I suck at this! But I am hoping my new found free time will allow me to do this more regularly....We have some big changes to report in our house! As school ended this past spring we made some touch decisions about the upcoming school year. We decided to switch our 3 eldest kids to public school. It was a complicated decision and it required a lot of discussion and prayer. We love the Christian Academy that our children have been able to attend for the last few years. But we decided that at least for the 2013-2014 school year it just didn't fit into our long or short term budget goals. This means big changes in our house. Change 1: New hours! School starts 35 min earlier and ends 65 min later than at the academy. Change 2: Wardrobe! Uniforms at the academy made my job pretty easy when it came to back to school shopping. Change 3: Hot lunch! This excites me because I just am not a fan of packing lunches. So, it's nice to have the option(added bonus of breakfast at school too!) Change 4: LOTS more kids both in the classroom and in the school overall. There are more kids in each kids class than there was in the entire academy last year. The class sizes are still relatively small compared to larger cities. But none the less a big adjustment. Change 5: Curriculum. The academy is outcome based so the kids go at their own pace. This has allowed Delilah to be doing 4th grade curriculum by the end of the year last year. This also means that in public school we had to make the choice: Start her in a grade based on age (3rd) or start her in 4th grade. We felt that with all the other changes she will need to acclimate to, it would be easier on her to be in her age based grade level of 3rd grade. We always have the option of moving her up if we feel it is necessary. This was a non issue with Gus because his age and grade level at the academy matched up better. Deja is in Kindergarten and could probably handle 1st grade but I don't want the kids to be in the same class! They definitely got a good start at the Academy which is why we decided to send Carson there even without his siblings for at least his Pre-K year. Additionally, Pre-K at the academy is full time so it allows me to have a year with Audrey before she too, starts full time school! The final big change is probably the hardest on me. Change 6: Letting go and trying not to mother bear too much. I liked our bubble. There is so much yuck in this world and eventually everyone grows up and has to learn how to navigate it. I don't necessarily think that it's necessary nor useful to learn many of these "truths" before you even go through puberty. I have never intentionally sheltered my kids. I am realizing very quickly though, that they have been sheltered. I don't really think that it was a bad thing either. They were active in the community, in summer reading programs, summer rec activities, sports, church on Wed & Sun, we go to HS sporting events and other community events. They have friends outside of church & their academy friends, and their cousins. They have never been in short supply of peers. But they also have spent very little time away from us. Delilah has just started to spread her wings and be able to walk to the park, or library, solo. So to send them to public school where I don't know all the kids, nor their parents, and I don't have the freedom to come and go from their class as I please, this is hard for me. So, week 1 of the school year is in the books. The adjustment wasn't quite as smooth as I hoped for, excluding Carson and Deja. They are doing great. Gus had "color changes" the first 2 days and was home sick the last 2. I would like to think that it was because he was getting sick that his behavior declined but I really don't know. He's not a particularly "naughty" kid, he's really very sweet. But, he is easily distracted and could use some work in following rules/directions. I am hopeful that he will be both feeling and behaving better for his 2nd week. Delilah had a bit of a roller coaster ride. She is a bit of a social butterfly and loves people. She also loves to talk and tells me every detail of her day. Day one she was delighted that they "hardly did any work!". The pace of a larger class is much different than her days at the academy. Additionally the letter from her teacher stated that this year they would transition from "learning to read to reading to learn". Huh. She's been reading chapter books for about 2 years now. They also will be "beginning cursive". This too she has known for 2 yrs. The last "goal" I suppose you could call it is to learn multiplication facts. She is pretty solid in math and had started to transition into fractions at the academy. So this worries me a bit as I fear she may either get bored or complacent. She needs at least a little bit of a challenge, or I feel the social butterfly will take over her inner scholar and she will not continue to excel in her academics. So, we're going to keep a close eye and allow for an adjustment to all the change before any decision is made there. She reported that some boys razzed her a bit for being a girlie girl. She also caught some flack for having Bieber folders. But, she new a few kids in the class from summer activities, and one boy was even kind enough to stick up for her. Day two/three: She learned about Abraham Lincoln and we had a disagreement because she was insisting he was a black man. Yeah. For the record the next day she re read her material and reported that I was right, he was white. And, that she was confusing him with "that Prince Jefferson, guy who had a dream". I offered "Martin Luther King Jr?" she giggled and said "Oops! Yeah, that's it!" Haha! It seems she didn't quite get the warm reception as the "new kid" she was hoping for and she was feeling a bit left out. I am encouraging her to be herself, and treat others the way she would want to be treated and when confronted with a bully issue herself, or when she witnesses someone being bullied; rather than retaliating, or seeking revenge she should be extra kind and look for opportunities to just be kind to a child who may have been bullied and to the bully. Love casts out fear. Fear is what leads to bullies. I hope that her willingness to talk to me and share with me continues. I already see the drama of grade 3 threatening her focus on academics so I will focus on that as well. I didn't feel like I had any "free time" this week because I was seemingly always on the run. Taking full advantage of having only one carry on. Hoping for a better week next week for all of us. I start PT on Monday for my ankle that I've injured and reinjured numerous times over the last 2 years and I am finally getting it in check so that it doesn't sideline me or my goals for health and lifestyle. So, please pray for the Kindstrand family as we navigate this new chapter in our lives! Pray that our faith be strong and our hearts be soft. God Bless!