school

they went off to school yesterday all happy and smiling. They all came home happy and smiling. I guess thats a good sign. I only cried a little when they went. Maia and Ben were the hard ones. Maia is my adorable happy go lucky loves life and dances through everything as if it were music just for her. I didnt want her to go to school. I wanted her to stay my baby girl. I was teasing her after school about if she missed me. she insisted she didnt. I told her to lie and tell me she missed me just to make ME feel better. she laughed and said Mom I didnt miss you! little imp! I told her I was glad she had a good time and now she wouldnt have to go back and she could stay home and be my baby (this is a careful dance, with some kids they would see this as an opportunity to turn it on you and say they wont go to school) she smiled and laughed in her Maia way and said she is going back there every day.

Natasha told me she made 2 girlfriends. Ben told me someone pushed him down on the slide and his big brother stuck up for him.(this is a big deal because that same brother has had animosity for Ben forever) I made sure to praise big brother for sticking up for his brother. Diana came home with a smile but didnt tell me much. (but she was tired, and today she was a grump and didnt want to get out of bed or shower or eat or get ready or do anything) Jaeger and Ethan both brought me some work they did. Jaeger is absolutely thrilled to go to school. jumps right out of bed to shower and get ready. he had a very difficult beginning but is really getting better all the time and shows a lot of love and is very helpful. Ethan had a bit of a hard time in first grade. much work, little play. hard transition. and he was very distracted by the other kids so much so he had trouble working. Cody and Chrysta had a good day too. Andre came home happy and smiling and forgot his lunch box in his backpack and had hot lunch at lunch time. same thing happened to ethan last year.

I am a little annoyed with the school that they take ALL the K students down to breakfast so they know where it is. so guess what? they ate breakfast! after I fed them at home. and by the way breakfast isnt free. Maia had a doughnut and Andre refused home breakfast today thinking he was getting breakfast at school. how can you take them all down there and then say no YOU cant eat and YOu cant eat but YOU can. its really rather stupid. and mean. and they dont care that it is costing US money when the kids are eating two breakfasts and will now be in the habit of going to breakfast at school. the kids have no idea that it costs money for breakfast. if you qualify for free lunch and breakfast that is one thing but many families DONT. not to mention they have milk 3 or 4 times a day and have to pay seperately for classroom milk time and lunch milk time. it is expensive to send a kid to FREE PUBLIC SCHOOL!

I asked what the plan was for the Ukies and they were advised to see how it goes and let them get settled and go from there because there is no translator or esl teacher for russian in this district. not sure how long they are planning to wait but they are losing out on lessons going much past next week. I suppose they will do nothing and I will have to pull them out and teach them myself letters and numbers and catch them up. I wonder what will happen with Ben. will they give him services? he gets them for his physical disabilities but his mental achievement is on the lower side and he is not a quick learner. but he is a real love.