Hudson's School Year Wrap Up

Huddy Buddy is all finished with Pre-K!  He had such a fantastic final year of preschool.  When he started the year he knew all of his letters and sounds, and he was a beginning reader, but he flourished this year. 

His teacher gave him the time to get acclimated to Pre-K, and waited until he really had an interest in reading before she gave him a book.  That was all that it took.  Once he started reading, he didn't want to sopo!

I feel so lucky that I was able to work at his school for the last few months of the year!  I knew beforehand that he had a great group of friends, but being able to see them together all of the time was the best.  I know that he is going to miss his buddies in Kindergarten!  Fortunately he will still see them at his extended day Kindergarten, and at baseball!

And now this little fella is Kindergartner!  I can't believe it!

(Back to) School for the Smalls

I said (back to) because Finley Quinn had her first day of school and Hudson had his third first day!  I go back and forth... I can't believe that she is in school twice a week, but I also really can't believe how LONG I've had someone home with me all of the time!

She has been making the drive to school since she was only one week old, so she was ready to be a preschooler.  There was no trepidation on her part when she went in to the school building.  And she basically ran from me and into her teacher's arms.  She loves her Ms. Sherry...although she calls "my fiend, Sherri."

Hudson is off to Pre-K this year.  He will be FIVE next month (absolutely crazy!), so he didn't meet the cut off for Kindergarten this year.  He is having LOTS of fun at school five days a week this year, though!  He's been in the same class with a lot of his friends since he was almost 3 - going to school is a big play date for him - with a lot of fun learning thrown in!  I love watching the friendships he's forming now.  Reese has THREE other kids from her Pre-K class in her First Grade class this year!

This is what happened when I tried to get a picture of them together on the front steps.

It was a little better when I let them get a break from the direct sunlight on the porch!

Walking into school with Daddy!

Brian told me that I have crazy eyes in this picture!  Ha!  I totally do!  It was my first Target trip ALONE in I don't even know how long!  The van was EMPTY!

Brian and I picked the kids up from school and took them to our traditional Back to School lunch.  Hudson loves a cheeseburger.

And little Miss Finley is a fan of chicken.

She was having a snack at the counter later that day and I was telling her that she didn't have school the next day.  She shot me this mean face!  She loves school, and asks to go every day!

Open House for the Smalls

It seemed like summer went on forever around here (thanks to a late Labor Day), so I was pretty happy when Open House was back on my agenda!  

Hudson's teacher actually ended up in Alaska during the last week of break, so we had gone to his "official" meet the teacher the week before, but he went with us to Finley's too.  They both have "repeat teachers."  Hudson has Ms. Cathy for Pre-K just like Reesie did, and Finley has Ms. Sherri, just like Hudson!

She was so ready for her chance to go to school!

Now that Hudson is in his third year of Preschool, he thinks he's big stuff.  He told Finley he didn't really need to go to Open House because he's been going to school for years.

I can't believe that this is their only year of school together and Hudson's final year of preschool. They've both been making the drop offs and pick ups here since the week after they came home from the hospital.  I still remember Finley screaming during the entire car ride for the first three weeks when Wyatt and Reese were still there.

I can't seem to find a picture of Reese and Wyatt, but here are Hudson and Reesie!  She was going into Pre-K like H, and he was on his way to three year old class like FQB!

And here are the Smalls walking into the school with Daddy!

We did our traditional Post-Open House Skinny Dip date with our Prechoolers.  They are going to have a great year!

Hudson's School Year Wrap Up

Hudson had such a fun year at school this year!  He had all of his friends in his class, and he was constantly updating me with his tales about his buddies.  He kept working hard on his letters after he got his Phonics Book in November, he played a lot, and he has some pretty great friends.

In a total Mom Fail, I completely spaced on the day of his Spring Conference.  The other kids were at school, it was on a Tuesday (which was his typical day off), and honestly, I just forgot.  Fortunately for me, I was up and dressed and on my way to Target when his teacher called and asked where I was :).  His conference was great, I learned that he was doing really well, and that overall, he's just a really nice kid.  The funniest thing about his conference though, was his answer to his name:

Because that isn't his middle name.  His teacher and his teacher assistant both even asked him if he said Brian or Ryan, thinking he may have been named after Brian.  Nope.  He was like, "RY-AN.  RY-AN."  Totally made up his own name,  When Reese asked him why, he said, "Because I can't say Ellsworth!"  Except, he totally could.  CRAZY kid.

He even managed to snag a reader near the end of the year.  I was so happy because it was ALL he talked about.  He only had it for a handful of days, but he wants to stay on top of it this summer.   And Reesie is a really great helper when it comes to his reading lessons!

And here he is on the last day of school.  He grew up so much this year, but I can't believe that it was his last year with days off during the week. Next up?  Pre-K 5 days a week next year!  He is unbelievably excited, crazy kid!

Hudson's Christmas Program

We got back from Disney World on Sunday, December 14th.  On Monday, the 15th, Hudson's class had their Christmas program - one of the biggest reasons we left early was because we knew there was no way to add any days on at the end of the trip - we didn't want Hudson to miss his program and party.

 

I had him tell me that songs he was singing, and then Reese helped him remember the words while we were on vacation.  She's such a teacher!

 The grand finale was "Feliz Navidad," as usual.  Wyatt and Reese helped Hudson with the Spanish.  Not because they speak Spanish, but because they have years of experience with Christmas programs! 

 I don't think this boy came down from a sugar high the entire month! 

 He and his friend Noah had matching Christmas shirts.  Because Christmas is awesome! He has the sweetest group of friends at school.  He would flip out if he found out that I called them sweet.  Because they're not sweet, they are cool boys.  But he loves his friends Noah and Fletcher and Mason.  I'm so glad some of them are staying together for Pre-K next year! 



School Excitement

It's already January and I haven't done any school updates!  I shared in November that Reesie entered the Reflections contest at school.  The theme this year was "The world would be a better place if..." 

Her teacher called me in November to tell me that our kindergartner girl won first place for art!  I was so excited to call Brian and tell him, but I had to keep it a secret from Reese!  Brian was also in Florida the week of the ice cream party, so he had to miss it (actually, he missed all of these things). Fortunately I recorded the moment she found out she won, and sent it to him immediately. Reese was so surprised, and we are so proud of her! 

The Kindergarten Thanksgiving Feast was also that week.  I was lucky enough to sit with Reese, Emma, and their friend Hanna.



 Me and my girl chowing down on Thanksgiving food!

 

Hudson also brought home his first Phonics book that week!  He was so excited.  Reese was explaining to him that he had to get his Phonics book and write his letters, and then he will get his first reader.  He is already trying to read like the big kids.  He brought his math book home right after Christmas break.  I can't believe he will be in Pre-K next year (thanks to his November birthday)!

All three of the big kids with their first Phonics books!  Wyatt was 4 and half, Reese was almost 4, and Hudson got his the week after he turned 4!

 

Wyatt' also had his big second grade field trip to Jamestown that week - it was a crazy week!  I wish I had a picture of him in his class shirt before they left - but the girls all voted for a pink shirt, and he refuses to be photographed in pink.  Boys!

Hudson's Pumpkin Patch Parade

Since the two big kids aren't in preschool anymore, we only had one Pumpkin Patch Parade to attend this year.

How cool is this tough guy?

 Captain America spent a lot of time in October practicing his songs.

 Fortunately for him, he has an older sister who was eager to help him remember words when he forgot them!

 After the singing was over, he moved on to the parading.

  He is having the best year at school.  When I ask him who he plays with, he always says, "My old friends Fletcher and Mason and my new friend Noah!"

First Day!

Another school year is underway.

Every one is two years apart in school, which is kind of awesome. 

This year we have a second grader!

 And a Kindergartner!

 Since they go to a primary school, the second graders are the oldest in the school.  It also means that these two will go to different schools again next year!

 Tuesday was basically the hottest day of the year, but this girl would only wear leggings.  Because she's a fashionista.  After she chose this for her first day of school outfit, there was no changing her mind.  She wouldn't even let me pull her hair back!

 And doesn't this guy look thrilled to head back to school?  Ha!

He's just stuck in his awkward smile phase again.  He was very excited to get to school, and he didn't shed a single tear at drop off.   He was so happy to see his friends!

Now we're back to the time of year where our schedule suddenly fills up.  I was just talking about next week's schedule with Brian - Wyatt has baseball practice twice, two games, soccer practice, a soccer game, and Reese has a tee ball game, too!  It's about to get crazy around here. 

Going Back

It's the final weekend of summer break!

We've been trying to squeeze in a few final fun outings, but we've also had baseball and some school related functions this week!

Hudson had Open House on Tuesday night.

For the first time in three years, we only have one kid going to preschool.  We only had one class to visit.  When Wyatt and Reese were still only going a few days a week, they went on opposite schedules, so I've been headed to the school every day for three years, too.  This year I'll only be making that drive three days a week!

After we met his teachers (the same fabulous team who taught Reese when she was four), we took him out for ice cream.

Last night I had to prep all of the school supplies for our Kindergartner and Second grader.  Yes.  Two Thirty-One Large Utility totes to get all the supplies to school.  So much stuff!

Wyatt's desk was all set up for him.  It was all official and big kid-looking.  With a planner. I didn't get any pictures of him because I was helping him distribute supplies and talking to his teacher, but I think he's in for a fun year in second grade!

After we got Wyatt situated, we brought him back home and picked up this Kindergarten cutie.  She went to her classroom, met her teacher, and then begged to go to the library!  She wanted to browse all the different sections and books.  She is very excited that the Kindergarten classes get to go to the library every week!

We visited the PTA table, the Spirit wear table, and finally headed back home. And I will be spending the weekend filling out mountains of paperwork!

And then on Tuesday I'm sending half of these kids off to school!