The meeting of twerp trainers

Good morning! Well, last night was parent orientation and our first stab at meeting the teachers. Lynley and I received the grand tour of each of the kiddos classrooms and a pretty good idea of what would be expected of them each over the coming year.

Our first stop was with Mrs. Hart, Sydney's third grade teacher. I was immediately taken back as I began to realize that my baby girl was growing up. Gone are the creative play zones and toys. They have been replaced by shelves of books and supplies. The walls which I have been so used to seeing with cartoons representing the alphabet and days of the week have been replaced by pictures of the presidents. It was a stark contrast.

She is growing up. This was a real classroom.

As with every year, her homework and class room responsibilities are growing. She is fully in charge of ensuring that her work is being completed and turned in on time. From now on it will come at a higher price and impact her grades more significantly than ever.

Our next step was with Mrs. Wilson. She was a last minute replacement for Sydney's old first grade teacher who left late in the summer. This, of course, came as a bit of a shock to us as we had been anticipating Mrs. Rogers all summer. With all of that being said, Lynley and I absolutely love Mrs. Wilson and think it will be a very good match for Graham. Up until this point, Mrs. Wilson had been a sub at the school. Subbing for Sydney and Ainsley's classrooms on several occasions. (She has been a sub while her little ones were still at home.) Before that she spent about 10 years as a first and second grade teacher. In short, she is expertly qualified. Better yet, for Graham, she has 3 children and her middle son is just like Graham. It is a perfect fit.

Ainsley, sweet and mischievous Ainsley... As I mentioned last week, she will be the third of the Dunganlets kindergartened by Mrs. Lewis. There is no doubt that Mrs. Lewis can handle her but, once again, I find myself wondering what this year will hold. Will Ainsley continue being the perfect pillar of excellence at school? Will she ever come out of her shell? Only time will tell. I am just hopeful that if she does come out we are able to find some way to control her because we are clearly still struggling at home. Regardless, I am extremely excited for her this year. I can't wait to see who she will be.

Today is all about the kids meeting their teachers. We will spend the better part of the afternoon over at the school walking them through the motions. It ought to be fun to watch them overcome their nerves.

As always, the remainder of the weekend is packed.

I had better get going. I am plush with purpose today.