Back to School

Once again we arrived at one of the most painful days of the year (for me).  As exciting as it is to see the kids advancing to another year of school, it is also sad to me to see how fast the time is flying by.  And that is especially true this year as I watched my oldest head off as a junior in high school and realized how very little time we have left with him at home and again as I sent my BABY girl off to her first day of preschool and realized that I was just sending the oldest to his first day of preschool.  It is not fair! 

Taylor off to 11th grade!

Taylor is continuing to attend two different high schools this year; both here in Albion and at the Battle Creek Math and Science Center.  He has been doing well at both but it has been a big challenge so far with more and harder classes.  He's doing another year of Online Seminary as well that takes a large chunk of his after school time.  And he just joined the National Honor Society which, unlike the group I belonged to in high school, actually does things.  He's continuing in Boy Scouts too and is hoping to earn his Eagle soon.

Kendall is finally out of elementary school and goes to Junior High at Albion High School.

With all the changes and consolidating they've been doing at the elementary school, Kendall was sure that he would be there forever.  But at long last, the time came for him to move up to junior high.  So far he is really loving it.  He enjoys having 7 different classes along with all the various teachers who all think he is the best kid in the universe.  He has joined the drama club and is continuing to play the clarinet in the school band. 

4th grader Lynnsey

They did end up making more changes at the elementary school across the street from us again and it has become a kindergarten through 4th grade school now, so Lynnsey has only one year left before she'll also head up to a wing of the high school where 5th and 6th graders go now.  She's a little sad about that, but really has been enjoying her year.  She has the same teacher this year that Kendall had last year and that plus all her best friends in the same class has been lots of fun for her.  She auditioned for and was accepted into a musical group called the Chime Club that plays hand chimes.  This is the first year that there was no fall soccer and she missed that but is looking forward to the new longer spring season coming up.

He seems too small for it to be true, but Spencer is officially a 2nd grader!

Spencer has so far been loving his second grade experience.  He has a great teacher this year who he has really connected with and he is just doing really well.  He is excelling in every subject but really loves social studies--especially anything with maps and geography.  And he is a great reader and loves the Junie B. Jones and Magic Treehouse series.

Kaya's first day of preschool!

This was probably the hardest part for me.  For half of the day, four days a week, my baby is off to school!  I miss her terribly but she is just absolutely loving it and is learning like crazy.  She has tons of friends and loves how grown up she feels when she is off doing things without me.  She could barely write her name when she started but now she is constantly writing--sometimes just random letters but a lot of times she'll ask me how to spell certain words for a story or a note she's writing.  The only thing that makes it okay with me is to see how excited she is to see me when she comes home and to still have a few hours of the day to read and snuggle together.  Kindergarten just might kill me!