The First Day of School

Another school year has arrived, which means my career as a chauffeur has hit its all time high!  This year was supposed to be a relatively relaxing one, but some last minute decisions to add another class to our schedule has got us running every morning.

Owen started his 3rd year of preschool this year.  With his late August birthday, he wasn't quite ready for "big kid" school (and Mom wasn't quite ready for it either!)  So he is spending his Monday, Wednesday and Friday mornings at Mis Amigos Spanish Immersion Preschool in Hopkins.  We are excited that he'll have another year of exposure to the Spanish language (hopefully he can help translate for us when we are in Colombia!)

Owen has attended Mis Amigos for quite some time, so the transition for him went very smoothly, even though he is in a new room with a different teacher.  Some of the kids he went to school with last year are in his class again this year.  He was especially excited to see his friend Steven.  Of course, Owen had to bring his two best pals to school with him...T-Rex and Froggy!  He rarely goes anywhere without them!

T-Rex and Froggy helping Owen with his project

Owen loved his teacher last year (Maestra Ale) and I thought it might be difficult for him to have a new teacher, but he adjusted very well.  He really likes his new teacher Maestra Mayra.  Although if you ask him if he likes his new teacher better than Maestra Ale, he is quick to say "I like my new teacher, but I LOVE Maestra Ale!"  We do miss Ale, but Mayra is a wonderful teacher and Owen is in store for a great year!

Owen working on a project with Maestra Mayra

As for Cole, he is even busier than Owen this year!  On Wednesdays, Cole and I attend a Mama y Yo class at Mis Amigos.  It's the same class we took last year.  Cole's teacher, Maestra Gabby, is wonderful!  We have so much fun singing songs, playing with toys and working on projects, all while getting a good dose of Spanish!

On Fridays, Cole goes to school all by himself at Mis Amigos.  He is in the toddler class with Maestra Maria and she is great with him (as you can tell, all the teachers as Mis Amigos are wonderful!)  It's been a tough transition for Cole, as he is pretty much with me all the time.  And hearing him yell, "I want Mama!" as I walk out the door is heart-wrenching!  But I usually linger outside the room peeking in the window and it's not too long before Maestra Maria has him calmed down.

Cole ready for his first day of school (Gotta love his signature smile!)

Cole playing with Maestra Maria

Fridays are my one day off with no kids in the morning (a first for me since coming home with Owen over 4 years ago).  So what do I do with all my free time?  Why, learn Spanish, of course!  I signed up to take a class at Mis Amigos too!  I've really enjoyed the class so far and hope to pick up as much Spanish as I can before heading back to Colombia.

So, as I mentioned earlier, our schedule was supposed to be fairly relaxed this year with school just 3 days a week, but that would have been just too easy for us (we're used to running around 5 days a week!)  So on Tuesdays and Thursdays, Cole attends ECFE (Early Childhood Family Education) at a nearby school.

Cole goes to school all by himself on Tuesdays giving Owen and me a free morning for just the two of us.  On Thursdays, I go to class with Cole for part of the morning and then break for a parent class.  During this time, Owen is in Sibling Care in the room next door.  Owen (so far) has enjoyed Sibling Care and spending time playing with all sorts of new toys, and Cole has adjusted to school much better than we had expected.  We've known one of his teachers for over a year, so seeing a friendly face in class has been very comforting for him (and me!)

Cole ready for his first day of ECFE

Owen and Cole ready for ECFE

With all the different items on our agenda, I have to look at the calendar every night and morning, just to remind myself what the day has in store for us!  It will definitely be interesting as we continue to transition into the new school year.  Cole has already figured out that Mom won't be staying with him and is very reluctant to enter his class room (I usually have to pull him in or carry him).  It is still very new to him and I'm sure as time goes on, he'll enjoy class more.  As for Owen, he recently asked me, "Why don't I get to go to English school?!?"  This is Owen's first year attending only Spanish School so I guess he's a bit jealous that Cole is attending both English and Spanish school.  But before he knows it, he'll be off to Kindergarten at "English School" next year!