Kindergarten and First Grade Bound!

I have been waiting for this day since roughly June 15, the Monday after school ended... No, I'm kidding. But seriously, it was a looong summer break. About two weeks ago, the boys started getting excited about going back to school. JP received a letter from his teacher, and took the news really well when he learned he didn't have the same teacher Hunter had last year. I never got around to writing a letter to request her... I think it turned out for the best since his best friend is in her class this year. It'll be good for them to make some new friends!

For the past week, they've both been asking if it's their school day, pretty much everyday. Last Wednesday our neighbor's daughter was doing a special back-to-school camp where the bus would pick her up Wednesday, Thursday, and Friday at the bus stop. Wednesday morning the boys saw her walking down the road with her backpack on and they freaked out thinking they were going to miss school. I played along, solely so they'd get dressed and their teeth brushed without fighting me to do it...It worked. 

This morning they both woke up around 6:45a and quickly got dressed, brushed their teeth, and made their beds. JP then sat in the living room for the next half an hour with his backpack on. Hunter played Legos. Of course before we left, I took a few pictures of them.

 I felt pretty proud that I was able to get *one* decent one of the both of them together. They were so antsy! And JP hates pictures. So there's that too.

 I tested my luck and said, "Okay, one more. Pretend that you guys like each other." Hunter took it a little too literally and kissed JP on the cheek for a good 10 seconds. Their next attempt was followed by Hunter demonstrating how strong he is by picking up his brother. 

I put the kabosh to that and asked if they could just put their arms around each other. I got this before JP ran off. It works...

Aunt Kim came over to watch Charlotte while I took JP to school. I told Hunter he could ride with us to school, but he really really wanted to take the bus, so we walked him down there and Aunt Kim stayed with him until the bus came. It passed them and had to slam on the breaks. #newbiedriver 

Perry lucked out and had to pick up the closing shift at work so he was able to join in the festivities this year. Yay! I asked JP and Matthew if I could take their picture together. Matthew was all about it. JP threw a fit. You would think JP hates him in this picture. Way too early for so many pictures mom... He's excited to be able to play with him at recess since they aren't in the same class. 

Once we made it into the classroom, JP found his name tag and LOCKER (Hunter only had a hook last year!) and then the kids gathered on the carpet for a story. He was really hesitant to join, but insisted he sit on a green square, so he wound up in the very front.

After the story, we went around to the tables and did various activities together. His favorite was one where you had to roll the dice and color in the squares in a shape. JP vs Mom - the person with the most squares colored at the end, won. He won (the second time)! He also created an underwater scene using re-usable stickers. 

I'd say he had a pretty good first day. Even though he was really shy. I'm so glad Perry was there to join in on some of it. (He had to leave for a bit for a conference call.)

Before I tell you about Hunter's day, or what I've gathered from it, I just want to say this: I took JP to ShopKo to get his new frames, since his other ones broke in July. (The ones he's been wearing are temporary replacements.) While at the optical center, one of the workers there, gave him a *free* Ninja Turtle lunch box. He was over the moon. And then he found the straps to hook on the back of his glasses...

I don't want to call him a nerd but... He insists the ends go all the way up to his lenses, otherwise it's too big. I was going to get him a black pair for soccer, so if he gets bumped or the like, and they fall off they won't get trampled...He wants them as an everyday thing. #failfailfail

On to Hunter's first day of school...

 While Perry and I were waiting in line with JP to go inside, I remembered I forgot to put a note in Hunter's backpack about how he was going to get home each day from school. I hurriedly wrote a note and had Perry take it to him before he went in. Some how Hunter lost it. The school called me this afternoon, and my heart sank. What did he do now?! Kind of a huge relief when they just needed to know how to get him home... When it was time to pick him up, JP and Charlotte and I walked down to the bus stop to get him. Fifteen minutes later he still wasn't there. School ended nearly 35 minutes prior, so my neighbor called the bus company to see where the bus was. Turns out it had a mechanical error so they had to get a new bus. 

 He finally made it home, twenty-five minutes late, and the first thing I noticed was the bandage above his eye. The word "karma" immediately came to my mind. One of his friends apparently threw a stick and it hit him in the face. "A good thing it didn't hit my eye because you can't tape that back together!" That's about all I got out of him from his first day at school. Other than he still likes free choice, and they only had two recesses. 

On a side note, I bought him "blunt tip" scissors just in case his nerves get to him and he feels like jabbing another classmate. At least this time it won't draw blood... #imstilltryingtolaughaboutthis