Open House

In years past, the girls’ school held an open house the afternoon before the first day of school. This year the open house was two days before the first day of school.

I wonder if it is so the teachers have one more day between the open house and the first day. The open house is from 5pm to 7pm and I can imagine that the teachers end up being at the school until as late at 8, which would make for a long day right before school starts.

I like that the girls have one more day of summer break between the open house and the first day. It gave them a little reprieve.

So yeah, after that weird little prologue, we attended the open house last night. We took all their school supplies, which Olivia crammed into her desk and Alyssa crammed into her locker. Alyssa practiced opening her locker several times, probably already memorizing the combination, because that’s how she is.

Olivia acted like a nut because that’s how she is. She tends to get weird when her two worlds collide. As in, when I am at the school she gets silly and won’t speak to anyone, just danced around, moves her arms all crazy and sometimes even squawks at me when I try to talk to her or get her to talk to one of her teachers.

As we left the school I reminded her that the rule is she HAS to speak to her teachers.

Her third grade teacher is actually one of the teachers she had for her kinderkids class, so that’s kind of neat. This teacher is familiar with and to Olivia, which means half the battle is already fought.

When I reminded her of the ‘rules’ Olivia shrugged at me, as she usually does when she’s hearing something she doesn’t necessarily want to hear or agree with. However, I know this child and I know she’s hearing me. She’s taking it in and she’s processing it.

I have to believe that third grade is going to be just fine.
As is eighth grade…as Alyssa gears up for her year. Eighth grade…wow. It just blows my mind that this girl is mine. She’s so smart and funny and her love of music inspires me to find my own passions.

She’s excited about school starting if only because she can’t wait to get back into band and choir. She loves her friends and is happy to be around them again but her music classes are calling to her. She’s still mad about Pentatonix, as in FAN GIRL mad. She’s funny about it all. I’m glad she’s still rational enough to realize how irrational she is. Thirteen has been an amazing year and I hope that eighth grade is as good to her as seventh was.