Jumping on the trampoline the boys got for Christmas - thanx G'pa David!

Leaving school on Friday - Chad took home "Bear" from his class

The boys started school on Monday amidst much parental anxiety.  School starts an hour earlier here (7:50 am - oy vey!).  With military precision I woke the boys at the dot of 7 am so that I would have enough time to dress them and feed them before waking the baby to feed him.  It is still VERY dark here in Dallas at 7 am (and gets darker later in the evening around 6 pm) and Brett wondered why I was getting him up in the middle of the night!  To make the morning even more exciting we were experiencing our first Dallas ice storm and freezing cold rain was coming down in buckets.  Side note:  this later turned into icicles which the boys which entertained the boys for hours after school.   

I was actually not sure if I would just fill out paperwork on Monday and bring the boys back for their official first day on Tuesday.  So they brought their backpacks but I did not pack lunches.  After I filled out piles of paperwork (in duplicate of course) the assistant principal took them to their classes.  We were able to accompany them to meet the teachers and say good bye.  After handing each child some lunch money so they wouldn't starve I left thinking that the school was very efficient - it had all happened so fast! 

At the appointed hour of 3 pm I was waiting by the door to see if they survived the day.  To my utter astonishment they exited the building with huge smiles on their faces.  The new school was a hit!  A few highlights from the week:  both of the boys loved buying lunch because, unlike health conscious California, a fun dessert was included.  To say that the lunch menu is a step up is an understatement.  Each day includes three entree choices sure to please any child, even one as picky as David!  Not to mention a slew of sides and desserts.  The boys love the daily C.A.M.P. activities which are computers, art, music and physical education.  And due to the innate Texan friendliness the boys' classmates really made them feel welcome.  Perhaps starting a new school mid-year is not always a bad thing and helped the boys to feel special.  The teachers seem very nice and the homework is somewhat similar in length although my first impression is that it might be a tad easier.  So far the only major downside is the early start time.  

The rest of the week went well.  Brett is not going to preschool right now which for him is great because it is one less place to which he must be dragged.  He is fun to have around during the day and great company for me.  Grandma Sheryl arrived from Nashville on Thursday night and she will be staying until the following Sunday.  It is a joy to have her around!  She is so helpful and generous with her time.  We have also had a special visitor - our Uncle Evan who came all the way from California with our cats Smokey and Bandit.  But that is a story for another day...

One really cute thing that I love about the new school is that Chad picks David up from the multipurpose room and brings him with his class to exit the second grade door.  The school is really organized because obviously I cannot be in two places at one time!