Days 2 and 3

Well, we're off to a pretty good start.  Elise has come home beaming all three days and happily tells us stories of all the learning (and playing!) that she has done.  She has remembered the names of a few new friends in her class and has enjoyed all the "new" (books, toys, craft supplies, etc...) things she's gotten to use in her classroom.


The boys and I are SLOWLY adjusting to not having Elise here at home with us.  The rhythm of our days has changed fairly drastically in the past week, so it will take some getting used to.  I have to remember to be patient with myself and the boys as we all settle in and acclimate to our new "normal."  By about 11:00a.m. Caleb does not want to wait any longer for Elise to come home.  He has seemed a bit lonely and out of sorts, but I think that he will grow into his big brother role before too long!  Lucas is really sad to see her go in the morning (he yells and cries, "go, go, car, school" when she and Josh drive out the driveway), but I don't know if he notices during the day.  Still he "talks" about Josh and Elise whenever he sees or hears something that reminds him of them.

Elise was very excited that it was a little chilly in the morning so she could wear her new school sweater from Hayden and Michele!

The boys were also excited to sport their new Penn State shirts today.  (Thanks Uncle Grant!)  Caleb yelled "Go Nittany Lions!" at least twenty times.   He also remarked that this shirt was similar to his "Go Carolina" shirt, but also different because the UNC shirt did not say "Go Penn State!"  Profound...I know.

The boys and I had a great outing to the library and playground today.  We needed to get out and have an adventure together.  We packed up Caleb's new book bag and lunch box and had a wonderful morning.  He has been asking and asking about starting "home school" and I've tried on several occasions to sit down with him and do some school time activities together.  Thus far he has been unimpressed.  Finally today he told me that doing homeschool (or "work school" as he also likes to call it) meant working on the computer like Aunt Lydia...got it!...so he got to do two letter activities on the computer at the library.  

Waiting at the bus stop for Elise.  Still working on my timing, since both yesterday and today I had to wake up  two sleepy boys to walk up the road to her stop. Ugh!

Here she comes!

She LOVES it!  She sits next to a super sweet 3rd grader who has been reading her books and drawing pictures with her while they wait to leave school.  (The elementary kids have to sit on the bus for 30 minutes while they wait for the HS/MS kids to be dismissed - not a big fan!)  Anyway, I'm very thankful for her bus friend Giada and hope she continues to enjoy it.

My three muskateers together again and enjoying an afternoon snack!  Truth be told, Elise came home a little too cool for all of us yesterday and I was quite distraught.  Today she could not have been sweeter and it made my heart happy to see them having so much fun together.  Hopefully that will be more the norm.  :)

Elise was very excited to help Caleb do a project like the one she did at school today.