Kindergarten, Baby

After dropping Mik off at 7:00 A.M. for her first day of kindergarten, I took Amelia on a "date." We showered and got ready and went to the library and lunch and was nowhere near a radio or news station.

Imagine my surprise when I picked up my kindergartner on her first real day of school and found out that she spent hours in a tornado shelter.

I'm grateful for two things:

1. Mikayla thought it was a drill, so once again, I think her teacher is awesome because the kids weren't scared.

2. As crazy as the tornado was in Georgia while my parents were visiting, at least she was prepared and knew what to do.

She had a great day!

Freaking Out!

I hate the first day of school. I know it's exciting, and the kids are excited, but seriously, I didn't sleep more than an hour last night. I am sooooooo nervous...at least ten times more nervous than my kids, especially Amelia. I hope their teachers are nice. I hope they meet a friend. I hope kids are nice. I hope they eat enough. I hope they learn. I hope they aren't tired. I hope they feel good. I hope the teachers sees what good girls they are. I hope they aren't scared...it goes on and on.

The thing about having two kids is that when the first kid goes to Kindergarten, of course you are a mess, but it doesn't get easier with the second one, because that's your baby and so it hits you just as hard that your baby is going to kindergarten. Now add the fact that we are in a strange new town, in a strange school where no one knows us and there isn't one familiar face in the crowd (and it's a CROWD), and I'm a mess!

Pride

Today Amelia said to me, "Mom, I have this weird thing on my hand." I was a little freaked out thinking she had warts until she showed me her hand...and guess what? SHE HAS A CALLOUS! I don't know how to spell it for sure, but you know what I mean...the things you get that show you are a hard worker! And she is. Yesterday, for example, she swept the entire driveway, helped me clean out the car, vacuumed the seats and scrubbed the car seats.

It reminds me of this time I was sitting at a restaurant with Dave and his friend who had come to visit. Well, Mitch looked at my hands and said, "I like your hands. You have man hands." I was a little offended...thinking of the Seinfeld episode, until he said, "You have short nails and callouses...that's the sign of a girl who isn't afraid of hard work."

I'm glad that my seven year old already has callouses. I was proud. :)

Aloha

So, just so y'all have this straight...the first day of school is August 21. Oh, but what that means is: Amelia starts that day, but Mikayla goes that day at 11:00 only, with a parent. Amelia goes Friday, but Mikayla doesn't. Neither one of them goes Monday, but Mikayla goes Tuesday. Neither of them goes Wednesday, but Amelia goes Thursday, and they finally both go on Friday, August 29. So, I guess the first day of school is really August 29...are you kidding me?

On a brighter note...Nana sent these fabulous outfits...after much explanation that they live in regular houses in Hawaii and not huts, and still speak English in Hawaii, except for words like "aloha" which means hello and good bye and what would happen if someone said "aloha" and the other person thought they were saying good bye when they were saying hello, they went outside in the rain and did a hula dance.

It's a Home...Almost

The boxes are unpacked. The pictures are hung. The girls are happy in their own rooms after five years of sharing one. We had our first houseguests this last weekend. We played hard at the pool and even got Mik to go down the waterslide, thanks to Doug's help and my bribery. We found the grocery store, library and the post office today. The girls are registered for school and dance (which they insisted on doing). I think it's a home! We just need to be here a little longer and have more RELAXED time...

On another note...my kids are so sad that they didn't start school today with all their friends. It broke my heart, but I think they will be okay once their school starts next Thursday. Amelia likes her uniform shorts so much that she wears them now with her "fashion" shirts. I think it will all work out...

Happy 12 Years to My Honey!

This amount of paper
covered these little trinkets.
And that's just the tiniest example of how my unpacking is going...


The mess doesn't end.

It's a good thing I love him....

Happy Anniversary to my Love!