First week of school

Eli telling me all about buses...probably should break that blankie habit soon

We're into the second week of school and so far it's been great.

Alison has had some understandable anxieties about not knowing where places are in school or who to ask for help, but I've been really proud of how brave she's been.

Eli asks everyday when Alison will be home and is always excited when I tell him it's time to go pick her up from the bus stop.

Riding bikes while we wait for the bus

We're easing into the bus routine.  I've taken her some days and picked her up other days.  She's been anxious about finding her classroom by herself after getting off the bus and talking to new friends that sit next to her.  

So, like any good mom, I bribed her.

She's been talking about banana splits all summer (even though she didn't even know what they were) so I told her we'd go get her first banana split if she said, "Hi, my name is Alison.  What's your name?" to the kid next to her on the bus.

Well, it worked like a charm and I think it helped her get over her fear of talking to new friends.  It probably didn't hurt either that the other kid was in kindergarten.

Another fun thing about the bus stop...it's pretty much a block party twice a day.
There's 10 other mom's out there with their multiple children and they hang out and chat while the kids play.  It's a big change from me, Kim and the babies last year, but I'm thankful to have an opportunity to get to know the neighbors better.