Almost there

Well it's Friday, and I think we may survive this whole school business, but I'm not going to lie...it's been rough!



The hardest part has been changing sleep patterns. Josh has difficulty falling asleep before 9pm, which means he's running about 2 hours short on sleep every night. I keep hoping his body will take over from exhaustion soon and let him sleep. It's been hard for me too as my body is still demanding extra levels of rest. Being a night owl myself it's hard to get in the habit of going to be 2 hours earlier than I typically do.



We're also used to either running errands, heading to the park or going out for a treat at night. All of which the school hours do not allow. Daddy comes home, we eat dinner, clean up, play a little and then start the bedtime process. We miss fun family time just as much as the boys!

I'm also used to a preschool environment where they are extra loving and helpful and give you a run down of your kids day- every day. That's not the case with elementary school. I don't get a rundown each day, and Josh is so exhausted from it all I can barely get two sentences about his 6+ hours there out of him. It's hard to have such little information.



Dropping him off in the morning has been pretty difficult as well. The first day I still had my child lock on the car door so I had to get out and hold up the car pool line while I let him out. Once he gets out, he doesn't know where to go, so he's depending on a teacher to help him. So far the teachers haven't been the quickest to come help. So I have to unwillingly inch off seeing my little boy confused and disoriented looking for help. Thankfully a teacher usually comes and helps by the time I have to completely pull away...but I'm sure it's not an easy way to start the morning, for him or me.

Today was big though, and much needed encouragement! He got out of the car, didn't pause to look for a teacher but marched straight to his hallway door and proceeded right in. He knew what he was doing. We're all figuring it out, slowly but surely.

I'm so very thankful to have friends down here that have been through it. They empathize with the difficulty of it, but encourage me that it will get better...at a month they hit their stride. It will seem routine, they will share more about what they learned and we will understand more about how the school works. Between that and his morning departure we are ending the week on an up note.

Plus baseball practice starts today. Something the whole family is looking forward to. It will be nice for Josh to get out and have some fun playing with friends and enjoying his favorite sport. Chris enjoys coaching as well, and Jack has dirt, rocks, a playground and big boys to watch. He couldn't enjoy it more, plus he's getting a pretty good arm and already demanding I practice with him as well.

Looking forward to the weekend to get refreshed!

Official

Well, it's official...I officially have a kindergartner.

Josh told Jack this morning that he couldn't play with him today and would miss him. He said "I'm going to real school to learn." He did so great getting up and getting ready. I walked him in with all of his school supplies, and so I could get a few pictures. He walked right into his room with no fussing or looks back, then went with his teacher straight to his spot at his table.

I was doing okay until I hit the hallway. It was really happening. Then we got home and Jack started yelling for Josh. That about put me over as well. It will be a major transition for all of us. The biggest of which will probably be the sleep schedule.

It's begun. I'm pretty sure we just entered the most difficult phase of parenting.

His backpack was already hurting him

Outside his classrom, his teacher is Mrs. Barron

I'm going to take the opportunity to explain our schooling choices, and why we chose what we chose. Each choice with each child is very individualized, this is just our approach with Josh.

Schooling is the most difficult choice I think we've had to make as parents so far. Mainly because in most situations there is a best option that ends in win-win. Schooling isn't that way. No matter what choice you make you are going to be giving up something, and in my opinion all the somethings are pretty big things to have to give up. In our opinion, this is what we were looking at giving up with each option:

Public- a limited cookie cutter education, no control of exposure (which is usually too much too soon)

Homeschool-their ability to start learning how to interact with the real world, taking our little light out of a place that desperately needs it, limitations of us being the main educators

Private- Um, money! And there are usually some of the same issues that public schools have

That's a very abbreviated version, and our point of view. For Josh we decided public schools would be the best option for now. We're open to evaluation at any point necessary.

There is lots of letting go. I can't keep my hands over his ears, or decide what people he can and can't be around to limit exposure. I don't get to control what he is taught. I don't get to have a say in much that goes on in that school. Which is making my prayer life much stronger : )

It also means the second he hits that car door we are communicating, open, honest, raw conversation about what his little mind is having to process through. We have to be much more diligent with the limited amount of time we now have.

With all the fears and hesitations I have about this new transition, I think they are just that- mine. Josh is excited and ready to learn. I think he is going to love school and do great!

Change

Lots of changes are coming in the Kelly home.

We are enjoying our last day with a preschooler because Josh starts kindergarten tomorrow.

Baseball starts back up with practice on Friday and our little all star can't wait to rejoin most of his old team mates on their new team the Marlins.

We're going to be a part of a new church plant, which means leaving our old church.

And most importantly we're adding to our numbers come beginning of February.

Will try to update on all these changes coming our way!