The kids are back in public school this year. The first time I've been home alone in 10 years! Homeschooling was a blessing for me last year. And I can see why I felt impressed to do it now that we are on this new adventure in the foreign service. I feel that the time we had together was preparing us for where we are now and what is to come. I wish we could continue it for many reasons, but the load I am carrying right now to prepare for moving to Angola, and the load I will carry as we settle in to Angola, is too much for me to add the responsibility of the education of my children. If they were more independent or capable of doing more on their own, it might be different. But I am well acquainted with my limitations and the limitations of my children to know that we are better off this way. And most importantly, I haven't felt prompted to do otherwise.
And so...here they are in front of our apartment door. A traditional picture every school year. Actually, we normally take the picture on the outside of our house, but on the other side of this door, is a dark hallway, not suitable for picture taking. :)
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Yes, Savvy continues to be in the lead for size.
She towers over everyone her age, and not her age. :) Savvy insisted that I cut her hair. I must have chopped 8 inches off her length. With the humidity, her long hair has been a hassle for her. She is much cooler now. |
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| Our first year of leaving for school in an elevator! |
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| On our way to the bus stop at the edge of the apartment complex property. Very convenient. The kids from our apartment complex fill up two entire buses. One for Kinder and 1st grade, and another one that goes to a different school for the 2-5th graders. There are a lot of kids here! |
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Rhea with her friend Lily that is in her class. She is leaving in just a few weeks for China.
We will miss her! |
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| I love how the cemetery is the backdrop for our pictures. It is beautiful though. We love it. |
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| Rhea actually goes to a different school than the Thomas and Savvy. They have a school just for K and 1st grades because there are so many kids. There are 7 Kindergarten classes and 8 1st grade classes this year. Thomas insisted that I drive to school the first day. He was feeling more needy for me, starting in a new city and school. Rhea however, was just fine taking the bus. A few days before school started, I asked her if it was okay to go on the bus with her friend Lily, and her reply was, "Whatever you want me to do mom." Ok! So she kissed and hugged me no less than 10 times (as she continues to do every day), and she was off, waving furiously with a smile from the window. |
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| So I drove T and S to their school, gave hugs outside, and let them walk in without me as I was instructed to do by teacher helping out front. Savvy is starting 3rd grade, but we are having Thomas repeat 4th grade. It's something that we should have done back in kindergarten because he has such a late birthday. He barely makes the Sept. 1st cutoff. But we didn't want him to feel bad being left behind his friends. So every year, we wondered if we should hold him back, but never did. And the friends he made were always younger and more his physical size as well, and similar in maturity level. Now that we have left his childhood elementary school, he can repeat a grade without the negative stigma attached. And of course, moving around as much as we do makes it even easier. |
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| I love this picture! This is Savvy running to me after getting off the bus, weaving in and out of all the parents and children standing in her way (Thomas and Rhea did this as well, but I wasn't quick enough to grab pics). It reminds me of Savvy's first day of preschool. She lit up and ran to me when she saw me waiting for her outside. In the cutest, excited 3 year-old voice, she jumped up into my arms and yelled, "Mom! I missed you!!" followed by little giggles. Then she repeated herself again, giggled, and then said it one more time and giggled some more. All the while hugging me so tightly. She continued to talk about how much she missed me on the drive home. So far, nothing has changed in her after school routine, 5 years later. She actually still does jump into my arms. All 80 lbs of her! I'm sure it won't go on much longer, so I'll take it while I can. :) |
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