Back To School

Wow, the summer just flew by, but it was one of the best summers of all time. We didn't do much in the way of vacations, but we spent alot of time outdoors staying active, laughing and just having a good time.
Jack learned how to ride his bike without training wheels the very first time he tried. It was amazing. Off he went and now we can't stop him. So, it's been fun going on bike rides with the kids, exploring the neighborhood and playing follow the leader. Both Haley and Jack have met so many great friends in our neighborhood, so summer evenings were a blast. We did alot of cul-de-sac bbqs and marshmallow roasts and enjoyed watching our kids play hide-and-go-seek, play with bugs and snakes and of course get filthy dirty. Hey, that's what summer is all about.
Mac, our black lab thoroughly enjoyed summer as well. We took him on lots of walks and let him jump in the creek behind our house. He's doing very well, but is still in the process of getting leash trained.
So, now it's back to school. Haley started Kindergarten today. She did extremely well and waltzed on in, found her seat and began to socialize and play. I did well myself. I was so busy making sure she had her Bible, her lunch, her backpack and her planner that I didn't have time to cry. I'm just so proud of her. She is such a confident, happy girl. Two of her friends from Clubsport are in her class so it's nice to have some familiar faces, but she will no doubt make lots of new friends quickly.
We are so blessed that Haley and Jack are both able to attend Gaarde Christian. When I first began the whole Kindergarten registration process, I was nervous and unsure how to proceed. I wanted Haley to attend public school at Deer Creek and began the enrollment process. Turns out she didn't make the cut for full day, but half day was just over two hours. That's less than the hours she attended in preschool. I didn't want her going backwards. Not only that, but there are 26 children per class. My fears rose as I worried there would be so little time and too many kids and she wouldn't be properly prepared for first grade. So, I did some homework and realized I was right. Many elementary teachers prefer full day because it allows more time to get through the curiculum and have extra time for math, and other studies as well as child-selected activities. So, I opted to enroll her in Gaarde Christian where she has the benefit of full day kindergarten and only 15 other students. It's also been proven that children who attend full day kindergarten are better prepared for 1st grade. So, I made the right choice. Phew! Also, Jack is enrolled at Gaarde as well and starts his Pre-K program next week and will attend 5 days per week for a little over 3 hours. I'm so excited for him to start. I'm hoping his listening skills will improve and I'm thrilled for him to make more friends.
Life is grand. We are just so happy to be back in Oregon (almost a year now) and are blessed with amazing family and friends. There are some exciting events already planned for the fall, so I'm hoping I can keep this blog up to date.