School Days

It is hard for me to believe but Luke started kindergarten this year! I'll admit I have been nervous thinking about this and both excited and a little sad at the same time. It's a little hard to let go and send him off into the big world without me, but the time has come. Luke has been excited about this all summer, so I thought it would go well and it did. Yeah! Jer took him down to tour the school on Back to School night and then I was able to go to class with him on his first day. They just had the kids go in small groups and bring a parent on Thursday for their first day. Luke's classroom is so fun, and I've heard nothing but great things about his teacher. She is a veteran teacher and seemed very nice. Luke knows about half his class because they are from our ward, including his very-next-door-neighbor-friend Max.


This is Luke on Thursday when we got to go to class together. What a handsome guy. He is wearing his cool new glasses. He got them in July but after wearing them for less than an hour they were destroyed in a pileup at the neighborhood fireworks. We now have the replacements and are attempting to keep them in one piece. I can't believe he's graduated from his behind the ear glasses too. All this change is hard on me. He's growing up too fast.


Friday was like the real first day of school because Luke headed off on the bus without me. Jer was able to stay home from work a while and see him off too. This picture features the "Big Luke" and "Little Luke" of our neighborhood plus Luke's fellow kindergartner Reese.

Max and Luke. (Yes, Max is pretty big and Luke is tiny, but the picture looks even more exaggerated than real life!)

Another neighbor friend Blake. Yes, that is a snake. I don't think it made the trip to school, but it did come over to my house later in the day where it proceeded to escape.

Our bus stop. With all the parents and kids there were probably 50 people there. We have 20 elementary school kids just in our little cul-de-sac. Then when you figure in all the younger siblings it is quite the kid crazy neighborhood.

Seth was having fun, but we he was still thinking he got to "ride bus" too. When the bus came, it was almost full before all those kids got on. When they left it looked like they were all piled up on top of each other. Luke just got on with the crowd and didn't even really look back or say goodbye. All we could do was wave. Sigh. (I'm so glad it went well though.) I guess someone was there to help them at the other end because they all made it back on the bus. Luke said "it was so fun." So I couldn't ask for more for the first day. I'm just hoping the enthusiasm lasts.

All was pretty quiet once the bus pulled away. Seth just kept saying "Luke gone." The find of a worm occupied Seth and Little Luke and saved the day. When Luke got home he gave Seth a huge hug...then started a fight over his race car. Brothers! I will miss Luke a ton, but I am looking forward to a little more quiet time and routine with the little boys in the morning while things are somewhat peaceful. I have tried to have structure this summer but a lot of the time it has been chaos.

Not to be left out: Here's "worker Ian." That's what Luke told me after dressing him up this way. We're hoping he survives his brothers! He checked out great at his 4-month checkup. He weighs 14 lbs. 7 oz. (50th percentile) but is in the 80th percentile for height. He is such a sweet baby.