Back to School!

Last year, I read on the NieNie Dialogues blog about their back-to-school dinner. I loved the idea -- what a great way to make the start of the school year even more special! NieNie went all out with her decorations -- tulle on the table, homemade crowns and the like. I just didn't have time or energy or skill to do all that, but ever since we unpacked my grandmother's china last year with the matching golden (oh joy!) utensils, the girls had been begging for a special occasion to use them. So we dusted them off and let each person in the family choose part of the meal (Millie: mashed potatoes, Abby: green beans, Jane: ice cream sundaes, Daddy: biscuit muffins, Mommy: turkey breast -- we had forgotten a special drink, but Daddy came through in a pinch with some of his gatorade:)). We ate by candlelight and talked about our goals for the school year and then Mark gave the girls their beginning-of-school father's blessings. It was such a special night!

The girls are now in the throes of the school year. Millie's favorite parts of second grade are basically the same as those that were her favorite in the first grade: Art, PE, and Science. She loves to run the track after lunch and is obsessed with beating the boys (apparently she's able to beat all the boys, but two).

Abby loves her wonderful, nurturing preschool teacher, Miss Kathy, and has been busy trying to come up with explanations about her world. On the second day of school she said to me, "Mom, I know why they have two teachers in my class (one is a teacher's aide). One is the servant and cleans up everything and one is the teacher who teaches the lessons!" I'm not sure if I'll share that comment with her teacher's aide.

Jane started a cooperative playgroup/preschool with some other children in the ward and has been excited for weeks!! Everyday she has been saying, "Mommy, I going to playgroup and I'm going to leave Mommy and then Mommy will come pick me up?" and "My playgroup is starting really soon!" She has been so eager to have something special to go do like she's see her older sisters do, that she actually threw a tantrum on the first day of playgroup when she realized that it was at our house! She did, however, have fun and looks forward to going twice a week.
My grandmother also left me this piece of Dresden china that I had loved looking at at her house when I was a little girl. It brought back so many tender memories as I pulled it out for the centerpiece.

Jane was very careful while using her "fragile teacup"

Off to second grade!

Abby and Miss Kathy