Days with the Dorans

 It's hard to believe my LAST baby is off to kindergarten.  I didn't find myself getting emotional (like some parents do).  In fact, I was more nervous about Joe than I was about Seany.  Perhaps it was because I've gone through this kindergarten thing before or perhaps it's because Sean isn't worried about anything!  As with all the others, it was Nana that took Seany to school (since parents bring kindergartners to school the first day and stay a bit).  Sean was VERY unhappy about not being able to ride the bus TO school on the first day but I think once he got to school he forgot all about that.  Sean's kindergarten teacher was Joe & Al's first grade teacher (along with another teacher since at that time they were share time).  My mom filled me in about the day including the crying kid AND the crying parent (they were not related)!  I have to say the whole thing made me thankful I teach first graders! One of the things th...

It was a bittersweet day when my Z went to kindergarten (or actually the eve was bittersweet for me...). I don't know why I felt the bitter in it.  I didn't feel this way with the Bigs and I was trying to put my finger on it.  Perhaps because Z is younger (age-wise) than the Bigs and therefore seems so little. Or perhaps (and maybe more likely) it is because he is a mama's boy and I'm his mama! Z's excitement for kindergarten started years before when he dreamed of riding the bus with the Bigs.  We went on a special trip to pick out his backpack and lunch box and he had the pack on and lunchbox in hand well before it was time to go (about an hour early). It was the sweetest thing to see his excitement and I was a little sad that I didn't get to see it as he entered his school for the first time! Thankfully my mom was there and she had her camera (of course). It is an occupational hazard that I never get to be there on MY kids first day of school. Zach...

Well, today was the day! The first day of the first grade (for me and Joe) and the first day of kindergarten for Ali Jane. Joe had a wonderful day, I am purely exhausted (I could write a book on that alone), but it is my dear Ali Jane that I will be focusing on today. (More on that in a bit.) My parents saved the day yet again. My dad took the littles to get Joe on the bus because kindergartners go to school with their parents- or if you are the child of two teachers- their grandparents... Ali Jane was quite excited to ride the bus, but I assured her the night before that she would be riding home on the bus with Joe and that Daddy would be waiting for her to hear all about her day. (A quick side... Zach has decided he wants to go to kindergarten now too and had a mini- or perhaps it was a major- meltdown when he couldn't get on the bus with Joe.) Ali Jane was so excited to get to school and she knew just where to go. She was thrilled to have the same teacher that Joe...

Joe could hardly contain his excitement when he woke up that first day of school... "MOM! MOM! WE'VE GOT TO CALL DAD AND TELL HIM I'M A KINDERGARTNER!" (Dad was already at work.) His joy tugged at my heart a little... as I thought of his story- the sweet little boy that he is... I couldn't believe I was letting him go! Nana took him that first day since we both couldn't miss 'our' first days of school. I am so thankful that she is our 'family photographer' and grabbed some pics for me. While I did call and check to see how the morning went, I didn't have to rely on her observations alone because Jonasen was quick to give us the play-by-play of his first day of school... "Mom! There are three new friends and one has the same backpack as me, one has the same shoes as me and one has the same lunchbox as me but they are three friends- We read a book about a raccoon and they kissed his hand- I sit at the blue table- I eat in a ...