Kindergarten

Kindergarten for Alden, Back to daycare for Elliott.

Wednesday was the first day of Kindergarten for Alden. Elliott was supposed to start daycare Monday, but had a fever that lasted to Wednesday.

Alden was most excited about riding the bus by himself. He is also very excited about a new school, but the bus thing is the primary conversation.

We waited for the bus on the lawn, on the big front rock, on the porch sofa and finally on the front steps. The bus came at 7:45 and away he went. I then took Elliott to daycare at the Boys and Girls Club, which was the next stop on Alden's bus ride... so I got to wave good-bye to him again.

New School for Alden

 Alden is attending the Gardiner Boys and Girls Club for the summer. The schedule for his regular school was tricky for the summer season so we decided to try a new one.

So far things are great. I do not think it is as academically rigorous as his other school, but he likes the kids and activities and he went on his first field trip on a REAL SCHOOL BUS (very exciting) to a beach last Thursday. The Boys and Girls club is flexible so when Alden's little brother arrives in August we can play it by ear re: his attendance.

First Day at a New School

Alden's first day at his new school was Thursday. He was supposed to start on Tuesday but he got sick early in the week and only fever-free for 24 hours by Thursday. He took an instant shine to the frogs in the classroom, naturally, but was otherwise pretty jittery at first. Kerstin stayed with him for about an hour before Alden was comfortable enough to part ways. He had a terrific first day at school, his teachers all reported. He was friendly and polite. He had no meltdowns, freakouts or pants wetting. We were all terribly proud of him.Alden is amazed (and perhaps a bit frightened) by his new cubbie!

Goodbye Daycare

Today was Alden's last day at Harbor Children's Center. He has been there since he was about 2 1/2 months old, so we are not sure what removing him from that environment will do.
Ilana is going to Santa Fe for a month to get some training for work, and unfortunately the daycare is not close to anything I do, so it would have been a huge problem to transport him. Alden will start at a different school in September and until then we will have a parade of family and sitters taking turns for his care.He made many friends at the center and it was his main point of socialization in many ways. We have some friends with kids, but have been rather slack about forming playgroups and making play dates and the like. Perhaps the paradigms will shift now that we are 'on our own'. As far as we are concerned the daycare was amazing and we are sad to be taking Alden away from it.