Ben started school!

Okay well most of you already know Ben started school and it's been awesome. We're so lucky that Ben has always been a great kid in social situations. He was the leader of the pack in Nursery at church, he LOVED going to the small preschool last year and has been wanting to go to school for so long I knew we wouldn't have a problem. It's only been a little over a week so I guess I can't guarantee that for the rest of the year!

His first day was great. I had everything packed up, Ben was so excited he was up at 6:15. We ate breakfast together, he showered and got dressed, I showered and got ready. I woke Shelby up at 7:20, got her dressed, snapped a few pics and we were on our way at about 7:35. It takes between 15-20 minutes to get to his school depending on which way we go and how many stop lights we hit. It's been about 17 minutes each time. When we got to school we parked, and walked in a little before 8. I did take a couple of pics of him on the Highlander bench and outside the school. We had to get him registered before he could go into class, but it only took a few minutes and he was like MOM. Can we go already?

His class is right outside the office directly inside the front doors which is good because it's easy for him to find (he walks in by himself now). His teacher is super sweet and I was eyeing the rest of the kids in his class just to see who he would be there with and they all seemed pretty normal. Ben got his scotty dog name tag, was given his place at his table to play with shapes while his teacher told me the dismissal policy and things like that. After a few minutes Ben is hollering at me going "Mom, are you going to leave already?" He's funny.

The thing I find the most interesting about having him in school is the stories he tells me about the other kids. He's always been kind of a tattle tale so he likes to say when kids get in trouble. He's also funny about the descriptions he has for the other kids. Like Addyson who is a little chubby (he says while pointing at his cheeks) and always cries for her mom. And Caden who takes away kids' toys. And Zack who got bit by another kid (whose name he couldn't remember). And how Rhianna and Destiny got their binders marked for being too loud in music class. And how Destiny got sent to the principal for not listening on Ben's 2nd day. Thankfully Ben's binder has been full of nothing but good stickers!

He loves school so much he even told me on his 2nd day that he wanted to stay there all the time. Awesome. I'm pretty sure he'll get over that as the weeks go on!

Shelby LOVES being home without Ben. He likes to pester her, and try and hug and kiss her all the time and it drives her crazy. Now she loves sitting in her chair in the living room and watching Curious George or sitting at the table with me while I work. I'm modifying her nap schedule and she's been taking one 3+ hr nap a day which is AWESOME. I hope that lasts a while because I'll be super sad when they get shorter and shorter! She's also hilarious when I tell her it's time to go pick up Ben she runs over to a picture of him on the bookshelf and screams Go! Go! Go! in an awkwardly husky voice. It's so bizarrely adorable.

Ben's school is great. The principal manages the pick-up/drop-off line (I have no idea if that's normal obviously). The PTA is super involved and organized. The office staff are so nice. The kids I've seen are really well behaved. They have a student council and the older kids take turns putting up and taking down the flag. When I left this morning it was a little later than normal because I'd gone in to take my PTA stuff so I was walking out with Shelby as they were doing the morning announcements that broadcast outside of the school. It's totally cool. And a group of kids comes in and leads the pledge and they sing My Country Tis of Thee. But like I said I have no idea if this is typical for an elementary school or not, but I still love it.

Here are a few pics of Ben's first day. He was NOT interested in me taking his picture because he was too excited to get to school!