Back to School Week !

IT'S OFFICIAL!  We are  back into the swing of the new school year! It was a week of  new schedules & new teachers. It was a week of incessant rain as well. Beginning with the  first day- making my new First Grader late! I thought I had left my house in more than sufficient time to account for the wet weather and the mob of parents dropping off their kids on the first day... apparently I under shot!  There we were waiting helplessly at the nearest intersection to the school with a serious traffic jam heading straight into Ashton's hectic parking lot.  I was already hyperventilating at this point ! We knew we were for sure late when we opened the van doors and heard the familiar  school bell chime. Making me sigh 20 more times over. I detest being late! In fact, I am NEVER late!!! lucky for us, we were among many many other car riders & bus riders also tardy.  Moriah's new teacher  Ms. Valentin  was smiling when she finally made it to her new classroom, and was waiting to greet her. That instantly made our outlook of the day better. Because of the wicked rain, we were unable to get our yearly pictures outside, another reason to GRRRR.

My sweet Maddy, who is my new Pre-Kindergartener (Gulp!?) Is now going by the name Madelyn. 

She marched confidently into her new school on that first day... she was not late do to the downpour subsiding. Thank you Jesus!  She gave her Mommy a tight neck hug and kiss and said goodbye and did not turn back. That's one thing about my kids, they  do not give me guilt trips when we part ways. So very glad!! I have a hard enough time  trying not to think about their bigness!!!  Needless to say, Madelyn will be at school a full week this year, but for 3 very short hours that the teacher packs a ton of great stuff into!-Including Bible!  So 11: 00 pick-up came  rather quickly. Enough time for my little boy & I to eat a delicious breakfast among many friends at Yoders!  I'm thinking we will frequent there this school year!

        

This is Moriah's  Big kid desk ; cubby for some workbooks and her new dazzling pencil box that holds fancy schmancy pencils and  cutsie folders this  year. All big kid stuff. I told her she was to keep her work space very tidy, that she should be a neat nick! Her handwriting is already First Grader like! Her teacher has taken note of her colorful papers and has written"lovely!" In her new classroom are many friends from her kindergarten class! and she has a couple of class pets!! One being a hamster named Speedy and fishes named Diamond & Sparkle. Indeed, the perfect class for this girl! ( avid animal lover!)

This is Madelyn's class at Sarasota Christian. This is her teacher Mrs. Smith. She comes into her class and hangs her adorable butterfly backpack that says "Madelyn" on a little hook. and then she heads to a small table to begin writing and coloring. I have no doubts that she is a smart cookie! She also colors very neatly in the lines and I know that she has already amazed her teachers!! ( she had great teachers last year that she learned so much from!)  Her little brother Garrett does not want to leave with mom. He would rather stay and play with many fun toys in the centers-including kitchen, dress-ups & a train table! 

Not to mention the playground that she informed me on the first day  could not play on due to the rain. 

The duration of the week  was not raining at the time of recess so she was happy to tell me about the tire swing she loves! If I pass by the school at around 9:30 I can see her class out there!  She is in for a fantastic year! So glad God led us to this option for a season. The school year will fly by like the last, I am sure!

And the highlight of my week was when Moriah asked me to bring her lunch at school on Friday, like old times!!!! Many more lunch dates to come!

All- in-all, a great First week! Reassuring me of a terrific school year up ahead!!

Shoe Shock!

 It's not that this mom is  asking for much- and no, I'm not difficult to please. It's just that I want nothing to do with the word ORDINARY when it comes to new school shoes.  ( or other school things such as backpacks, lunchboxes)... you get it. I like unique.When my kids need shoes, I go into whine mode. Two local malls, no children's shoe  department in either . One locally owned Stride Rite with a measly selection and an owner that  could give 2 hoots about selling childrens' shoes ! My goodness!!!  So I figured a short jog over the skyway to Tampa International Plaza would cure the school  shoes blues!  The kids and I spent a good part of the day trapesing  both levels of that glorious mall, finding   many things we liked, none of them being new school shoes.  I was not being impossible,but our   mission to find SOMETHING  worth wearing--- was truly becoming mission IMPOSSIBLE. I was  still in an insatiable mood regarding, ahem, school shoes. We drove a couple blocks down   to the next  hopeful  mall. It really worked out to our benefit, because like a typical male,  Garrett got a bit bored and decided to shut his eyes for a bit. The girls and I  stopped at the  Starbucks for  a small treat before heading down the mall's corridor.  Two major department stores and  a few other stores in between and still no luck! Now, I said I am not crazy, but  honestly, I was more determined than ever at this point! This was quite ridiculous!!!
      ..... Loading up in the van once again more shopping bags, the 3 kids- none with new shoes .
 We got back onto 275 and I just could not get over the fact that a day in Tampa without luck.   impossible!!!   knowing  the possibilty  of finding shoes in Sarasota  was  far less.  Without sigh  or complaint, my 3 shopping buddies & I we stopped in Brandon . For those of you  in
suspense , our search was over! The Dillards  there had the best selection -so many choices! and we left happy! If it would have been any less of a  mission, it would not have produced the  perfect pair of sneakers designed for Moriah herself! and the cute  tennies Maddy chose and the  deal I found on Garretts' kickers . I was indeed a happy mom. Drowning in school shoes bliss!