The Start of a New School Year

I felt like we kind of got cheated out of a real summer this year due to the move, so I wasn't quite ready to say goodbye to lazy, care-free days...but on the other hand, after weeks on end of travel and change, we were all ready for routine & consistency! So it was time. Ready to tackle first, fourth, and sixth grades this year!!

The day before school started, the girls got to visit their new classrooms & meet their teachers at Open House. Elementary school in Alaska is K-6, which was a huge blessing for the girls to both be at the same school this year. It was so bizarre seeing all the "Alaska-esque" touches to a traditional public elementary school. There are huge "cubby" areas in each classroom with shelves/racks on the floor for the kids to place their snow boots & long coat racks with ample space for jackets/snow gear. There is also an ice skating rink on the school playground! Another thing that was new to us was that "gym shoes" are on the supply list for kids at every grade level. All of the kids keep a pair of tennis shoes to wear inside the building that are  suitable for P.E. So whenever the weather is rainy/snowy, the kids can wear their boots to/from school & at recess but have access to "regular" shoes while at school. The district guidelines mandate that the children will be outside for a 30minute recess every day unless the temperature falls below -10 degrees. I can't imagine what a logistical nightmare that could be trying to help a class of 20+ children layering up each day for recess and then again at the end of the school day when winter conditions last for 6+ months. I'm tired just thinking about it, ha! But truthfully, I am so excited for the girls to get the experiene of playing in the snow at school with their friends! Any time there was snow/ice on the ground (or even just the potential threat!) during my childhood or our kids' lives, school has invariably been closed. We've already had one school pick-up where it was activitely snowing and another recess where they got to play in the snow, and it was pure magic!

Brady is in 1st grade this year, and we are homeschooling him. He is participating in a homeschool gymnastics class once a week on base as well as playing on his first basketball team (Go Blue Tigers!) with Derek as his coach.

{you can just barely see the loaner table and chairs that we were able to borrow from base while we waited on our furniture to arrive}

Hadley took a couple of private crochet lessons at a local yarn shop around the corner from our house and has been completely immersed in the world of crocheting! She has about 5 different projects going at any different time, and she often totes her crocheting back and forth to school each day to work on when she completes her classwork/assignments early.

{school supply shopping}

My mama heart had some feelings re-entering a public school after two years in our MM bubble, but the girls adjusted to their new school beautifully. They have made so many friends and are enjoying all of the extracurricular opportunities that are avaiable to them as the "older" kids on campus. They are both participating in choir & Battle of the Books, Shelby is a reporter for the school yearbook club, and Hadley is on the student council. Sixth graders in our school district are required to participate in Band or Orchestra, so Shelby is learning to play the cello in addtion to continuing her piano lessons. {It was quite the ordeal finding a piano teacher for her here, but we finally found a teacher on base that seems to be working out.} Brady and I are having fun together as we figure out our new rhythm. We miss our MM community something fierce, but we are looking forward to what God has in store for us this school year!