Boots

It was raining last night (and cold!).  Kayden got into the hall closet and found Keeley's rain boots (she doesn't like to wear clothes still).

 Keeley then decided that she needed rain boots too, but was upset that Kayden's were so small on her feet!

Look at the "cheese" faces!

Kayden - Day 1 at GSMS

Today was Kayden's first day at Good Shepherd.  We've been talking about it since the end of last week.  She knew that she would be going to Keeley's little school with Mrs. Sutton and Mrs. Alva.  I wasn't at all worried because she's met a lot of the kids before and she sees the teachers every day for carpool.  However, this morning did not start out well!  We had a good ten minutes of flailing and crying because she didn't want to wear her uniform.  Fortunately, big sister quickly went and found a matching shirt which seemed to appease Kayden. Plus, look how cute they are with their green shirts!!

 

 Good Shepherd is really good about transitions.  Since this was Kayden's first day, she would not go through carpool.  I would take her about 15 minutes into class and stay with her the entire time she was there (about an hour and a half).  This meant that she stayed in the car while Keeley did carpool.  The entire way to school we talked about Kayden going to school and she kept saying "No. Karen and Ronda" (those are her old teachers).  When Keeley's teachers came to the car, Kayden literally hid - she covered her face and looked down.  I was getting more and more nervous about how it would go once we were in class.

I didn't need to be worried, however.  Kayden clung to my leg for about one minute once we were in the classroom and then she hardly even acknowledged I was there for the next hour and a half.  Mrs. Sutton said I probably don't even need to come in tomorrow with her!

Funniest thing about the entire morning was snack time.  The kiddos made muffins.  Kayden got right up there with the rest of them helping the teacher.  When the muffins were ready, she patiently waited her turn.  In the classroom, there is a little table with two chairs that they put flowers on for snack time.  This means that only two kiddos can have their snack at a time.  When it was Kayden's turn, she sat down and had her two muffins.  Mrs. Sutton told her that she couldn't have any more just yet because we had to let all the friends have a turn.  She told Kayden she could have more muffins when the second batch came out.  Kayden tried one more "please" and then cleaned her spot and pushed her chair in (impressing me!).

She did a few more works in the class and kept eyeing the snack table and her friends having snacks.  She really wanted another mini-muffin.  She went and stood next to the table for a moment.  Then she went to another table, got a chair, and put it down at the snack table.  Even Mrs. Sutton laughed and told her that she "was impressed by her ingenuity" but that it still wasn't time for her to have more snack yet.

Little Talker

Keeley likes to fool people.  Upon initially meeting her, she is painfully shy and probably won't even make eye contact with the new people.  However, she isn't really shy, she is just reserved.  Once she is comfortable with you, she will talk your ear off!

Last week when she first started at the "big kid" school, her new teachers told me that she was very quiet and doing much more observing than talking.  She spent 4 partial days and one full day at school last week.

Today was her second full day at school.  That means her new teachers picked her up and brought her back to me at carpool.  I was a little nervous about how she'd do today since Kayden also started school.  Well, she did fine.  Her teacher had barely even opened the door to get Keeley before she said "She is really a talker.  It is all coming out.  She was telling us all about her birthday and her sister's birthday.  Quite the talker."

I suppose she has warmed up to her new class and new friends!

The horse

After a particularly trying day with my youngest, Mom suggested that we buy a rocking/spring horse to help her with some of her energy.  So far, it does seem to distract her a bit from the constant climbing she had been doing.  Both girls love the horse and I am amazed at how much power Kayden puts in to riding it.  She likes to get up on the horse and say "look at me. riding horsie" and "I'm up here!"

Pictures!

Keeley and Kayden in the tent.  One looks sweet, the other looks a bit mischievous....

Kayden sitting, bare bottomed, on the baby doll's potty.

Keeley's awesome outfit choice for Saturday.  I'm not sure you can tell from this picture, she has not one or two but EIGHT clips in her hair.

Don't you wish you could sleep this restfully?

Big Girl School

I think that this week of transition to the "big girl" school went much more smoothly than I anticipated.  Certainly the newness will wear off and she will want to be back at the "little kid" school when Kayden starts there, but so far, so good!  On Thursday, she stayed over in the big kid school until it was time for carpool and one of the teachers over there brought her to the car.  Then, on Friday, she spent the entire day there.  I was so proud of her and so pleased with the school.  Her lead teacher actually got her out of the car.  She noticed that we have books in the car and suggested Keeley bring one so that they could read it together in the class. 

Each Friday, the primary students have music class in the morning and then chapel right before pick-up.  Because it is a chapel day, they have to wear specific uniform pieces.  Look how adorable she is?!  And how grown up she looks!!

Keeley made so many crafts at school this week and really enjoyed the big kids.  On Wednesday, she actually had me pull over so she could show me her artwork before she had her snack.  I'm so proud of her and her transition to the big kid school!

Transition: Day 1

Today was Keeley's first day to transition to the "big kid" school.  Over the course of the week, she will be spending more time each day in the primary classroom.  On Friday, her new primary teacher will get her out of the car in carpool and she will spend the entire day in her new classroom.

Last night, I told Keeley that she would be visiting the big kid school today.  She seemed hesitant and was very insistent that she would go back to "her" school after the visit.  This morning, one of her new teachers stopped by to say hello to me and Keeley while we were in carpool.  As soon as she left, Keeley said "I don't like that new teacher".

However, when I picked Keeley up from school, she was all smiles!  She and another of her friends both spent one hour over in the primary classroom together and she had fun.  Keeley told me that she did lots of painting works and that the "big kids showed me how to do the works".  Hopefully each day will go just as well!