Back to School

The 2019-2020 school year is officially underway! While my friends in Forsyth and Yadkin County have a few more days of summer, we just wrapped up our first three days in Surry County. After teacher workdays on Monday and Tuesday, our students returned on Wednesday, and overall it has been a smooth week. I've decided that every school year should start with a short week. In the past, we have started on Monday, and by the time we make it to Friday, students and teachers alike are struggling to shake off the cobwebs of summer. It's nice to have the weekend to regroup before conquering a full five days next week. The days have been long as I've stayed later at work and then put in extra hours at home after Emmy goes to bed. I think all of the back-to-school madness will settle down soon, and hopefully the days won't seem so consumed with work. Boomer's school system is a week behind mine, so the Yadkin County teachers started their workdays this week and then students return next Tuesday. It is always a busy time for him when the teachers return. He has had late nights as he has been preparing for various meetings and professional development. Also, because he was chosen as Yadkin County Principal of the Year, he had to prepare a special speech for their Convocation. He turned down my offer to let him practice for me...but hopefully he gave some inspiring words to kick off the school year!

Emmy, too, returned to school this week. We were spoiled last week when Grammy watched her for a few days, but Monday morning found us right back to our routine of 6AM wake-ups and daycare drop-offs. Boomer and I wake up between 5:30AM and 5:45AM and get ourselves mostly ready before waking Emmy up. Then after getting Emmy dressed and downstairs, I stay behind a few minutes to tidy up while Boomer and Emmy head out the door around 6:30AM. Surprisingly, we've all three adjusted back to our school-year routine pretty well. Boomer said that 4 out of 5 drop-offs this week were tear-free, and in the afternoons, she was happily playing with the other kids when I picked her up. At daycare, Emmy moved up to the next class, the "Older 2s" with Ms. Kristina. I met Ms. Kristina last Friday when we dropped off some of Emmy's things, but I have otherwise still been seeing Ms. Jewell and Ms. Melissa at pick-up. The daycare staff sometimes rotate around to cover the rooms at different times of the day, so it has actually been comforting to pick Emmy up and see the same faces from last year. I think it has helped Emmy make the transition, too, to have her old teachers during the later part of the day. One big change in this new room is that we do not receive the daily report sheets. Unless I ask, I don't know if Emmy napped or if she ate well that day. I'm finding that I can mostly answer both of these questions based on her evening mood and her appetite at dinner. She was a little grumpy on Tuesday and Wednesday evenings (i.e. no nap!), but we ended on a high note, with Thursday and Friday being much better. I had a mommy-fail earlier in the week when I forgot to send her blanket for the first two days. It broke my heart thinking of her laying on her mat during nap time without anything to cuddle with! I was sure to send it on Wednesday and apologized to Emmy - who was actually unfazed. 

Here are a few pictures from Emmy's first day on Monday, cuddling her babies and eating a snack on the way out the door, and then from Mommy's first day on Wednesday.  

In the short hours between school and bedtime, we fit in a couple of walks, a dinner park date with the Williamses and Houstons one evening, and dinner at Grammy and Grandpa's on another evening. I had a late night Monday for the Surry Community College New Student Orientation, and then Boomer had a late night on Thursday for his school's Open House. For this reason, it was nice to be together this evening. We celebrated the end of the week with Mexican at Don Juan's - even splurging for a cheese dip. Happy Friday!