Tuesday 4 September 2012

First Day Of School - 2012

Another summer gone and another school year beginning!  How is it that no matter how much time you think you have once school is out for one year, and before the next year starts, that it's never enough time? It always amazes me at how quickly those summer weeks disappear into a soon to be distant memory, as the nerves of a new school year begin.

Who will be my teacher, will I like them, will they like me, will my friends be in my class, do I have the right clothes on, is my lunch okay...in the minds of wee ones these are all very important questions :) And they're very important questions in the minds of grandparents as well. 

It's funny how we gave these questions a fleeting thought as we were rushing our own children out the door that first day of school each year....but....when it comes to our grandchildren, well, it's different!  We grandparents have been there, done that decades ago, and we only now after all these years can truly appreciate what these simple questions mean to a child. 

School is their life while they are in the classroom. It's important to them to have answers to all these questions, sometimes before school even starts.  A disappointing answer to even one of them can mean the difference between a good year, or a bad year. Not a good way to start 10 months of school.
  
The "happy" crowd. Even cousin Isabella was there
to enjoy it all. It's her first day of Grade one tomorrow
too, just like Hannah :)
  
And so it was last night as we went over to our oldest son and DIL's for the last 'summer' supper.

Grandpa and I are in Toronto today until the weekend, so we weren't able to be there as the girls walked to the bus this morning, questions in mind, friends at their sides, wondering...wondering...wondering.

The obligatory pizza pan oatmeal cookie was also in tow as we went for supper, as well as a jello "pie" for Hannah who was exactly 6 1/2 yesterday. Hannah doesn't like cake...imagine a 6 year old who doesn't like cake LOL...but she does love jello. Red is her favorite...with whipped cream rimming the pie plate and a big whipped cream 6 1/2 in the middle.

She just had to sit on grandpa for her
picture...hehehe! Happy half birthday Hannah!
  
Now if grandpa had his way the cookie would not have been eaten last night...hehehe....but would have been sitting on the kitchen counter until the girls came home after school today.  But, it's a good thing grandma was around....there is no way we were leaving for Toronto today and not have a piece of that cookie....LOL!

As usual supper was delicious, then it was time to dig in. The jello pie disappeared in no time flat after Hannah said she wanted the "6" and Cade said he wanted the "1" (1/2).  The extra cream I brought along went well too...hehehe!

Next came the cookie....mom I want that piece, mom can I have that part...LOL!  It disappeared just as fast as the jello, but mom was able to save them each a piece for their lunches today, with Cade continually piping in "moooommmmm can I have a piece tomorrow....mooooooommmm" :) :)

It was fun, it brought back memories, even with the tears here and there that were coming from the kids at various times after supper....the nerves were tense, the unknown for them, exactly that...the unknown. It's a scary day when you're going into Grade 3 and Grade 1...and even scarier when you're just starting JK!

Cade doesn't start until Thursday, but he's already saying he doesn't like school LOL!  If he only knew what a long road he has ahead of him...hehehe!


  And we can't forget our middle son Warren who is
a teacher and heading to Grade 4 this morning, as well
as our Step-Grandkids Brittney, grade 11...and
Austin heading into a very scary year as well, grade 9!
Good luck guys, I know you'll do well!
 
So here's to another fantastic year for all 3 of them, that they learn as much as they can, enjoy the time with their friends and even more so, enjoy the time they get to spend with mom and dad after school.  They aren't going to realize just how important those after school hours are until they are older...much older...perhaps even grandparents :)

Grandma loves you
xoxoxoxo