First Week Of School Recap...

This week has been a pretty big adjustment for all of us, but overall things have gone very well.  Mason is getting used to our new routine and being away from Ellie and me so much during the day.  As for me, I've gotten less emotional each day that has gone by.  The past two days, I've actually even left him in the morning without tearing up as soon as I walked out the door--a big feat for me!  Ellie and I have been having lots of fun together, but I still very much look forward to seeing Mason come out of the school doors every afternoon with a big hug for me!  After one week of school, I've been thanking God every day for giving us a home that is so close to the school that we can walk.  When school lets out, and Ellie and I take off down the street to get Mason, there are cars lined up well past the school.  By the time we get back to the house, the cars are lined up almost all the way to our house, and they haven't moved an inch!  It's like a huge traffic jam on our street every day, and I'm so glad I'm not having to sit in it.  Besides, the walking twice a day has been so good for me.  It's probably the most excercise I've gotten lately, as I feel like I'm moving slower and slower as Mollie gets bigger (only eight weeks to go!)

Mason really loves his teacher.  He is so excited about having a man for a kindergarten teacher, and we could not have asked for a better man to teach our son.  He is so great with the kids, and he has such a passion for language and for each of his students to be bilingual.  It really shows in the way he conducts his class, and I wish Mason could have Mr. Mosqueda every year.  Before beginning his dual language class this week, Mason only knew a few basic words in Spanish.  But after only one week, he came home yesterday and counted to 30 in Spanish for me!  (He's a little rusty between 14-19, but he'll get it).  He's also been attempting to sing Spanish songs from his class, and saying more phrases.  I'm so excited about the things he is learning and the great group of teachers and kids that he is with during the day!

As for Ellie, she has adjusted to not having her big brother around to play with all day.  Although it helps that we walk him to his class every morning.  That way she understands where he is all day.  But at the end of the school day when I tell her to put on her shoes so we can go pick up Mason from school, she runs to the door saying, "Mason...school!"  She is always excited to see him, but while he's gone, I am finding that when the cat's away, the little mouse will play.  Naturally she likes to play in his room while he's gone, but today I found her going through his underwear drawer trying on every pair of his underwear one by one!

Hmmm, this is harder than it looks...

(You can see that she's tried on almost every pair that he owns.)

Now trying the "two legs in one leghole" approach...

And finally...success!  (Sort of)

After mastering the underwear task, Ellie and I went to Mason's school to eat lunch with him.  It was our first time to join him, and I plan to make this something we do each week.  Here is Mason with his good friend, Taylor.  They are in the same Sunday school class at church, and her kindergarten class at school is right next door to Mason's! (The kindergarteners wear these visors during lunch for the first week of school.  It has their information on it to help the cafeteria workers assist them in typing in their ID's if they are going through the lunch line.)

 Friday lunch fun!

First Day of Kindergarten...

I keep saying it, but it still has yet to sink in.  Today was Mason's first day of school.  To be honest, I have dreaded this day since the day he was born--the inevitable first day of letting go.  We attended "meet the teacher night" last week, and I had the opportunity to meet many of his classmates and their families, as well as see his classroom for the first time.  I walked away with such a peace about him beginning school, and an excitment about him learning Spanish in his dual language class.  I went into this past weekend feeling quite proud of myself that I was so at ease with what would come today.  But then last night, as we were getting the kids ready for bed, picking out clothes for today, and getting lunches ready, it hit me!  Mason is starting school today.   I became very overwhelmed with emotion that carried over into this morning.  He told me a few times last night and this morning that he was feeling a little unsure about things, but for the most part, he seemed very excited.  Here we are getting ready to walk out the door.  Out of all the shirts he owns, he wanted to wear his Johnson Elementary t-shirt on the first day:

Once we got to his classroom, he was very comfortable and confident.  I however, was a wreck inside, just as I had suspected I would be.  It was all I could do to snap a few pictures and get out the door with Ellie before bursting into tears.  But it did make things a lot easier for me to see him so eager to get started on his classwork:

I can hardly wait until school gets out today.  I am so anxious to hear all about his first day!  I decided it would be best if Ellie and I got out of the house this morning and did something together.  Being the animal lover that she is, I took her to feed the ducks at one of our local parks.  As we were pulling up, I only saw a couple of ducks, but as we approached them with a bag of bread, about 25 of them (and a little squirrel too) came out of nowhere:

This was a special time for me.  Not only was it one of the first little outings Ellie and I have had alone, just the two of us, but it was also something that I used to do with Mason several times a week when he was Ellie's age.  And of course, today I had a lot of time to reflect back on those days.

Ellie today, and Mason in the spring of 2006:

And the best part of the day today....
Being there to greet him after school!

Going Public...

Last summer, some friends of ours whose daughter was on the brink of starting kindergarten, recommended the book Going Public: Your Child Can Thrive in Public School on their blog.  It is written by a Christian married couple, who successfully brought up their 8 children through the public school system, in one of the least-churched areas of the country.  Since we knew the issue of Mason's education would be something that we, too, would be facing in the near future, we decided to invest in this book as well. 

In one week, my firstborn, my precious son, will begin the journey of his formal education.  We are very blessed to have a great neighborhood school that is only 7 doors down from our house, which will allow for many memorable "walks and talks" on the way to and from school.  But I still can't help but feel tremendous anxiety about him leaving me during the day.  Perhaps it's because he has been at home with me since the day he was born more than 5 1/2 years ago.  Or maybe it's just sadness at the thought of my child growing up.  They are so young for only a moment, and every milestone they reach brings much joy, but with it, some sadness as well.  But over the past several weeks, I've come to the realization that there is much more to it than any of that.  For me personally, I think it's also an issue of my control vs. God's will.  

Having had Mason home with me for the past 5 years, I have known what he does every moment of the day.  I know who he spends time with, I know what media he is exposed to, and I know that he is okay because he is with me at every point in the day.  As mothers, one of our greatest God-given instincts is to protect our children and keep them safe.  When they are young we keep them safe by teaching them to look for cars before crossing the street, and not to talk to strangers.  And when they are older we keep them safe by giving them values and teaching them morals, self-control, and good decision-making skills.  After all, God tells us, as parents, that we must teach our children His commandments:

"Teach [my words] to your children. Talk about them when you are at home, and when you walk along the road. Speak about them when you lie down and when you get up. Write them on the doorframes of your houses and on your gates." Deuteronomy 11: 19-20

But as I've prayed about my feelings and sought God's guidance in this area, I realized that God also commands that we are to be the salt and light of the world:  

"Let your light shine before men in such a way that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father who is in heaven."  Matthew 5:16

However I never found an instance in the Bible where God commands that I keep my children "safe".  Wow.  What a harsh reality for a protective mother like myself.   He never tells me that I should keep Mason away from non-believers and potentially bad influences because they might, in fact, cause him to go astray.   He never tells me that I should prevent him from being around children who are less fortunate or shelter him from society's moral meltdown, but instead, I am to teach him what is right and true, and then send him out into the world, prepared, wearing the full armor of God.  I am constantly reminding myself of these truths.  So next Monday I will walk my son to school with confidence, knowing that my God who parted the Red Sea for the Israelites, my God who gave young David victory over a giant, and my God who created the entire universe with His hand, will also be the same God who will walk beside Mason as he goes into school.  Please join me in praying for our children who are about to start a new school year, and also for all the other Christian students and educators who enter the hallways of the public schools everyday--that their witness would be strong, that others who have never seen Jesus will see Him in them, and that their experiences with others would allow them to grow mighty in their faith! 

For anyone who has, or will soon have, children in the public school system, or for anyone who is considering their child's educational options, I would highly encourage you to read this book.  It has been a huge source of encouragement for us, and full of so many truths that are invaluable for parents today.  My friend, Julie, has several great observations from this book that she posted on her blog last year.  With her permission, I've added links to her Going Public posts.  Her thoughts are worded so well, that my paraphrasing would not have done them justice.  Thanks Julie!

Going Public, Part 1

Going Public, Part 2, Everybody Should "Homeschool"

Going Public, Part 3, Swimming Lessons

Reaching New Heights...

This is frightening:

I see this image multiple times a day, now that Ellie has figured out how to get the bathroom stool and carry it around the house to reach all kinds of no-no's.

My Little Copycat...

She wants to do everything just like her big brother...

Stone Mountain Park...

About a month ago we took a trip to Atlanta.  While we were there we visited the Atlanta Aquarium (great because it had a huge variety of sea life AND it was all indoors...a definite plus on a hot summer day) and Stone Mountain Park.  I didn't get many great pictures from the aquarium because the lighting inside was dim while the tanks and exhibits in the background were brightly lit--thus producing pictures with really bad glare.  I did manage to take a few at Stone Mountain Park, which is a place I would highly recommend if you are ever in the Atlanta area, since it's a great family venue featuring activities and sights that grown ups as well as young kids enjoy. 

Stone Mountain and Mason's view from the top (taken up by cable car):

There was a half-hour train ride that went all the way around the mountain.  Ellie acted like she was really excited to be on the train until the whistle started blowing and it began to move.  This was pretty much the uncertain expression she had on her face the whole time:

Mason, Ellie, and my parents on the train:

Enjoying a little putt putt golf at the bottom of the mountiain before dinner:

Every night the park puts on a laser/fireworks show.  We all sat on the large lawn facing the mountain (in the first picture that is shown above).  The mountain is the backdrop on which the lasers shine.  It was very cool, but unfortunately again, I couldn't get any pictures due to the darkness vs. the bright laser lights.  Hmmm, maybe it's time to upgrade the camera.  :)

Dancing Machines...

We've just returned from 2 weeks of traveling and visiting family, and the kids had such a great time visiting their 4 grandparents.  We started off the first half of the trip by flying to Atlanta with my parents to see the sights there for a few days before heading to my sister's wedding in South Carolina.  We visited the Atlanta Aquarium, one of the largest in the country, and Stone Mountain Park (I'll have to post more pictures from these events later.) But for now, here are some pictures of the kids tearing up the dance floor at the reception:

Dancing with Daddy...

Getting tired, but still dancing...

Mason loved sliding across the slick floor in his dress socks...

Two pooped out dancing machines...

Ellie loved pushing the elevator buttons at the hotels, but could seldom reach them.  Here is one of the many times Mason gave her a sweet brotherly boost...