A few hours later we were attending Meet the Teacher Night at Commerce Elementary. I think I was more nervous than the kids. I hate going to new places where I have to worry about parking and meeting new people- I have issues. Thankfully we got there about 10 minutes early and had no problem parking but being there early meant we got to wait outside in the heat for a bit. They did have these fun photo props outside though. Lucy and Ben were the right size for them but Penny and Steven didn't quite fit.
When we were finally let inside the school we got to go through the awkward meeting new teachers part. Lucy was the least awkward and actually went up to her teacher and said, "Hi, my name is Lucy Hatch." I was proud of her! I got to do the awkward plug with each of their teachers, letting them know that I could substitute teach for them if they ever needed. I felt like I was trying to sell myself and that is not my favorite thing. I miss having my "clientele" all built up. Upon meeting us, all the teachers quickly commented that we must be new to the school- I guess when you have 4 kids it's pretty evident you haven't attended that school before. After meeting the teachers we went out to the playground but we didn't linger too much. I knew 2 moms there from church and when they were done talking to me, I was ready to go. I hate standing around all by my lonesome and it was super hot inside and outside the school.
Tuesday was another day of nerves for the kids (and me!)- it was the FIRST day of school! We did a good job of getting up early enough that we could take our time getting ready and get some good pictures before leaving. Usually Penny always wants to join in the sign holding fun so I made her sign. Well, apparently this year she just wasn't feeling it- maybe she was sad that all her siblings were abandoning her.
The kids are bus riders for the first time ever and that is quite a new experience. No more loading everyone up in the car and dealing with drop off lines, instead we have a 4 minute walk to the bus stop. There are a lot of other kids there which means lots of moms and they seem to be a tight knit group. I have a chatted one on one with a couple of them since starting but I think it will be awhile before I fit into the group itself.
The kids gave me big hugs and headed onto the bus and then I walked home, hopped in the car and met them at school (while Tyler watched Penny). I wasn't being a helicopter mom, kindergarten parents are asked to stay with their kids for the first hour of the day. I was able to meet the principal (and once again put in the awkward plug that I am a guest teacher) while I was waiting for them to arrive by bus. Then I enjoyed getting to be there and greet them as they got off the bus. After walking the boys to their classes, I got to hang out with Lucy for a bit. They had us do a school scavenger hunt which I was glad for- now I know where things are at the school and I can feel more comfortable when/if I sub. I didn't meet any parents- I'm so socially awkward- but I did have a good chat with the teacher. Apparently I will always feel more comfortable talking with teachers. Her teacher seems really nice and I feel like Lucy is going to have a great year with her.
After school the first day and the other 2 days too the kids seemed to be feeling good with their new school. They like their teachers, they are meeting new friends and they are still enjoying that honeymoon period that the first few days of school bring. The boys even learned how to play a new game called gaga ball at recess- apparently it's like dodge ball in a octagonal pit. Sounds fun I guess?
The rest of the week has been real weird for me. It is quite the adjustment to having all the kids home all day to having 3 of them gone most of the day. I'm trying to get myself back on a schedule and to get myself back to using my time productively. One perk of them being in school is that if I don't wake up early enough, I can still squeeze in a workout after they have gone to school.
With some of my extra time I decided to start painting my kitchen cabinets and I immediately regretted that decision. I don't have the patience for painting cabinets. So many steps, so much waiting for things to dry between steps. With my lack of patience- the cabinets are not looking great. I have some drops on the edges that are going to need to be sanded off so I made more work for myself. The sad part is this is only 1/2 of the cabinets and then there's the cabinet boxes too. I have a feeling it's going to be a good long time before this project gets finished. Maybe I'll have it done by the new year? I am just not a project person. I wish I was more of a do itselfer like Tyler since I have the time for projects and he doesn't.
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