September 26th, 2016
(I started this post, took a break for a couple of weeks, and am finally playing catch up again!)
E started second grade on August 29th. Did I type that correctly? SECOND GRADE???? FB memories just showed me a picture of him today on one of our traditional Autumn hikes five years ago when he was TWO!!! The cliché is real…time is flying!!!
So here is our seven-year old before we left the house. I think these pictures capture different aspects of his personality! Each year, I ask the boys what they want to be when they grow up. This year, E told me he wanted to be a pilot for cats. He’ll probably have Adi as his co-pilot.
After a couple of more silly pics with Mom and Dad, we were off to school!
We all accompanied E to his new classroom. He likes his teacher and has fifteen other students in his class.
After dropping E off, we headed over to the Kindergarten rooms for an orientation.
(Here’s a quick catch up for those of you who knew about our hopes for S to experience our village Kindergarten…We had S on a waiting list for almost seven months. However, after our landlord did some investigative legwork and determined we wouldn’t get a spot, we finally let go of this hope and enrolled him at E’s school the Friday before school started. Though I was initially disappointed he wouldn’t get to experience a German school, I’ve been pleasantly surprised with the great fit his Kindergarten class is!)
I loved how the classroom was set up with tables, a reading area and different play stations. S immediately started playing! A few days later, his new teacher and her assistant came to our house for a Home Visit. I was impressed with this personal touch.
S and I had the rest of the week to ourselves before school officially started for him the day after Labor Day. We took advantage of the nice weather and rode our scooters at the Dino Park one afternoon. Did you catch the “our” in that last sentence? Mein Mann ordered us a scooter to share so we can keep up with the boys when they ride their scooters. Our boys are FAST! Thankfully, the skate park was empty so I could get a lot of practice in without colliding with anyone! Though Tuesday’s child is supposed to be full of grace, I’m a bit of a klutz!
To help E ease into his new school routine, we did some unwinding at the ice cream shop after school. Adi also got a lot of after-school snuggles. =)
That Friday we drove to Salzburg for the long Labor Day weekend (more on that adventure later). On Monday night, with TWO backpacks ready at the door, I sat with the boys in their room and read a book about a little boy starting Kindergarten. To my surprise, the story was about the mixed emotions of both the mother and the boy. Suddenly, a few tears rolled down my cheeks. I was struck with the reality of this new transition and it pulled at my heart-strings harder than I expected. Mein Mann took this picture in the moment…
I took a breath, wiped my eyes and continued reading. I knew S was SO ready to start school. I also knew I would miss spending my days with this joy-filled little guy. The heart of a parent can hold so many emotions all at the same time for these dear ones entrusted to us.
The next morning, September 6th, it was our five-year old’s turn to smile wide for the camera with his First Day of Kindergarten Sign. He did so with pride and joy…of course! Here’s our future firefighter!!
He took pictures with Dad and Mom before we both dropped him off together.
He walked into his classroom with confidence! His cubby was labeled with his picture and name. His teacher is FANTASTIC and her assistant is from the same city we lived in before moving to Germany. S has fifteen other students in his class for a total of ten boys and six girls. Like his brother, he has six Specials that rotate throughout the week alongside his regular classroom subjects. The Specials are: Host Nation (a German culture class), Spanish, Music, Art, Gym, Library, and Computers.
He did great! No tears from him and only watery eyes from Mama after I walked out of his classroom. Mein Mann and I went to the downtown Farmers Market together afterwards where he bought me flowers. It was a sweet time to be together…just the two of us!
When I returned to school that afternoon to pick up the boys, S came charging out the door. He yelled “Mama” as he ran into my arms! BIG HUGS!!!!!!! Big brother joined us shortly afterwards. How I love these boys!
S had an AWESOME first day of Kindergarten! He adores his teacher and we think he hit the jackpot getting her. He was so excited to show us the hat he made and the book he colored. What a great start to his school years!
When a German child starts their formal education in first grade, they receive a Schultüte as a gift from their parents. This special, cone-shaped container is about three feet tall and filled with candy, toys and school supplies. To celebrate this new school year for our boys, they both received their own Schultüte on S’s first day.
And as they quickly figured out, the cones double as hats. Gotta love it!
In case you are wondering what I’m doing with all my free time now…
Trust me, I have a list a mile long of things to do and catch up on! I did start volunteering at the boys’ school on Wednesday mornings, spending time in both of their classrooms. I love the insider’s peek I get of their school day, the opportunity to meet their classmates and the lunch dates we have. I’m continually grateful for this season of life!
Schönen Tag (Good Day)!
