal with joy when it is time to pick up her big brother from the bus stop.   She runs to find her shoes and backpack, both in the morning and afternoon, to head to the bus stop with me.   The littlest boys in the house are also doing great with big brother gone.  We have managed to get them on a good schedule so that they are happy and sleeping during the bus drop off and pick-up times.  

It is so fun to see how fast Neal is learning things.  He has already leaned quite a few of his sight words and will "read" what he knows when he sees these words appear in a book.  He has even been found "reading" to his brothers and playing school with his toys.

He comes home with so many different drawings and stories at the end of the week.  What I love is trying to decipher what he has written about since his sentences consist of mostly only the fist and last letter of a word.  I have had fun trying to "read" his stories that go along with his drawings.  

"I see a shark.  The shark is fast"

I like to play with my friends"

Manytimes I will hear Neal tell me how much he loves school and how he doesn't want to stay home Saturday and Sunday but go to school every single day.   What a joy to know that he loves this new routine.  Now the trick will be to find ways to entertain all four kiddos while Neal is out of school for the next month or perhaps they will entertain themselves...