What A Long Strange School Year It Has Been....

The last day of school began as any other school day. Grey has always been really good at getting up and getting ready. He can be dressed, scoop the litter box, eat breakfast, and be outside in 15 minutes. And he does it without complaining. ( I love that!)

Holland, not so much. She doesn't mind getting up. She just doesn't want to go to school or anywhere for that matter. She always says "I wish it was stay-at-home day." Big sigh.
If I can get her mobile, there's some improvement in her disposition. But, woe unto the soul who wakes her up on a morning after a night she stayed up past her bedtime.

First day of Kindergarten (August 2008)

Last day of Kindergarten. (June 2009)

First day of 3rd grade (Aug 2008)

Last day of 3rd grade and about 6 more inches of hair (June 2009)

"FREE AT LAST..FREE AT LAST..."

They both did very well and were promoted to the next grade.

This has been such a strange and expensive school year, so I'm kind of glad it's over. Let's take a gander back at the last 8.5 months, shall we?

*Hurricane Ike--they were out of school 11 days

*Fire (arson) in the Kindergarten area that had the K class roaming the school for weeks.

*Back Surgery for Moi

*Audited for 2006 tax year by the IRS

*Bought a new car

*New car hits deer less than 6 weeks after we buy it

*Fire (Arson) burns down warehouse and damages showroom of one of Mac's major accts. right before Memorial Day weekend

*Just yesterday the a/c went out upstairs (about stair 8 you hit a 91 degree wall of heat); had to replace a part on that unit.

So, I told Mac I am taking the next 82 days of summer off from major decisions and purchases.

( At least, I hope so.)

Two Sharks Are Better Than One

Holland has now joined the ranks of the SF Elementary Sharks. And as with all things with Holland,you can never know be sure how it is going to go. So, I was a little nervous as I walked her to her class the first day to help her get settled and of course, take pictures. But I wasn't prepared for the tears, the leg-clinging, the wails of "why are you leaving me", and the helpless look in the blue eyes. Of course that was all me, and Holland was great and walked in like she owned the joint. She informed the teacher that she could read, which was news to me. Of course she also told me that morning that she spoke Spanish, but I don't speak Spanish, so who am I to dispute that? After all, she did study for a couple of years under the tutorial of Dora the Explorer. Guess which one was excited to start school.



The token first day of school picture. At his "meet the teacher" night a couple of nights ago, he was not a happy camper when he realized his best friend was not in his class. Mrs Carr, his second grade teacher, broke his little ring of friends up, spreading these boys across 5 3rd grade classes. Oh, those teachers are clever. As you can tell by his expression, he was a little gloom, despair, and agony on me. Whoaa (Did I really just use a Hee Haw reference?) Anyway, there was a silver lining because he had another good friend in his class that he hadn't seen on "meet the teacher" night. Thank goodness.

The new 3rd grade look.


At "meet the teacher"night we met Holland's teacher, Mrs. S, and she was very nice. She's from Greenville, Ms and went to "The W", a college in my hometown. (Go Hootie Owl.) So, I liked hearing that, but I still wasn't sure what kind of teacher she was. Well, at a birthday party, Mac and I met a guy whose daughter was also starting Kindergarten at our school and he said, "Mrs. S is the staple of the kindergarten department." That was reassuring to hear.

The front view of a kindergartner.

The rear view of a kindergartner.

She got right to work on her coloring project. Occasionally, she would look up at me like, "Ummm you still here?"

Holland "reading".

Holland and Mrs. S and a plug for foxes.

Coming home on the bus. It was like she grew up in the 7 hours she was gone.

(sigh)

Man, I really missed her.