potent tates

School! Already?
Classes started on Monday, and we here at Camp Maranatha have not yet finished our summer season. This is little bit of a crazy week- we have our second largest group of the summer in, but most of our staff is going, or has gone, home. Josh has been working in the kitchen in the mornings...breakfast this week is served at seven, which means that he has to be in the kitchen at 6am...I have to get the kids ready, and myself, and go down to breakfast. In years past we have just done breakfast at home, but this year that seems harder, somehow, or more time-consuming.
We've been having the kids set their clothes out the night before, so that part of the morning is shortened, but really, we're tired and flat out. Josh comes home at 4pm so that I can go work...we haven't had much time off. It is just for the week, though, and then we can settle into the real routine of school and activities, small groups and socializing.
The kids, Bowden especially, were dismayed a few weeks ago when I told them how soon the summer would end. Bowden does not like school, and despite his complaints about boredom this summer, he doesn't see the first grade as a good distraction from the monotony of home-life. Lucy loves school, but she follows suit, generally, with whatever Bowden says, at least, initially.

Once the big day arrived, however, I went to wake the kids up at 6:45am- a whole hour and fifteen minutes sooner than we have been waking up- and Bowden jumped up and immediately began putting on his clothes. He was so excited...he told me that he had trouble going to sleep the night before because he was looking forward to going to school so much. He sped through all the tasks of the morning with joy and excitement, and I was glad- it was a good way to start the year.
Lucy was excited, too, but a little nervous. This year she's attending the preschool at the Idyllwild School, and she didn't know what to expect. She was happy to wear her new dress from Nanny, though, and she was happy enough.
Bowden was in the car twenty minutes early, so we went and played for a while on the playground first. I walked Lucy into her room and met her teacher, Mrs. Sue, and she looked at the new toys and new kids, and settled in without any complaint or fear. I picked her up at eleven in the morning, so she was only in preschool for three hours...she says that she liked her first day, but that, "they didn't really do anything." (Her biggest complaints have been, "I want to eat lunch at school!" and, "I don't like school...because I don't like to miss t.v.")
I took this just after we got home.

Then I had to take one of Jack. It will be good for him to be the big boy at home for a few hours every day, I think.

Bowden came home, and he liked his teacher, and his class. He said many times that he had to stay after lunch...the biggest change for him is that school is three hours longer than it was last year. I don't pick him up until 2:30...craziness. I miss him for all that time. It's a pretty long day, but he has had such a good attitude the past few days...I think he needs to be doing something.

He really likes that he has E.P.D.- which I think is like P.E.- and that that is taught by Ms. Adler, his kindergarten teacher from last year.
I hope that this year can make him love, or at least like, school. If he learns, and likes it more, I think we will have gained ground.