Emily’s first class trip was to the Museum of Appalachia. They were the only school group there, so it was easy to keep up with the kids. Keeping up with the kids was made easier as there were also a lot of parents to help with the kids. In Emily’s class alone there were 12 parents for the 17 kids, though not all of the classes had as many parents.

Emily chose to hang out with her friend Charlie for most of the morning outing. We explored the buildings, saw the wildlife, had to speak to all the kids we ran into, and bounced around quite a bit. Emily was not too interested in all the buildings and how things were done, but she picked up on a few things. Charlie was fascinated with the lady demonstrating quilting. I expect she will be asking for someone to give her a go at it herself.

Just as the morning got warm, it was time for lunch and then the return trip to school. Emily was a bit cold because she like most of the kids in her class left their coats and sweatshirts behind at school. Silly kids, maybe they will remember next time.

A warming up Emily in the big field.

The Hominy Mamas who entertained the kids with funny songs and a few fast facts about pioneer life.

This amazing Dad lifted each kid so they could ring the dinner bell. That would be 45 kids in 20 minutes. He got in today’s workout.

Emily with her friend Charlie.

Some hungry sheep out for their lunch.

Julia has loved going to school twice a week with her special friend. It is easier to leave Mama when your friend is there playing with play-doh already. Our warm sunny days have made playing at the playground a lot of fun too.

M’s fashion shot!

If there is a morning person at our house it is Julia, but everyone else seems to be a bit slow getting going in the morning. We are grateful that Julia gets up and gets her routine completed and breakfast eaten without any complaint and minimal trouble.

Emily is not inclined to get up and get busy in the morning. The correlation between not wanting to fall asleep at bedtime and morning tiredness hasn’t sunk in for her yet. Not sure if it has for her Mama either. To help with each morning, we have two routines in place. One is pre-selecting clothes for the week and labeling each outfit. Maybe, we will learn how to spell the days of the week while we’re at it. The second routine is nifty routine cards Mama found online. They seem to work well to remind the girls what is expected without so much interaction from Mama. While all the morning excitement is going on Mama is making breakfast and lunch. As long as the girls have gotten their responsibilities done on time they get a few minutes of play and TV time before going to school.

Before school even started Emily was looking forward to the day she could ride the bus like all the big kids did. We promised that she could try after school had been going on for a little while and the bus drivers were used to the routes and drop-offs. This would limit the time it took to get home. She was patient and waited until September and then she was ready to give it a try.

The bus gets Emily home thirty minutes after school is over and it drops her off just in front of our house. All kindergarteners are only released from the bus if there is someone to get them. Emily has loved riding the bus home. She has had some adjustments though. One is that it is the first time she has ridden un-restrained in a vehicle. For someone so small it is hard to hold yourself on a seat as the bus takes turns. She had to go fetch her backpack a few times. She has made a friend on the bus – another kindergartener girl who occasionally rides the bus. When it is time to get off the bus, she jumps off the bottom step and then runs straight to the front porch and sometimes into the house without even a hello. She has such focus and intent. On occasion, Emily is getting to ride home to her Grandparents house instead of home. It is great that they live on the bus route. She enjoys the treat when it works out.

Emily is thrilled when she finds out she gets to ride the bus home from school!

Today was Emily’s third day of school and the start of her first full week. I asked Emily if she wanted to walk in to class by herself or if she wanted to be dropped off. She definitely wanted to be dropped off. She had been saying this since Friday morning when I walked her in. We practiced what would be involved in getting out of the car with her backpack and lunchbox. Here is a photo of Emily walking away from the car all determined to walk in by herself. I love the determination, it will serve her well in life.

On the drive to school today, I remembered a trip we took when Emily was just nine months old. Emily and I tagged along with Daddy on a business trip to San Francisco. During Daddy’s meetings, we walked around the sites of the city. We rode the cable cars a few times and one time I rode on the outward facing bench in the very front. I held on very tight to Emily as we rode, but I felt pretty exposed. It was a strange sense of excitement and thrill combined with a little terror mixed in. Taking Emily to school and watching her be bold and try these new things has been very similar. I’m so excited for her and watching it happen has been thrilling mixed with trepidation.

The other story from the morning was Julia’s response to Emily going to school. She asked me why we switched the car seats around in the car, she asked when we were getting Emily back, and when Emily got out of the car and we pulled away, she proclaimed that she “wanted her Emily back”. They missed each other so much that . . . before they were out of the car at home they were yelling at each other and mad about a grievance. Oh well, they are just kids and most likely a bit tired and hungry. Hopefully, it will all even out in a week or two.