'Visiting Zachy

Zach's school allows you to come "help out" during lunchtime, so I took the opportunity the first moment I was able to - the second day of school.  My friend Stephanie M kept Wyatt so I could go (w/ Yannick) to have lunch with Zach.  Kindergartners at King Lab eat lunch at....wait for it...10:30am.  Yikes!  But I guess he eats breakfast around 6:45-7am.  Still, a bit early.  They do that so that they kindergartners are the only ones in the lunch room.  Then first graders eat at 11am.  I'm not sure which grade starts sharing with other grades, 2nd I guess.  It was a super fun thing to do, and Zach was so excited to see me, which of course made my day!  I helped other students with opening cheese sticks and juice boxes, etc, but mostly tried to hang out with Zachary who was sitting with his old friend David, and his new friend Eli (who is also his locker buddy).  I do miss him at lunch time, but it was fun to see him in his new setting.

After lunch, they get to go outside for recess.  I stayed as long as I could watching him.  Here he is, playing and loving it:

Zach is in the middle in the red

I was saddened by one little boy, talking to another little boy.  One boy was sitting on the bench because he did not feel like playing, and another boy came up to him and started chatting.  The sitting boy never said anything really, b/c the other boy was very busy talking "I hate kindergarten.  I miss my mom and my dad.  There are way too many people, and it's very loud.  I have a glue stick in my pocket and no one even knows"  Saddy.  I am glad that Zachary is not like that, and that he appears to really like kindergarten, but I'm sad for that other boy.

Yes, a little teary again when I had to leave him on the playground to go pick up Wyatt.

KINDERGARTEN

Ughhhh....how did my little baby get to be old enough for Kindergarten??  I am already teary about this transition.  Not only do we have to get up one hour earlier b/c Zach's school starts at 8am instead of 9am like the neighborhood schools, but I am going to miss him so much!  No lunch with Zach!  Aack!

Zachary got in (through a lottery) to one of the 2 magnet schools in the district: Martin Luther King Jr. Laboratory School - or King Lab for short.  It is a Literary and Fine Arts magnet school.  He is most looking forward to 1) being in the same class as David, and 2) riding the bus in a few weeks.  Our close date is Sept 9, so he can start riding the bus on Sept 12.  THE BUS!!  Isn't he much too tiny to ride the bus?? :)

Here is he on his first day.  The whole family took him to school, minus Dexter

Charming Wyatt with his big bro Zachary on the first day of kindergarten - look at that backpack!

Nice photo-op outside Mrs. Soverinsky's classroom

All the parents saying goodbye and making sure their kids are settled.

Zachary at his table, getting ready for "morning work", sitting next to his pal, and soon-to-be neighbor, David C.

Yes, there were tears after dropping him off.  NOT from Zach though, he was "a little bit nervous, but mostly excited", but from ME!  I was able to hold it together during the little meet-and-greet, taking Art to work, and then tear city.  Luckily for me (but NOT for Poppi), I had to take a trip to the airport to pick up Dad's left behind laptop.  Gave me a good job to do.  I enlisted the help of Laila B. to come with me.  She was home alone as her youngest just started Kindergarten today.  Helped quell the saddy.  

I picked up Art on the way to pick Zachary up from school, so we could hear about his first day.  As usual, it is anti-climactic bc Z is terrible about wanting to talk about school ever.  So we didn't get much out of him.  Took Art back to work, and Zach and Wyatt went down for a nap - Zach exhausted, slept 2 hours!  

And so it begins.  Heavy-hearted I tread into the world of all-day school.  I know he is ready for it, but boy do I wish I had more time with him at home.  In Wilmette, their kindergarten is 1/2 day, and they go full day in 1st grade.  Sigh.

Congrats Zach, you are a really big boy now - in Kindergarten!

BEACH VACATION!!!

Vacation Picture Dump....perhaps one day I will come back and put in some details, but probably not since we have those great photo books to supplement.  Great time!  Thanks PoppiMeMa (as the boys call you) for funding our fun time.  So sorry to the husbands and Joy who could not stay the whole week!