Back to School!!!

The kids went back to school two weeks ago today. (Yes, I’m behind in my blogging.)

Mustang: Grade 4

Button: Grade 1 – French immersion

We’d done the back-to-school supplies and clothes shopping three weekends prior, since the previous weekend we’d had all kinds of activities (SuperEx, Upper Canada Village) and the one before that we were camping. Mustang had a list a page long of all the things she needed. Now that she’s in Grade 4, the school doesn’t provide supplies any more. I bought a few things for Button, too, though I decided I’d rather pay the $10 school fee for supplies than fork out $40-$50 to buy them myself. This made for a bit of upset later, when Mustang was glorying in all her stuff, but we got through it.

As far as clothes goes, they didn’t need much – just a couple of long-sleeved shirts each, and some trousers for Button as he’d either outgrown or worn out almost everything from last year. And some new runners – Button’s wearing the same size as Mustang, and it won’t be more than another year or so and they’ll both be able to wear my shoes!

So the fateful morning dawned, sunny and warm, and we all traipsed off to the bus stop by 7:30 to make sure we were there in good time. Took the requisite “back-to-school” photos on the front step, with the kids in their new duds. Mustang’s backpack weighed a ton, stuffed with all her new supplies, and each had a large lunch-bag as well (since Button didn’t have so much to take to school, I stuffed his lunch-bag into his backpack). They have a new driver this year, and he dutifully checked all the kids’ names off his list, then we waved good-bye and they were off!

Mustang in particular was a bit apprehensive about heading back to school – worried that the work would be a lot harder and she would have trouble keeping up. Button said he didn’t want to do French immersion because he wanted to stay with the friends he’d made last year. I said he had to go for at least a month before making a change. When they got home at the end of the day, both were happy – Button knew some of the kids in his class, and Mustang said it was easy and there wouldn’t be any homework for a few weeks.

And so a new year is launched!