Kinder success

Following the last post, the kids have continued to enjoy school, and as stated by Ethan..."Alex and I are the best two kids in our class". Not sure how true that is, but at least Alex (our summer-time pool friend who is a girl and has decided she is going to marry Ethan) and Ethan agree. Izzy has told everyone she is an artist, including her PE teacher and classroom teacher. As she says "I am an artist, so I need new running shoes". Their separation into separate classrooms seems to have had minimal impact, luckily, and they both seem enamored by their teachers and "being in Kinder".

We received the list of afterschool classes, which for the first time in the history of their school, will be free. So the kids get to pick as many as they would like....ranging from Animal Arts and Crafts (guess who picked that one!) to Jr. Computers and Jr. Soccer. As of today, Ethan has decided he wants to do Jr. Soccer (so "I can play with the other boys!") and Yoga (because you like Yoga mommy!) while Izzy has decided on Jr. Cooking (so "I can teach you to cook mommy") and Animal Arts and Crafts. At the end of the month ballet, kung fu and potentially swimming will begin, so their lives of leisure will end:)

The first day of Kinder

So, after much anticipation, anxiety and excitement, the kids went off to their first day of kindergarden at Ambrit. This past weekend we tried to prepare a reticent Ethan, and excited Izzy with a trip to the mall to buy new backpacks, notebooks, pencils, and some first day of school clothes. Much to mommy and daddy's surprise, we did not end up with Ben10 and Hello Kitty backpacks, but a Bakugan and pink Puma ones. Of course, the Ben10 and Hello Kitty "thank you for being so good this summer" gifts helped with this transition.....Ethan walking away with the much treasured Omnitrix (Ben 10's alien watch) and Izzy with a Hello Kitty sleepover party sleeping bag. Adding to the anxiety this morning was the 4 year old understanding that they would not be in the same classroom for the first time since starting school. While they both were aware, and have different friends, I'm not sure they fully grasped the idea of being separated.

Classic to Italian style, the first day was a bit chaotic, with little instruction, and a lot of socializing upon arrival between parents. I was grateful we hadn't waited until today for the first day, as most kids (including those who had been at the school for the full year before) looked petrified, and confusion abounded for non-Italian parents. With new teachers, a new classroom added, and many new kids, it was a challenge to figure out what the morning routine the website so proudly discusses was supposed to be. Izzy was a trooper and followed her teacher, Ms. Lucie (who was a nursery teacher last year) to see the Kinder L classroom, learn where her peg was, and what she was supposed to do every morning upon arrival. Ethan's teacher was new, so it took a bit of searching to figure out who she was, where his peg was, and to find the classroom. Yet, after all of the new bags were safely on their hooks, and each had their nametag on, they ran around in the outdoor garden, tentatively at first and then with more excitement. When it came time for mommy and daddy to leave, they both seemed sad, yet a friend who was dropping her daughter off when we were leaving texted me to say all was well when she saw them.