The Schwartz's vs Sarah starts Kindergarten

What?!

Yes, today my oldest child started Kindergarten.  She is upbeat, friendly, and excited to learn so I knew she was going to have a great day.  And she did!

However, the best line of the day came from Cody at 6 am.  He's not a morning person.  So I came in gently telling him it was time to get up and his response, "but it's still dark outside!"  However, Sarah popped up like a Disney princess summoning animals to come help her get ready for the day.  She is always peppy in the morning which made it easier at least.

The stagger start here so for the first 3 days only a third of the class comes, then the last 2 days half of the class comes.  Next week all of the kids will finally be together.  We're allowed to walk them to their class the first week of school, so their 2 first days.  Chris told his boss he'd be late those two days so we could alternate taking her and not having the boys with me.  It worked out nicely.  We even had time in the morning to take the traditional first day of school picture.  And Chris let me walk her today because the first day we were encouraged and allowed to take pictures.  Yay!

Grandma Schwartz takes each of the school age kids out for the day and they go shopping for school clothes.  This was one of the outfits the picked together.  Let's all just ignore the socks and shoes, but to explain, Sarah said the yellow socks matched the yellow flowers in the pants and red shoes go with the red parts of the flowers.  So there ya have it.

Sarah's teacher seems very nice.  She's been teaching for a while and I have some friends who have had her and they say great things.  So we're excited and looking forward to this year.

Goodness, she grew up!

I had quite a few people ask me how I handled it and if I was nervous.  I was fine dropping Sarah off, honestly.  As a former teacher I know that they also want what's best for each of their students and have always thought Elementary teachers are bred different with more patience and an ability to truly love each "baby" like it's their own.  I was anxious about things that only makes sense if you know me.  Not knowing how the car line works, or what the routine is for the day for both Sarah and the new one I'll have to create for the boys.  I'd love nothing more than a typed up schedule including their "related arts" days so I know when to make sure Sarah wears sneakers for gym.  I worry about what to pack for her snack and will it be as much as or similar to what the other parents pack.  What the heck is a snack cart and will she feel left out if she doesn't get to buy a treat from it?  And as I was walking back to the car I worried that she wouldn't remember her water bottle for lunch because we left it in her bag instead of putting it on the lunch box shelf.  Just little things like that.

But I didn't worry that she wouldn't enjoy it or do well.  I mean just look at this face:

In the afternoon when I picked her up as soon as she saw my car she started waving and calling "hi mommy!"  And I was so excited to see her!  We got home and she showed me all of the great things she did and told be what they worked on and learned.  She had a great day!  She even wanted to share it as the Family Home Evening lesson. 

I know she's going to love school.
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Last night before the kids went to bed, I asked Chris to give us each a school blessing.  It's not really something that's appropriate for pictures but I did want to remember the sweet spirit and feelings that we had.

Growing up my dad didn't do school blessings at the start of each year, it wasn't one of our traditions and I knew nothing about them.  During a lesson in young women's when I was growing up, one girl mentioned her dad did them, others concurred and I filed that little bit away for something I'd hope my husband would do for my family.  So it was a great moment for me to have that desire fulfilled.

As Chris blessed Sarah, everyone even Cody was quite and still.  I peeked and was so touched to see her sitting so reverent with arms folded, eyes closed, a sweet smile on her face.  When he was done, we asked her how she felt and she said "good and happy".  Cody immediately wanted one as well and  sat down in the chair.  I peeked at him too and of course his eyes were open but he seemed to be still and was listening.  When his was over we asked how he felt and he said he "felt warm".  We took that opportunity to explain that you get those feelings when you feel the Holy Ghost and he was witnessing to them that daddy was righteously using the Priesthood to bless them.  It was a good teachable moment.  The kids wanted me to get one as well, and heavens knows I was going to need one too to survive this first school year so again they all sat reverently as daddy gave one more blessing.

It was a sweet and powerful spirit in the room and it was a wonderful moment for our family.  I'm thankful that Chris has the authority to perform these sacred duties.  And I'm glad the kids were able to feel the Spirit and understand that in their own way.

The Schwartz's vs Operation Empty Nest

Also known as "why would you say that to me!"

Chris and I were laying in bed chatting on our anniversary and I casually asked what's the next 4 years have in store for us.  What's it going to be like on our 15th year anniversary.  He thought for a moment and said, "Well, by that point, all of the kids will be in school.  Charlie will start kindergarten that year."

WHHHHHHYYYYY would you say that to me!!!!!

I've never been an "it goes by so fast" person.  I smile and nod when people say that and know when I'm in their position I'll look back and say that too.  But right now, I've got a helmet on and I'm living in the trenches just trying to survive.  With Chris out of school now, I've finally accepted the need to get out of survival cooking mode and not serve hot dogs, mac and cheese, tacos, and cereal practically every night cause he'd like real food.  Ha!  I have only just begun looking over those deep trench walls that are lined with legos and little rubber princess dolls.  

WHHHHHYYYYYY would you say that to me!!!!!

All of a sudden putting it like that it goes by so fast!  I compare most timeline things to Chris's school.  It took us 10 years, T-E-N Y-E-A-R-S to get a bachelors degree.  For so long I thought he was never going to graduate.  It felt like forever.  I happily plan vacations that are over year out because after enduring Chris's school, a year of looking forward to something happy is like waiting a month.  No big deal.  I got this.  So four years for me will go by REALLY quickly.  I can't believe that in just 4 years Operation Empty Nest, Phase 1 will be complete.  

Nuts.

Oh, and just in case you are curious, Operation Empty Nest has 3 phases some run simultaneously with holding patterns of various lengths.  They are as follows:

Phase 1: All kids start school

holding pattern for 13 years while all kids complete k-12.

Phase 2: All kids leave for college/mission

holding pattern 2-3 years

Phase 3: All kids marry 

holding pattern length unknown but please don't let it last forever!

At the successful completion of Operation Empty Nest, there will be a Victory Tour.  Though it's way to early to start planning that vacation.  Even I put limits on how far out I plan things.

Random photo cause, you know you only come for the photos.

Kindergarten Camp (Orientation)

The Schwartz's vs the Tooth Fairy

Teeth freak me out!  And this one has been driving me nuts!  Back on July 14th during lunch Sarah said her tooth hurt while she was eating some pretzels.  She thought some salt got stuck in it so I looked at it and casually said, "oh yeah, that tooth is probably getting ready to fall out".  Well, that wasn't very smart since she's my first kid and they had no idea teeth fall out.  She FLIPPED out.  We had to call dad to calm her down.

But why are my teeth going to fall out!!!!

So I didn't really want the tooth coming out before school started cause I wanted nice pretty smiles in back to school pictures.  But that tooth has been getting more and more loose then last week I noticed the new tooth already started coming in.  At my dentist appointment Monday, she proudly showed it to Dr. Pulido who told me we needed to get it out.  So Tuesday I caved and asked Chris to try to pull it.

What I thought would be her last baby teeth smile.

She was brave and he yanked and tugged but it wasn't ready yet.  So it stayed in.  She was upset because I told her when her tooth came out we'd go get ice-cream.  Oh well, another day.  Wednesday, during nap time for the boys, she sat next to me while we watched our dance show and just messed with it.  It was making all those horrible teeth noises.  ICK!  She even made it bleed but didn't notice and I certainly didn't tell her.  When Chris got home he tried again and still nope.

Today before dinner it was super gross, like half way hanging out of her mouth.  I asked her if she wanted dad to pull it before dinner and she said yes.  I left the room, and no sooner than I walked out of the kitchen Chris was giving the all clear and Sarah was shouting for joy.

Yay!

Our first baby tooth is out!

big ole baby tooth hole

She hung up her tooth fairy Grandma Smith gave her.  I'm glad our tooth fairy looks for this hanging somewhere and not under her pillow.  

And we went out for the promised ice cream treat.  She even got to pick 3 extra toppings for being so brave and letting daddy yank on her tooth 3 days in a row.

She's excited to have lost her first baby tooth, which is a drastic improvement over how she took the news about having to loose it last month.  And I'm thrilled not to have to listen to those gross grinding noises.  ICK!

And just for the record, the going rate for a tooth around here is one gold dollar.  She was thrilled about her gold coin and put it in her penny jar.