1st Day of School 2015...

Ahhhh, the first day of school!  I am always a bit excited for a new start, but a bit sad to see our summer days go.  It came up on us fast this year too.  Since Labor Day was so late this year we started the Wednesday before, and it turned out to be such a nice transition into the school year - a few days, a long weekend, a 4 day week, and then into the full schedule.

And I am also glad that everyone was eager and up early and ready on the first day because then I could get our annual first day of school pictures in without making us too late!

Grace is in 5th grade this year.  She is excited to add volleyball and band to her list of activities (along with continuing piano and GEMS).  

Willem is in 3rd grade this year.  He is so excited to get back to school to play with his friends.  Playing catch all summer with Carsten was great, but it is so fun to have a troop of boys to split into teams and play soccer and football at every recess.

Carsten is in 1st grade.  He is excited to go to school all day every day this year.  I sure do miss him on Tuesday and Thursdays though!

Off to school!  

(oh man, why do I take these same photos every year?  It just kills me when I look back and see fast they are growing!!! 2010 - 2011 - 2012 - 2013 - 2014) 

Willem and Mrs. Stille

Carsten and Mrs. Radtke

Grace and Mrs. TeWinkel

(extra fun for Grace - not only does Mrs. TeWinkel go to our church, but she is pregnant and due to have a boy at the beginning of October!  Mrs. T will be gone Oct-Dec, but the long term sub is very familiar to the kids so that should be an easy transition.)

After getting the big kids settled in their classrooms, we went to the gym for opening chapel.  It was extra fun to sit by Auntie Christy and cousin Greta, because...

 ...cousin Kaatje is attending Calvin this year and is in 8th grade!  

We are excited to have her here, and I promised I wouldn't give her too many auntie hugs and kisses in front of her friends. =)

Last but definitely not least tradition on the first day of school - snacks with Mrs. Lynne to tell her all about their day.  Everyone was excited and had great days to tell about.  

I think it will be a good year for all.

1st Day of School 2014!

First Day at Calvin Christian for Grace, Willem, AND Carsten!  I can't believe we have THREE kids in school already!

Carsten is a KINDERGARTENER.  (be still my heart!)  He is SOOOOO excited!

 Willem is in 2nd grade.  And not excited at all - you can tell by his face. ;)

 Grace is in 4th grade.  This is the first year she will have a male teacher which has her a little nervous, but he is an awesome teacher and we know she will love him.

 I actually should be in this picture with them, because this is my first year at Calvin as well - I will be teaching 8th grade Geometry and PreCalc 3 mornings a week!  I am excited and very nervous, but so grateful for this opportunity.  I don't start teaching until tomorrow though, so today I can just be a mom. :)

 Carsten and Mrs. Bierma

 Willem and Ms. Walstra

 Grace by her backpack in Mr. Kroeze's room

(No, she wasn't THAT scared of having a male teacher, it just turned out that the nice photo I took of them was deleted somehow.  She got over her nervousness in the first 15 minutes and he turned out to be one of her favorite teachers!)

Many families take pictures by the sign on the first day of school in the morning - we can't make that work, so we always stop after school and do it!

And finally, after school snacks with Mrs. Lynne (annual tradition) to tell her about their awesome days.  Made extra special this year with the addition of Katie (Lynne's daughter) and Aahma!  Aahma Bruin came for both Grace's and Willem's first days of kindergarten, so had to come for Carsten's too!  She has fun sharing in the excitement, and is a wonderful distraction for those left at home (kids and momma ;)

2013 first day of schools....

September 3, 2013
First Day at Calvin Christian School for Grace and Willem

Grace - Grade 3, Mrs. Stille

Willem - Grade 1, Mrs. Hielkema

Annual First Day of School Backyard Picnic with Mrs. Lynne

September 10, 2013
First Day of Doodlebugs (at Silverwood Nature Center) for Carsten

Carsten - preschool, Mr. David and Ms. Emily

another doodlebug...

So using the new tractor calendar that Boppa R gave him, C got to put a sticker on everyday that he was able to go to the potty all by himself all day with no accidents.  And we told him that when he had 10 stickers in a row, he could go to Doodlebugs, the pre-school program at the nature center that W attended last year.  Everything finally started going smoothly and sure enough, those stickers lined up and soon it was Doodlebugs Day!

I was so proud of him!  But being that we know the Doodlebugs routine, I don't think it really hit me until that morning how big my little guy was getting!  Really, off to pre-school?!!!

be still my heart....

OK, and when they all lined up I seriously died.  How can I have 3 kids in school already?!  And how proud and happy do they all look!!!!

C was not nervous at all about going.  First of all he knows the Doodlebugs routine since W went through it last year, and since W doesn't have school on Tuesdays, we signed him up to go with!  So fun for them to do this together and it really made the transition easy for C.  Then he will be a total pro when he goes by himself next year.

The program is on Tuesday mornings from 9:30am to 11:30am.  They play, read a book about nature, and do crafts and activities that go along with the book.  This first day they talked about Groundhog Day, read a story(don't remember which one), played shadow tag outside (they always go outside no matter what the weather!), and then turned cracker and cereal boxes into little groundhog faces!

C was beyond excited and so proud to tell us all about Doodlebugs and his teachers and the kids in his class and show off what he had done.  We went over to Mrs. L's after school and had a special snack and told her all about it, and then when Dadda came home, we celebrated with supper at noodles & co!

We are so proud of you C!  You are such a big 4 yr old now and we are glad that you can go to Doodlebugs and learn and explore on your own!  But we are even more glad when you come back to tell us all about it...

2012 first day of school...

Are you ready for first day of school pictures for TWO kids at Calvin this year?  (momma may not be ready, but here they are!)

 Grace ready for 2nd grade!

 Willem ready for Kindergarten!  (really?  really?  he can't be big enough for this already!)

Everyone with Aahma Bruin!  She happened to be at our house for Grace's first day of Kindergarten and enjoyed sharing in the fun so much she asked if she could come for Willem's too!  It will be great to have her around for Carsten especially these first few days - I think he is going to miss his older siblings a lot!

 

Grace and Ms. Walstra

 

 Willem and Mrs. Bierma

 Waiting for first day of school chapel to begin.  The kindergarteners all get to sit with thier families until the end, and they have a parade behind the teacher to the classroom - a great way to avoid the crying at the classroom door separation.  Willem had NO problems!

After school picture by the Calvin sign!

 

 And after school backyard picnic with Mrs. Lynne and Aahma.  Lots of exciting stories to hear about thier days!