first week

We made it through a whole week of kindergarten!

Don't let the picture fool you... she survived all five days of school without her blanket!

On the second morning before school, Annike was cuddled in her special living room chair still waking up, and I told her, "It's time to get ready for school now."
She looked at me with wide eyes and said, "I have school again today?!"
Uh Oh, I thought. We never got past discussing the first day, did we?... 
I said, "Yep! School again today."
And she shocked me by giving an emphatic, "YAY!"
Phew. We narrowly escaped that one...

Most surprisingly, there has been no drama about clothing this week. Each day Annike comes home and can't wait to take her school clothes off... and Sommer can't wait to put them on.

The saddest part about this week were the tears that came from Sommer each morning as Annike went out the door with Papa. Sommer put her shoes on and banged on the closed door crying, "Please! School! Please! School!" The first day she stayed sad all morning, but her moping time lessened as the week went on. Still, she would periodically say, "Sad. Anka leave."

This time is good for all of us in many ways, and it feels like a necessary season we are entering. Annike has energy to spare and school seems to be a great outlet for that energy. Such a good outlet that I can't get her to tell me anything that happened until a few hours after she has lunched and rested and played by herself for a while. It is utterly silent in the car on the drive home, which is something new for us. Though I admit it is a strange feeling to have utterly no idea what has happened to my daughter over the course of those 3 hours each day, considering I have known what she was doing every waking moment for the last 5 years.

Sommer and I are getting some precious bonding time during these early morning hours. I am trying to take special advantage of the time I have with my second-born child, alone, in this final month before the baby arrives. She is truly a delight... when she isn't pitching a monstrous fit about something or other. Those are her two modes of operation: delightful, and little monster fit pitcher. We aim for the former as much as possible.

This start of school has begun a new and healthy routine in our lives. Entering a new and somewhat busier season always causes me to self-reflect...
What are we choosing to emphasize as we settle into a daily routine?... more than simply waking up earlier and getting to bed on time at night.
Are we making time to sit with one another and listen?
Are we pausing to get hugs and kisses?
Are we creating the space in our day to be with God? as a family? as individuals?
Are we rushing anxiously into the next thing or taking the time we need in our transitions?

On the other hand... I am trying not to get too settled into any new and wonderful routine because our world is about to turn upside down with the addition of a 3rd child. May God give us wisdom each step of the way!