There was a little girl...

Kindergarten for Ella

All summer long people have been asking Ella if she is excited about going to kindergarten. Her answer is always, "No!" Then there's the usual reply, "Oh, you'll have tons of fun." To which she says, "No. I just want to be with Mommy." She would just rather be with me most days. Not sure why....

So, we had been prepping her as best as we could. We explained that kindergarten wasn't an option. She would eventually make new friends and enjoy it just like she enjoyed preschool. We also reminded her that her attitude makes a big difference. Something we say to the girls, "a bad attitude makes things worse and a good attitude makes things better."

In our district (like many others) Kindergartners start a day or two after the rest of the kids. I think that's nice. Ella and I enjoyed a special date (I'll post it soon) the day before she started! So, the night before we tried on and studied her different outfit. She decided on the Belle shirt and denim skirt. Thankfully, we had the appropriate hair accessories to match. Also, the day before we complete her homework (which was assigned at the open house). She had to decorate a gingerbread cutout using her own photo. She had lots of fun doing that ans was excited that she had homework. Actual homework!

Here she is holding her homework.

Of course, the tree picture. Though, I didn't pay attention to the fire hydrant and truck in the background! Yuck!

By the way, her Mammie and Papa got her this backpack for $1.00 (after rebate) from Office Max! Wahoo. McKenna's is just like it only a different color.

If you read this blog regularly you know that my little Ella has a special place in her heart for certain stuffed animals. This is Jessica the Kitty. A Webkinz kitty that she got for Christmas a few years ago. Jessica goes lots of places with Ella. We talked about how Jessica could ride in the backpack for school but she had to behave. We also read in the kindergarten handbook that toys from home aren't a good idea. So, she HAD to stay in the backpack. Ella even dressed her in yellow to match the Belle shirt.

Ella will readily admit that Jessica is a comfort to her when she feels a bit scared.

Here's her school. Bailey Elementary. She is in half day kindergarten. There are 12 students in her class. Great teacher/student ratio!! The school is only about 5-6 minutes from our house. We aren't actually zoned for it but requested it through the district's intradistrict transfer request process. Because we attending a public school outside of our zone, busing isn't guaranteed. The school hours are 9:20am-3:50pm. I was told that I'd have to provide transportation. I was willing to do that to have my kids in the school that I felt was the best for them. But, with having a newborn in a couple of months....it was...well...not what I wanted. So, I called the transportation department and just asked where the nearest bus stop was. Guess what? There's an 8:45 am bus stop and 4:15pm bus stop 2 houses down from us! Wahoo! So, I only have to take Ella at 1pm and she and McKenna can ride the bus home together! Relief!

Ella and I walked into the classroom where many other moms and dads were. We hugged. We put her stuff in her locker (yep they all get lockers). We hugged. We found her name tag and spot. We hugged some more. Then, she began telling me that she was ready to go home. She didn't want to learn things. We hugged some more. I reminded her to keep a good attitude and try to find a friend. We hugged and kissed. I told her that I would say goodbye and see her after school when she got off the bus. Her little lip began to quiver. I hugged her one last time. My pregger self was about to cry too. I darted out of the room holding back tears as best as I could. I heard her yell, "Mom, why do I have to stay? Why is it the law? I just want one more hug." I also heard her little footsteps attempting to follow me. And, out of the corner of my eye I saw the teacher quickly dart in front of the door and catch Ella with her arm. It was heart wrenching.

My immediate thoughts: Get out of this school. Don't cry. Call Arthur, tell him she just isn't ready. How will she handle the bus if this is how she handled drop off? What will tomorrow look like at drop off time? GET OUT!!!

So, I finally made it to the car and began to cry myself. Hard. I cried for a long time too. It's soooo hard to leave your kids when they don't fully understand why there has to be a separation. She didn't really know anyone there....to her, I was dropping her off with total strangers. I felt horrible. Just horrible. I felt like I was being so cruel. A few comforting phone calls helped.

 

This is Mrs. Snyder, a long term sub. Mrs. Geyen recently had a baby and will not return to the classroom until November. This picture was about 20 seconds before the waterworks started.

 Once I got home, I emailed the teacher. Here's my email,

Mrs. Snyder,

Please tell me that Ella recovered quicker than I did.

Thanks,

Jessica

At the bus stop it was hard to snap pictures, watch for traffic and hug the girls all at the same time. But Arthur managed to snap 2 photos.

She came off of the bus much happier than when I left her. She quickly shouted, "The bus is awesome!" I was so relieved! Answered prayers.

By the way, the teacher replied and said that she asked another little girl to be Ella's special friend. Apparently, Ella took a good 15 minutes to calm down and then was fine. Interestingly enough--her special friend began crying when she stopped. Funny.

Ella's favorite part: The high bumps on the bus!

School Daze

McKenna's first day of school at a new school...

You should have seen her the night before...looking through all of her outfits deciding what to wear. That was never an option last year.

We walked her in for the first day....If I had my way, I would just hang out the majority of the day to "check it all out." Bailey Elementary

Her 2nd grade teacher is Mrs, McCusker! McKenna likes her already.

She takes the bus home and thoroughly enjoyed that! She especially enjoyed picking out clothes. Coming from a uniform school this was very exciting! It was a good first day. Remember the first day of 1st grade and kindergarten?

Summer Tuesdays @ Lake Elmo

All throughout winter, we look forward to Tuesdays in the Summer. That's because most every Tuesday that is warm enough we hit the local beach to swim and play and picnic with about 20-30 other church friends. It is SO fun and we hate it if we have to miss! This is about the only lake that I will swim in. The water is treated and filtered. The lakes only purpose is to provide swimming opportunities for the locals!! Wahoo! A man made swimming lake!

Here, Ella is giving her friend a pedicure!

A mud bath

Just Bein' Me!

This Summer McKenna participated in a Musical Theater Camp at a local church. She and her friend LJ had a blast. It was a such a fun program and so well done! About 2 weeks before the camp, we received a packet of info regarding costumes, etc. Also included in the packet was a CD and lyrics sheet for all of the songs in the play.

McKenna practiced all of the songs by playing them over and over. By the end of the whole thing Ella and I knew them as well. Monday through Thursday of the week of camp, the girls met and practiced lines and scenes from breakfast until lunch. On Thursday evening, the kids performed! The parents and special guests were invited to eat a scrumptious dessert before hand. The church really did a nice job of decorating and providing a classy, yet simple dessert.

The premise of the play was this: Church camp where country kids meet city folk and learn how God uses each and everyone of us. It was so cute. McKenna was a "country kid" with speaking lines and a duet. She did GREAT!! Part of one of her lines, "that's finer than a peach pie on the Fourth of Juuuly!"

Nana the Artist

Some time back, McKenna and Ella drew pictures for their great grandparents. The following two pictures are what they got in response! Hilarious! Again, this was months ago (maybe close to a year ago), but the pics recently resurfaced so I thought I would post.

Seriously, for those of you who know them....how funny and accurate is this drawing!?

On the Banks of Plum Creek

Recently, the girls and I (and extended family) took a short road trip to Walnut Grove, MN. Why, you ask! To see Plum Creek, of course. Plum Creek is the famed creek that Laura Ingalls Wilder wrote about in her book On the Banks of Plum Creek. We have been reading through all of her books this summer. The girls really like them! Ella and McKenna both were so enthralled in our trip. We saw the dugout house, the creek, the foot bridge, the museum, the Oelson's Mercantile, and a play. It was a really fun day. Seeing all of these things reinforced the books for the girls. They were able to act out different scenes with each other thinking that Laura and Mary really were there a long time ago!

Our miniature road trip was inspired by this (the website just posts a snip it of the full article) article in Family Fun Magazine. I hope to next year do the entire road trip. I just didn't realize how close we were to so many of the Ingalls' homes. I never read the series as a little girl. Truth be told, I probably made a gagging sound every time my mom tried to watch the show, Little House on the Prairie (which was about the characters all named in Plum Creek)

The monument. The sun was really in their eyes...

Again, the sun....but isn't the field beautiful?

Not the original...but the foot bridge that Laura and Mary walked across to get to and from their dugout house by the Plum Creek (I believe that in the book it was described as 1 plank of wood.)

This is the sight of the actual dugout home that Pa Ingalls purchased from the Norwegian family. He later sold it for around $430.00 (after the grasshoppers ate his wheat crops.) It has since collapsed (I think the Ingalls lived in Walnut Grove MN in the 1870's.)

"Never knew how much those muddy waters meant to me..."

The Plum Creek

Wading in the creek was probably the highlight of this trip for them!

They were looking for the old crab that scared Nellie Oelson and made her step in the leeches!

After visiting the creek and dugout site, we went to the museum. The museum was a multi building campus. There was a room dedicated to the real Ingalls family, one to the cast of the show Little House on the Prairie, one to local heroes and one to typical pioneer memorabilia.

I haven't read through the whole series yet (though, McKenna has). McKenna tells me that Laura's husband Almanzo comes from money. We will see about that I guess in a couple more books.

A picture of Ma and Pa Ingalls (amazing that photos hold up so well!). I struggle wondering how this portrait was taken. I cant see Ma allowing the family to spend money to have a picture taken. Maybe it was from their wedding day?

Laura sewed this quilt as a married women.

A covered wagon

There was a building dedicated to the Little House on the Prairie cast members. This particular model of the Ingalls house represents their house on NBC's Little House...Ella was very fascinated with this. I could tell that she wished she could play with it.

Okay, so this book might be interesting. I may see about it at the library. Apparently, she was shunned in real life because of how cruel her character was.

The church replica. If you know the story, the Ingalls were founding members. Pa gave his $3.00 to give the church enough money to buy the bell for the steeple. He went without shoes. Over the course of the time they were in Walnut Grove, it is recorded that Pa gave over $20.00 to the church. We are talking 1870's people. That's a lot of money.

In the replica school house, Ella enjoyed being the teacher!

These are the rules that teachers has to follow. I find it interesting....the differences between the rules for males v. females.

This is a model of the typical pioneer dugout house. My father in law tells me that his ancestors (Norwegian) lived in a dugout for a time after arriving to the USA.

After touring the museum, we took a break at a nearby park shortly before dinner. Here's Ella at the top of the slide.

McKenna

After dinner we went to the town pageant....basically it was a play. I still don't understand why they call it a pageant. It's the story of Plum Creek and the Ingalls' time there. At the entrance there was another covered wagon. Of course, that meant another picture.

This was part of the set. The dugout house that the Ingalls bought.

Ella and Papa. She's holding her souvenir tin cup. If you know the stories, Laura and Mary had to share a tin cup until finally, one Christmas, Laura got her own.

Family who came...

This is the little girl who played Laura.

And this is Mrs. Oelson and Nellie. Most kids were pretty fascinated with her character. She was quite nice, actually.

Overall, the play was good. Not great. I think the director portrayed the women to be a bit more bold than they really would have been in that time. But, that's his artistic license, right?

The trip was so much fun. Doing it after reading through half of the series was fabulous. I think that so much of it was brought to life for the girls. What a great way to teach them a small part of pioneer life.

That's all of the pictures, but I do have more to post on a few of the talking points that have come from reading the series....so....stay tuned....