Thad + Kindergarten = Awesome

Thad has officially been in school for a week and he absolutely loves it! August 27, 2014 marks the day that the Monsen family began this journey of school. This boy asked about the first day of school for a couple of weeks leading up to it, hoping it would come sooner than it did. We bought school shoes a couple days before and he asked and asked a lot if he could wear them to play with his friends and Brian and I had to explain school clothes etiquette to him a few times. I'm not worried, he'll catch on!

Here he is right when he woke up! Brian and I told him he could get up at 6:30 and he was waiting for us when we went in at 6:25 because we were so excited and couldn't wait any longer! He was so excited to lay his school clothes out the night before and officially do his chore chart for school. He has been so good about completing that chart every morning and I still haven't had to go in and wake him up at 6:30--he comes out every morning right on the dot with that little brother trailing right behind him!

It was so fun to have Brian around for the morning and he got up bright and early to make some rainbow pancakes.  

Thad was excited! 

I don't think 7:30 could have come soon enough for this boy! He was ready to head out that door and begin his Kinder experience.

  

It was so fun to head to school and think about all the times we would do this over the coming years in Texas. We are still trying to figure out the best logistics of getting him to and from school because he loves riding his bike and he has to be picked up by an adult after school...slowly but surely we will get it....and then baby sister will come and shake everything up!

We got to his classroom, unloaded his stuff and he headed straight for his seat to join in the play-doh with the rest of the class. 

Here he is with his darling teacher, Ms. Knight. She is so warm and bubbly and we have loved the little interaction we have had with her so far.

She even remembered Wes from the Welcome Walk and the supply drop off, and he of course thinks everything is about him, so insisted on a picture with her too. 

She was such a good sport! He was copying her, but wouldn't hold still enough for me to get his smile. He is such a ham!

He wasn't nervous at all to say goodbye to us, but I made him give me a hug anyways. It was nice and tight, so that made me feel really happy!

We stood outside the classroom for a bit spying on our boy and noticed how he didn't even flinch or look back when we left.

Thad is so cut out for this school thing and I have not one worry about him. No tears were shed by any of us (maybe a fake one or two by Wes because he wanted to stay), but Brian and I just couldn't stop smiling because we are just so happy for him. He will flourish in academic surroundings and he just couldn't be more ready for this step in his life.

Wes and I spent the day doing nothing. I figure I get at least one day off (although there have maybe been a couple more), and I was so excited to pick him up that afternoon. When I saw him I kissed him a hundred times and he just smiled and let me which made my heart happy. I asked him if it was long or short and he said, "Long." I asked him what his favorite thing he did and playing Tunnel Tag in P.E. was it--no surprise there, right? 

I love hearing the new things he likes or learns everyday when I pick him up. He always says he can't remember what they did, but I make him think of at least one thing. Yesterday they wrote in their science journals and drew pictures (with a pencil, not crayons) of stars, rocks and bones. How cute is that?! Watching my kids learn is one of the most fulfilling things I have experienced as a mother so far. Kindergarten is going to be good. Really good.