First Grade

HI,

Here are a couple pictures from the first day of school. OK really it is the second day of school. The first day of school was kind of a crazy morning, and I completely forgot to get the camera out. Greta had to be in the pictures, and is trying to do everything Holden is.

First grade is quite an adjustment. On the way to school the first day Holden asked me "Mom, why did you sign me up for the morning class this time?" I thought we had been preparing him for all day school, but apparently it had not sunk in yet.
Holden is in the Mandarin Chinese dual immersion program at our school. Which means he has an English speaking teacher in the morning, for reading, writing, art, and PE. Then he has a Chinese speaking teacher (she only speaks Chinese in front of the students) in the afternoon, for Math, and social studies. They sing a lot of songs, and have learned a lot really quickly, they are even learning how to write Chinese characters. He can count to at least 40 already! and he knows most of the colors, and family members. I am so excited for him to have this opportunity. At the parent meetings when we signed up and learned about the program they kept telling us that the first 6 weeks are really hard on the kids. Well that is true but I think the thing that is hard for them is the transition from half day kindergarten to full day school!!! Holden is doing great in Chinese and he loves it! 
I was also concerned about lunch time, Holden is a pretty picky eater, or at least he doesn't like the usual kid things, and doesn't like to try new things(at least not for me). So I was worried that he would not eat his school lunch. Apparently I worried for nothing, they have so many options each day that he always finds something he likes, and he even makes sure to get a vegetable every day! One day he came home and told me he had a corn dog for lunch, then he said "Did you know there is a hot dog inside of a corn dog?" I still laugh every time I think of that comment. Corn dogs are one of the things he has refused to try until now.
Now we are pretty well into our school routine. Greta wakes Holden up, they eat breakfast, Holden tells me he does not want to go to school, I tell him 5000000 times to get dressed, he finally gets dresses as I am putting Greta in the stroller or car seat, then off we go! Greta asks me about 5 times on the way home if we can go pick up Holden from school yet, then again 50 times during the day, she really misses him and now has started asking if she can go to school too. After school Holden tells us what he ate for lunch, then that he can't remember anything they learned that day. Then the homework battle begins. And as usual he is surprised every night that he has to get pajamas on and go to bed. Oh what fun!!