Liam's First Day Back to School

Yesterday was Liam’s first day back to school. He’s back at the same school he went to last year, with the same teacher, and many of the same kids. He also attended summer camp at the school in June & July. However, after his 2 & ½ weeks home, he was NOT ready to go back. Well, sort of. He was fine through breakfast and getting dressed. He was even fine in the car on the way there and walking into the building. But once we got to his classroom, he started to cry, and latched onto me with a death grip. His teacher’s assistant had to pry him off of me so I could leave. It was so hard leaving him like that. I knew he would stop, and that he would have a great day. It’s just hard that he’s gotten this way when he’s been there for a year now and he know the teachers and many of the other kids (he also does it at church, so I know it has nothing to do with the school itself). I know kids go through phases at different times, but Zachary had gotten over separation anxiety well before 3 & ½, so I guess that makes it that much harder that Liam is having it now. It makes me wonder how long it will last.

Yesterday was also back to school night for parents at Zachary’s school. We got an opportunity to go to his classroom & get some of the classroom information from his teacher. I found out that in first grade they start switching classes! I had no idea…They may switch for language arts and/or math. Unfortunately they haven’t set those classes yet, so she had no idea which kids were going to which teachers for which subjects. It kind of left us with a big question mark for starting the first day. But I’m choosing to look at it as an opportunity. None of his closest buddies are in his class this year, so by switching classes, it increases the chance that he might end up with one of them for a portion of the day. He seems OK with it (especially when I spun it like that!), but it will be very interesting once they get going with this schedule switching thing. I’ll be curious if we’ll have an opportunity to meet the other teacher(s), or if we’ll just have to go on blind faith that it will all work out! (which I’m sure it will).

I did take the opportunity to sign up for a couple of things that I didn’t do last year that I kind of regret. Last year I primarily signed up for projects that could be done at home, since I didn’t know what might be going on at work when the different events came up. But as the year went on, I found myself doing whatever needed to be done to be at some of the events. So I’ve gone ahead & signed up to help with the Winter Party (since I already know I’ll be off that day), and I signed up with one of the other moms to be the classroom photographers. I LOVE taking photos, so this seemed like a great way to combine 2 things that I love! Plus it will provide more opportunities for me to capture special moments in Zachary’s 1st grade year.