Back to School

I love this time of year. The weather gets cooler, the leaves start changing colors, and the kids go back to school. And boy are we ready! Since all the kids in the district schools around here started the last week of August, these past few weeks have seemed to drag on and on, especially with Ethan's continual questioning, "When is school gonna start?" Every single day, several times a day!! Finally we marked it on the calendar so that Ethan would know the exact day and he's been counting down ever since. On Monday the anticipated day finally arrived - we had orientation at CCNS, Ethan's preschool this year. Ethan and I both attended school that day - he got to see the school, meet his teacher again and do some crafts. I got the tour, lots of information and had my questions answered. We were only there for about an hour so Ethan didn't want to go when it was time to leave. Luckily, Wednesday came quickly - the first 'real' day of school. Ethan couldn't wait! He marched right in without looking back and had a great day. When Emily and I picked him up, I asked, "What did you do at school today, Ethan?" His response, "I learned!" And he proceed to tell me all about reading Chicka Chicka Boom Boom, drawing a picture of a sub sandwich, stamping letters, being chased by another classmate dressed up in a fireman costume, and his special partner, Max. Last year, when I asked Ethan about school, his report always consisted of the number of times they got to play in the gym. Now I can hear and see what he has actually learned, and boy, has he grown!