Back to School!

It's been so hot and steamy, that as soon as I walk outside - my glasses and my camera lens steam up. Ick. I won't even mention what it does to my hair. Mentioning hair, it was time for back to school haircuts for the boys. Keith set up shop out back, and down to business. After two clean cut boys cuts, and one cute little bang trim, everyone under the age of 10 ended the day looking neat and tidy.

They boys are such gigglers that it took forever to get hair cuts.Megan recently saw our new eye doc and he did an amazing job during her eye exam. She got a new prescription for glasses and picked out two adorable pairs. Here she is in her favorite of the two.
Megan is in the second grade now. She really likes her teacher. I, also, really like her teacher. Mrs. Smith is already working with Megan and her reading/writing issues.

And her classroom is in the pink hallway! Grandpa and I attended Open House night for the second grade kids. We were both impressed with the curriculum plan for Megan's class this year.

Joshua's classroom is really cool, too. He was excited over having an actual desk and not a table. It's the little things in life that make him happy! Grandma and Keith attended Open House night for the third graders and they were also very impressed. Joshua's teacher is teaching the children how to read and write in cursive writing this year. Another big skill this year is using an organizer/assignment book to document every night's homework, the weekly spelling words and other important items. I really like that there is an emphasis on owning his work.

The library is awesome. It is huge and there are many different computers and resources available.

Daniel is in kindergarten now. He really likes his sweet teacher. She's been teaching K at the school for over 20 years. Her organization is top notch!
Daniel and Joshua checking out the kindergarten classroom.

Somehow, we ended up with a couple of new additions. Keith picked up some mice at the pet store, and they have been a constant source of entertainment.

They are cute, but noisy little things. Their wheel makes a lot of noise, and they prefer to run at night.

We spend our nights playing games or reading stories when everyone is done with homework. It is a big incentive to finish the homework in a timely manner so that each child can participate in playing.

Our first day of school pictures!

The first day of school went wonderfully. They were all nervous at first, so we parked the van and walked them to where they needed to be. Security is tight on campus and the amount of teachers and other adults offering assistance is awesome. Everyone morning and every afternoon, they have all hands on deck helping to keep the kids moving along.
A shot of Daniel at his desk on the first day of Kindergarten.

For our really observant family members, you'll notice that the uniforms of last year are missing from this year. Keith and I had to spend quite a bit of time contemplating what our school-related goals are for the children, and in doing so, decided to move them into a different school this year. It's a decision that was made in the best interest of our family, but the primary driver came down to academics. Megan is in the early stages of testing for dyslexia and early intervention services are not offered at private schools, but are offered at public schools. As we researched more into what was offered at this particular public school, we became at peace that all three children would thrive academically in this setting, based on their personalities and current academic abilities. There were other factors in the decision: finances, time of classes, ability for extra curricular activities and increased community involvement. We're happy and the kids are happy.