It has been 2 full weeks since the boys have started school and the excitement is still in high gear! Wyatt has begun kindergarten, Deacon is in 3rd grade and Hunter is in 4th grade. The boys ride the school bus together and are on the same schedule and in buildings right next to one another. As the summer was winding down, it was sad to think that it was coming to an end so quickly. They were so busy with various camps, baseball, pool time, quality time with grandparents, meeting up with friends, family and vacation too. I certainly hope they remember it all because from my perspective, they had the summer of their littles lives!

It has been 3 years since we have had a kindergartener, and I had forgotten the pure magic that this grade in particular brings.  Now don’t get me wrong, each of our boys have had a great start to the school year and love their new teachers and seeing all of their friends once again but there really is something special about kindergarten and the newness of everything. For Wyatt, the building is new, his teacher is new, the classroom filled with 24 kiddos is new, the routine and schedule and variety of classes is all new for him and thankfully he has been approaching everything with pure joy and excitement.

I don’t know about you but if you have boys, or young children or even teens for that matter, it may be hard to get information out of your child when you ask about their day. It’s like pulling teeth for me. I get responses like “I don’t know.” or “I forget.” or “Nothing really.” even when I try to ask creative questions aside from the typical “How was your day?”  Or I hear the negatives like, I miss my old class, old teacher, So and so was mean, etc. However, not from our little kindergartener.  He has been giving us lots of details. (And I so wish it would last!)

Wyatt was really excited about Music, Art and Phys Ed aka Gym class. But in his mind, reverting back to his recent years in daycare, Gym means Open Gym, Play time or Free for All, if you will. “Mom, they make us practice!” which I have translated to mean, it is structured. There are planned activities to do with your class While this may have been disappointing at first, he has since told us that he has played Dodgeball! and was the last one standing on his team! One day last week he ran through the door with BIG excitement, “Mom, today we learned ARM CIRCLES!!” I imagine they stretch together before P.E. and thus he has learned various stretches including Arm Circles! He proceeded to show them to me, something I haven’t even thought about for over 20 years. He was so happy showing me how to do it, making big circles in the air with his little arms standing in the kitchen with his Pokemon backpack still on his back. *Melted my mama heart.*

I love how he takes everything in without hesitation and just the uttermost sense of joy as many do at this age. It’s inspiring really. They feel like big kids in this new environment, their first formal year of schooling. Meanwhile they are the tiniest tikes in the building. The only time Wyatt has gotten upset or worried (that I know about) so far was when he was unsure where to go. “How do I know where my classroom is after the bus takes me to school?” And he has been a little confused about his schedule- “How many more days this week?” “When is baseball again?” (His very first practice was last weekend.) And my favorite, “When can I take a day off?”  Sorry, buddy, not for a while. (Although Labor Day weekend is approaching!) Every day he comes home starving and then tired, which is to be expected. He has fallen asleep before 7 PM several days so far!

Wyatt was enthusiastic about the color of the day at school as if it was Spirit Week. Every day he had to dress accordingly. Not that he had to but because he wanted to. And on Thursday, which was green day, he wore a kelly green t-shirt and sage green sweatpants. It looked silly and I didn’t care. He was happy. (Also, sweatpants have been his favorite because his classroom is cold and his little legs are always “so freezing!”.) After his first day of school, he ran into our house and spelled August, “A-U-G-U-S-T!” and even learned a little song to go with it which he promptly recited for us. Wyatt certainly did not know how to spell August when he left the house that morning.

Teachers are magical and make all of this magic for the kids to foster a love of learning early on. I am always so impressed with the teachers in our boys buildings and the way that they show up and care how much the kids are enjoying school and love learning. It really speaks volumes when our boys want to go back willingly each and every day. I appreciate the hard work that teachers put into the school year and bring all of their tips, tricks and tools after years of shared experience. I know there is so much that happens behind the scenes for our kiddos to come home and sing us that new song, for example. They are magic makers and take their roles as our children’s teachers seriously.  (Thank you, teachers!!)

I look forward to hearing Wyatt’s highlights of the day each and every day. From the big things like making friends, learning procedures, learning 3 sight words (!) and buying lunch all on his own to even the smaller things like stretches and Arm Circles. As a parent, I love hearing these things from his perspective as he approaches a new world and thrives in kindegarten. I hope to remember these things forever.

Wyatt had 5 amazing years at his day care and pre-school. While we were sad to close that chapter, he is well prepared for kindergarten and his new big school. And Wyatt has transitioned well and loves seeing his old buddies on the playground and making new friends. Kids are so resilient.

I hope everyone is off to or ready for a great school year ahead! Share your fun first weeks of school experiences with me- I would love to hear about it! ❤️