First day of school!

 I'm jumping back to the first day of school for Winsley to also update on Capri's first day of preschool!

Winnie is finally a kindergartner and it's as mind blowing as people say. She was so excited and so ready. All summer we had been practicing little kinder workbooks and she did great at them so I was curious to see how it would go in the real classroom. I just wanted to be a fly on the wall during class! We had been at my mother-in-law's preschool which totally helped prepare her for kindergarten, but I didn't know how she would do with a brand new teacher that wasn't family.  That's a big jump for her and honestly a big change for us to not get an honest update on her every single day. 

We did little reminder pep talks leading up to the first day of school about including everyone and reaching out to kids in her classroom.  During the summer I'd see her in the ocean with some random 10 year old playing and splashing because she would just wander up to them and ask them to play.  I think it's partly being a innocent five year old, but partly a gift she has to notice other people's needs. She's been trying to handle rejection better because it happens when you ask every kid you see to play.  She'll come up to me after, a little bummed, and tell me they didn't want to play and lately she'll just move on. 

I'm trying not to throw around "I'm so proud of you." when she gets a good grade on a little test at school or get recognition of some kind.  I don't want her to think we would ever not be proud if she didn't get good grades or something like that.  So I'm trying to praise her on working hard.  How good it feels to push through something tough and notice how good it feels to finish something hard. We push little affirmations--I think that's what they're called? (Everyone is all about those lately it seems like.) Stuff like "I can do it. I can do it. I'm so strong." Even if she's doing a little jump off the couch or about to go down a big slide. And every once in a while I'll catch her whispering it to herself when we're out playing somewhere and she doesn't think I'm looking.  I love that she is starting to believe in herself so young and valuing some hard work. 

Day two of school I told my mom I was over homework and she just laughed with me and she's like try and take a deep breath and remember this isn't going away any time soon.  Homework is more of a pain for me but I think we finally have it down. She'll get a big two hour break after school to play with Capri (AND WATCH TV ;)) and then we start homework after Capri goes down for naps, and she usually breezes through it.  My friend's daughter has the same teacher but is in the afternoon class and we both talk about how we want to suck up to the teacher and be her friend and get her to love us.  Not for our kids sake--they're fine. But for our insecurities. We're planning christmas gifts and showering her in Diet Coke.

We love you Winners!!

The sunday before--not so sweaty.