Week one down

The first day of school has come and gone. In fact, the whole first week has passed. The boys are off to a good start and the new routine is running pretty smoothly.
The first day was the trickiest. I wanted to be able to take both boys on the first day. I wanted to be able to walk Sam in. Sam's school starts at 8:00, 15-30+ minutes from home, depending on traffic. Nathanael has to be in his seat at 8:30. I wasn't sure I could make it back from Sam's school in time for Nathanael's, so Paul had planned to take him. Having no idea what traffic would be like and how long it would take to get there, Sam and I left the house at 7:00 the morning of August 19. There was no traffic at all and we arrived very early, probably around 7:30. I walked in with him, to sit with him in the cafeteria until the first bell rang at 7:45, as a few other parents were doing. We immediately spotted the two other boys from his old school who are now in his class and sat with them. Later, an old soccer teammate, Doug, walked in and I gave him my seat. It was making me feel much better that Sam was surrounded by these familiar faces. When 7:45 arrived, I noticed other moms saying goodbye, so I figured, much to my chagrin, that walking him to class was out.

Then I scurried on down the road and made it to Nathanael's school in time to walk him in with Paul and Claire. Nathanael sat right down in his seat, ready to do his morning work. Claire sat right down in the seat beside him and was quite disappointed when we took her away.

Afternoon pick-up takes about an hour and 15 minutes, start to finish. Nathanael gets out of school 45 minutes before Sam, so we head straight there after I get Nathanael. Both boys were quite happy when I picked them up that first day. They had both made new friends and enjoyed their day. Sam says his teacher is the nicest teacher he has ever had.
Meanwhile, after the boys headed off to school on that first day, Claire had her first trip to the dentist. I didn't get a picture of her in the dentist's chair because I was busy holding her down. I was surprised that she actually screamed the entire time her teeth were being cleaned and inspected. However, she didn't fight them and she calmed down quickly when they were done. The dentist said her front tooth has been affected by her pacifier and she needs to stop. After nap time that day, we quite cold turkey. Later in the afternoon, she found one she had lost outside who knows when. She came back in the house sucking it and it was sticky and gross. I took it from her and threw it away. She knows the pacis are gone, but she still asks for them from time to time and when we tell her no more pacis, she frequently follows up with "paci outside?" The dentist also suggested that, based on appearance, she probably had an incomplete cleft palate, which really means very little except that she may be prone to sinus troubles and ear infections.
Also during the week, Sam had his first football scrimmage and received his jersey. The night they received the jerseys, he was simply awestruck. When his name was called and he was handed his jersey, he stood in the middle of the group of players (who were all on their knees), beaming and admiring his jersey. Later when Paul asked him about getting his jersey, he couldn't stop smiling. He is so proud to be on that football team. He doesn't play much, only a few plays per game. But he loves being a part of the team.

The days are flying by already. 6:00 comes awfully early every morning. But I think it's going to be a good year.