Week of firsts

Twas the night before school...

 

So many "Firsts" have happened the past couple weeks.  It has been very exciting, anxious and tiring around the Peter's household.

Let's start with the most obvious first....The first day of school!!

Addison started her first day of 1st grade!

Jake started his first day of Kindergarten! and..

Sweet Coop started his first day of school too!

(There are a couple other firsts I will post in a couple days)

The anxiety building up to these HUGE milestones has been tremendous!
Last year as Addison entered the big world of public school as a kindergartner was admittedly tough.  However, this year as a 1st grader the fear, anxiety and overwhelming feeling of time passing too quickly hit me like  a load of bricks.  What a huge difference a year makes.

My little princess went from not being  able to read a year ago, to now digesting chapter books, such as Ramona and Beezus, on a regular basis, to winning soccer championships that qualify her to play at Disney World, to being the sassiest of teens, who will argue, with logic ,at the littlest of things.

This first grade transition has been sooo much harder than kinder.

On top of this huge leap, we obviously have Mr. Jake making a big leap into the real world as a kindergartner as well.

Jake has been in special ed receiving occupational therapy services in the school and some speech and ot services outside of school, because of the trauma incurred by the damn beast!  So we were/are very concerned about this move into school.  It is because of this he worked his booty off at a good friend and great teacher's house this summer.  he worked with Ms. Kim 2 days a week on kinder readiness to help prepare for his big journey.  She was amazing and he learned so much from her!  He was very sad to learn on the first day of school that ms. Kim was not going to be his teacher all year long. 

On top of this confusion,  a couple evenings before we had visited Jake's old school, which is Addison's current school.  She had supply school night and the much anticipated class rosters were posted. 

As we were at their school we had to swing by Jake's old classroom. 

Much to our surprise, not only was his beloved teacher there , but also her two helpers. 

All three whom Jake is dearly in love with. Ms. Keavagh he even calls his bride!

So you can only imagine how confusing seeing all these great friends a few days prior and then going to school and not recognizing any familiar faces was for him.

We helped ease him into this "strange place" by assuring him that Cooper would only be a couple classrooms away and he had to take care of him.

 

The irony of "strange" is that his "new" school isn't really so new.  This is where Addison and Jake went to daycare.  The same school Jake was attending when he had his first seizure.  he didn't have  it at school...that we know of...but walking through those halls for the first time was creepy none the less.

The teachers and staff there are ever so loving! They all ran and gave Jake huge hugs and kisses upon his arrival.  They asked a million times where and how Addi is doing.  Genuinely kind, caring, people of the Lord.

Honestly, the day was probably a million times harder on us than the little ones, but it still did not help me from being an emotional wreck.  I counted the minutes until that 3:30 bell rang and I could run to get my twerps!

The day was made as I picked up each kiddo and they all had the BIGGEST smiles on their faces!

Jake jabber jawed nonstop about his amazing adventures and good friends, Addison strutted her stuff as only a BIG 1st grader could do, and sweet Mini Coop cooed and giggled the whole way home.

Be still me heart is all I could think that first night...be still my heart

God didn't promise days without pain, laughter without sorrow, sun without rain, but He did promise strength for the day, comfort for the tears, and light for the way.”