Five Things Friday - Reflecting on Lyla's Year at Kindergarten

Back in August I did a Five Things Friday post about Reasons I wished Lyla wasn't starting kindergarten.

Original Post

Today I want to look back on the things I was worried about and tell if you now I think they were justified or not!

1.  The School Bus
Her riding the bus wasn't awful.... it also wasn't great and I still don't love it.  Their bus is crowded and at one point she was sitting three to a seat.  And the older kids weren't always nice to her.  There was a lot of drama over the year surrounding the school bus and her begging me to take her to school.  I still wish there was a feasible way for me to do that, but I can't start work at 9:00 so it just isn't going to happen.

2.  Homework
"Maybe not this year, but soon, we will have to have time for homework every night."  LOL
Boy I had NO CLUE what we were getting into!!  She had a homework sheet sent home every Monday that was supposed to be done three times then sent back in by Friday.  Plus flash cards.  Plus a couple projects.....  It was crazy!  BUT she has learned SO MUCH already!  Lyla can read now.  She can count to 100.  She can add and subtract.  Its truly amazing!

3.  Lyla Growing Up
This was spot on.  She has grown and changed so much over the last year.  Mostly for the good.  But its still sad when I think that she isn't my little baby anymore.  She is very independent and she has her own personality and her own opinions on everything now.  Its fun but I am still broken hearted when I watch videos of her from a few years ago.  I wish there was some way to let them grow up and still be able to hang on to that time just a little bit longer.

4.  Making New Friends
So far we have lucked out on this.  Lyla made some new friends at school and I've met some of the moms and so far everyone seems pretty likeable!  I've talked to some and we are planning to get the girls together this summer to play.  So maybe I shouldn't have worried about this quite so much!

5.  Packing Lunches
Well, we packed lunches for a couple of weeks then I asked Lyla if she would like to try buying lunch one day... and we never looked back!  $2.50 a day for a lunch is more than fair when I don't have to pack it every night! 

All in all her first year at school went really well.  We love Miss Eck (her kindergarten teacher) and everyone else we have met at her school has been great.  Its been an adjustment but we've been taking it in stride and it hasn't been all that bad.  That being said, I think I'm more excited about school being out for the summer than she is! 

Kindergarten Mother's Day Program

The highlight of my week was last night when I got to go with Lyla to her school for the Mother's Day program.  The kids have been practicing and were really excited about it.  Lyla told me that we had to go to school for a science project....  so it could be a big surprise. 

I felt really bad when we got there because I didn't get Lyla dressed.... She always dresses the part and after the week we had I just didn't even think about it.  :( 

I took lots of videos since Gary couldn't come:

Tacos, Santa, Fried Dough & the Tooth Fairy

That just about sums up our weekend!

Lyla really wanted tacos for dinner Friday so I took her to Taco Bell where she ate three tacos all on her own while I watched in awe!

Saturday morning the fire department came with Santa on the fire truck. It's one of my favorite traditions where we live!  First the trucks come up the street with their sirens on to let everyone know then they loop back and Santa visits with the kids & gives them all treat bags. He was really early this year so us & all our neighbors ended up outside in our pjs!  And to make it extra special Saturday morning there was a little bit of snow on the ground!  

We came in & got dressed then Lyla & I headed over to Amanda's. We accidentally timed it just right & got there right before Santa in their neighborhood!  So Lyla got two treats!

 

Saturday evening was Maria's annual fried dough party. It's always a blast & this year was no different. 

This morning Lyla got up early & was having a rough morning. She slept on her neck wrong & her loose tooth was really bothering her. So we were just taking it easy. About 10:30 I let her have some fruit snacks. The next thing I know Lyla says my tooth came out!  Sure enough it did!  I think it scared her at first but then she was so relieved & excited!  I think she was anxious not knowing when she would lose that first tooth & if it would hurt. 

Now we have put it under her pillow & we are waiting on the tooth fairy to come!

I Hate Fall

There.  I said it!  I hate Fall.  I've actually come to the conclusion that I like Winter better than Fall.  Here are my reasons:

1. The fluctuating temperatures.  At least in Winter, its cold.  Its going to be cold all day.  So you can just put on warm clothes in the morning and move on with your life.  I'm over this heat in the morning AC in the afternoon crap.
2. Its getting darker and darker....  At least in Winter it starts to get lighter slowly.
3. In Fall the only thing there is to look forward to is the inevitable Winter... In Winter you get to look forward to Spring and Summer.. the two seasons that actually are worth celebrating!

Ok, now that I have that off my chest... moving on!  ;)

 

I figured I need to do a blog entry.  Gary was on my case about not doing one in so long.  Karla checked in from Canada... The thing is, I've been busy doing nothing interesting or worth talking about.  I knew that Fall and Lyla starting school was going to be a big transition for the three of us.  I knew this going in.  I wasn't counting on all the different obstacles that have been thrown our way in the last month and a half to make getting into any kind of routine nearly impossible!  Its like every week we get a different roadblock.  This week - Lyla has an ear infection. 

 

So other than just desperately trying to get into some sort of routine... Fall has been very Lyla centric.  She LOVES school and is doing very well!  I would say the only downfall so far with school is not having a nap or any sort of down time.  But she is slowly adjusting to that.  She has also been loving Fall soccer.  And she is a force to be reckoned with this season!  I love watching her play! 

 

And of course there has been football.  Gary took Lyla to her first WVU game.  He also got to go to a Steelers game with Gerald.  A couple weeks ago he set up a tv in the backyard so we could watch football out there all weekend. 

 

Other than that we have been trying to have pretty low key weekends so that we can recover from the week.  Lyla is just exhausted by the time the weekend comes. 

 

I haven't even taken many pictures, but here are a few:

 

I will do another post about the fun time Gary and Lyla had yesterday!  And I will try to get back on track with my posts...

 

New Beginnings - Lyla's 1st Day of Kindergarten

Today is the day - Lyla's 1st Day of Kindergarten!  Its a new beginning, new school, new friends, new everything.  And she was SO EXCITED this morning!!

She of course wore Frozen EVERYTHING!  Frozen dress, underwear, earrings, bookbag, folder, lunchbox...  :)

I took the day off today and Gary went in late so that we could take her to daycare and be there when she got on the bus for the first time.  I think the daycare ladies were as emotional as we were about this big day!

And then the bus came...  She gave us one little look back... but she got on without any issues.  Which is what you want as a parent.  You want to know that you have taught her to be strong and to be ready to take on the world, all on her own.  Even if it tugs at your heart to see her go.

End of the day update:

I won't lie, I got nervous at the end of the day. First the bus was late, then when Lyla got off she really didn't seem very happy at all. 

Once I got her to the car it turned out she was just really hot from being on the bus.  Once she started to cool off she got in a better mood. And once she had some ice cream she was much much better & I got to hear all about her day.  She saw some familiar faces around the school & she liked her teacher. Seems like everything went well. Fingers crossed for another good day tomorrow!

End of a Chapter

This week is it.  This is the week  Lyla goes from being all ours to her own little person.  She is so excited to start school and that is making it much easier on me.  

Monday and Tuesday were transition days for us.

Monday Gary and I both took off work and we went with Lyla to her new school for "Get Acquainted" day.  We got to meet her teacher, she got to go threw the lunch line, ride a school bus... just get a feel for things.  Nobody cried, although I had a huge lump in my throat the whole time!  Lyla was excited that a girl from daycare is in her class.  We all had a good feeling after leaving the school.  :)

I thought it was cute when she picked out her outfit for the day.  First she insisted on putting the flower clip Becca gave her in her hair.  And she wanted to wear the sweater that Grandma made her.  I think she looks at it as a wearable blankie!  She had her fingers in the holes of it and kept putting it to her face like she used to do with her little blankets.  

We spent Monday afternoon at home.  I was filling in all the paperwork for school and Gary and Lyla were just taking it easy.  Then in the evening she had her first soccer practice for the Fall season.  Its a new coach and all new kids on her team this year.  I think its going to be good though.  The parents all seemed really nice.

After practice we went for ice cream!

Tuesday Gary went to work, but Lyla and I were off and free to do whatever we pleased.  I decided it was the perfect day to go to the zoo!  We used to go all the time, but we haven't been there in over a year!  The two of us had a blast!

We were walking along and we found the peacock that just roams the zoo.  Sometimes Lyla can be SO PATIENT if its something she really wants.  We stood and watched this peacock for probably a half an hour waiting to see it spread its feathers.  I think I got bored with waiting before she did and we finally gave up.  It was a really special moment with her though, just standing and watching and waiting to see what would happen.

Before we went home she climbed the net and went down the slides a few times.  She never would have climbed that net on her own a year ago.  Just a sign of how grown up she has become!

After the zoo we went shopping and she picked out new earrings and headbands for school.

In the evening we met Amanda and the girls at the park.  Lyla and Becca are so sweet.  Its been two days since they saw each other and you would have thought it had been weeks! They were so happy to be together.  Its going to be a real transition for them to not be together all the time anymore.

After they were done in the water they went to play at the playground.  Becca started messing around on the monkey bars.  We were all excited because she made it across a couple before she got tired and jumped down.  Then Lyla started trying it.  By the time we left Lyla had made it ALL THE WAY ACROSS without any kind of help!!!  I was standing underneath of her, but I never touched her, she did it all on her own.  It was really symbolic in a way.  Of all nights, she picked the night before kindergarten to go and do something all on her own like that.  I was so proud of her!  I wish I had taped it!