School Daze....

So this morning, I got my first official email from St. Mary's - the preschool Luke will be attending in the fall.  This past weekend I also had my first PTO meeting to kick start the school year and my committment as Treasurer this year at Queens.

I opened the email from St. Mary's - so excited to see what the year has in store for Luke... and I start putting things on my calendar.  His Halloween party, Christmas party, field trips... and then, I decide I should do the same for Ally's school calendar too....

And then, it hits me:  HOLY SHIT I HAVE TWO KIDS IN TWO DIFFERENT SCHOOLS... with a ton of commitments....  :-)

Thank god, that all the days off and breaks and special events pretty much align because they are both part of the Catholic School system.  It will be unlikely that I even have classroom party conflicts because all Luke's parties appear to be in the morning, and Ally's are historically at the end of the day.  But... man... my committment and desire to be there and involved just kinda doubled!!!!

I am REALLY excited to see all the things they do at St. Mary's!  Luke has at least two field trips a month!  And super cool field trips, like trips to the Dahlem Center, trips to Kids-in-Stuff, the fire station, the Smilowski farm, a Buffalo Farm, gymnastics at the Y and All Around, caroling at Christmas time, trips to Story Time at the Library and a trip the Chelsea Tree House!  I love it!  How much fun for one little boy!  :-)

Of course, I am nervous for Luke... I know he is going to cry his little eyes out when I leave him for the first time.... maybe every time... but I also know it is something he so desperately needs to do and I'm excited for him!  He will go to St. Mary's the three days that I work, Monday through Wednesday.  His preschool time is obviously just in the morning, but then he will stay for "day care" until I get him around 3:00.  I will pick both he and Ally up around the same time... depending on what time I can get out of my office, I will either pick him or her up first... he has a more flexible pick up than she does... Ally is out the door at 3:10... Luke can technically stay there until 6 pm... and he might now and then!

In addition to my Treasurer committment, I have agreed to co-run the 3rd grade Brownie troop.  So, once a month I will need that late pickup as I have committed to being there for that after school!  :-)  Good lord I hope that goes well...........  :-))))))))))))

So, here we go... time to start thinking about back to school!  Ally ordered her backpack last week. It was quite the dilemna choosing one. Luke was eaiser... he chose a simple red backpack with a truck on it from Pottery Barn kids.  I had  his name embroidered on it. It's going to be so cute and he's too young to get beat up for having his name on it.  :-)

He is talking a big game and super excited to start school.  He talks about what he wants me to pack for his lunch and how he gets to take his blankie to school. He wants to drive by and see the playground again, cuz he remembers I have driven him by it before.  I look forward to his Open House.  I know Ally will play the big sister role proudly and ooh and ahh over his classroom and cubby.  I know she will make him feel proud and excited.

And then there's Ally... who is excited to get back too. She's excited to learn who her teacher is.  Excited to carry her new backpack!  Excited that she is upstairs this year!  And even more excited that she knows the school this year.  She told me that it doesn't matter which class she is in, because she knows she will have some of her friends in her class because "Mom, I have a lot of friends!"  :-)

What a difference a year makes... and what a different experience this first day of school will be!  Only tears for the mama most likely..... oh, and the little man...... at the other school.  :-)