Eli's (Last) First Day of Preschool

Eli had his last first day of preschool on Monday. It is hard to believe that this time next year, he will be entering kindergarten. (Let's not think about that just yet!) This year Eli will be in the Frogs class with Mrs. Jennifer. We attended Open House on the previous Friday, where Eli was able to meet his teacher and check out his classroom and his cubby. Emmy had her last year of preschool in the very same classroom, so it is neat to be once again dropping off and picking up in the same familiar location. When the first day came around, Eli wasn't too excited to be woken up for school. Both kids have finally acclimated to sleeping in until around 7:30AM, and sadly we have to transition back to the earlier wake-up time of 6:15AM. To coax Eli out of his grumpy first-day blues, Emmy offered him one of her squishmallows as his sleepy friend. That quickly turned his frown into a smile, and he was pleasant through pictures and drop off. Emmy and I took him to school for his very first day, but for all the other days, we will otherwise follow our routine from last year with Boomer dropping off Eli, while I take Emmy to Aunt Megan's. This year will be our third and final year of this routine, and I am trying to savor its comfort and familiarity. These preschool years sure have been special. 

Photos from Open House 

Photos from the 1st Day

Much like Eli got some one-on-one Mommy time in June while Emmy was finishing up the school year, roles reversed, and it was Emmy's turn to enjoy a few extra days of summer with Mommy. On Monday, we treated ourselves to the Kernersville Bagel Shop. Then we did a very girly thing: we went to the mall! It was Emmy's first mall experience, and we did a bit of window shopping before going to Claire's. Emmy had a $10 gift card that she had from her birthday, and she was excited to spend it. She very carefully looked over everything in the store, and after much deliberation, she decided on a make-up kit. I had Teacher Workdays beginning on Tuesday, and Emmy tagged along with me on the optional days, and then she spent Thursday and Friday with Grammy and her cousins. Unexpectedly we experienced high winds and heavy rains from a tropical storm on Thursday, and Eli's preschool was closed. Grammy and Grandpa watched all four cousins for a short time until Boomer and I were released early also due to the weather. Thank goodness for grandparents!   

Summer may be winding down, but we haven't stopped the fun. Thinking back on the week, I can't believe we fit all this in! We went to a Dash game with our Sunday School class last Tuesday...

When softball and baseball practice was cancelled on Saturday morning (from the flooding of Tropical Storm Debby), we walked around Wake's campus and had lunch at Reynolda. 

On Saturday evening, I made the trip to Morganton for my 20th class reunion. Wow has it been that long since I graduated?! It was a very nice event, with food, dancing, and even trivia. Although I was only there a few hours, I enjoyed the time in my hometown; it will always be a special place to me. 

And then finally, today we went to the Wyndham Golf Tournament. We tagged along with Grammy and Grandpa, and we enjoyed all the perks of Grandpa's status as a volunteer. It was Emmy and Eli's first golf tournament, and they were especially entertained by the putting green that was set up at a spectator tent on Hole 10 green. When we were at 1 Tee, the kids got the special job of holding the signs to quiet the crowd. Eli even got a ball from Argentine golfer Emiliano Grillo. (Grillo is in the background teeing off, while Eli looks on with the ball in one hand, sign in the other.) It sure has been a fun Sunday, a fun weekend, and a fun summer. 

As we adjust back to the routine of the school year, we are always so thankful for the weeks during the summer. We cherish the slower days, the extra time with family, fun get togethers with friends, and trips to new and old places. Bring on the school year, we're ready!