The First Day

The first day of the new school year has come & gone. I am happy to report that despite some morning drama, first-day jitters, nervousness, and insecurity, mixed with a little fear & trepidation, all is well with the Wallace girls! The girls were all rather nervous this morning & hardly ate their breakfasts. They all seemed reluctant to bid farewell to their carefree summer days and return to the routine & structure of the school year. They all moped around the house, complaining of tummy aches & more to the point of sighing & moaning. I probably should have been more sympathetic, but I was on a mission to get them to school. I told them this was supposed to be a happy day, so what was up with all the doom & gloom! I am sorry to say that I didn't have much patience for it all.

At the end of the day, with this first day behind them, all was well. Everyone was happy and had so much to share about their first day at school. Both Madi & Katie talked about how excited they are to go to school tomorrow. Hooray! They had me worried for a minute. I do understand their nervousness because they all had big changes.

Lacey started kindergarten (I think she was the only one who wasn't particularly worried about the day. Of course, she has the same classroom and the same teacher, dear Ms. Rosie, she's had for the past 2 years. For Lacey, today was a lot like going home after an extended vacation.) Ms. Jessie & Ms. Griselda (new to the school this year) are also Lacey's teachers. Lacey is in full-day kindergarten, & she told me that her day went really fast. I was glad to hear this because it meant she was busy & had no time to wish she was home watching Dora the Explorer or Sponge Bob.


Katie finished up "lower" elementary last year with 3rd grade, and entered "upper" elementary this year as a 4th grader. This change meant new teachers & being separated from some of her closest friends. Katie was definitely worried about these changes & when we got to her classroom, she told me, "I can't go in." Of course, she did & is now anticipating a fun-filled new school year. She is especially excited about her new locker & the job assignments in her classroom. Katie also liked that she was able to eat lunch with the kids in the classroom next door (where most of her good friends happen to be.) She remembered lots of fun facts about her teachers that they shared with their students. Katie's teachers are Ms. Lindsay, Ms. Maria, & Ms. Dana.



Madi is starting 7th grade this year, and was beyond nervous. Take a look at her picture! Now this is pitiful! Come on Madi, a little smile would be nice. This picture accurately reflects the way Madi was feeling this first official day of middle school. (Keep in mind that middle school for Madi means only one new teacher she didn't already know, a class of 12 - and she knows everyone, and attendance at the school she's been to since kindergarten. So - though middle school is certainly a change, her experience is nothing like many of our "first day of middle school" experiences.) Neither of us could pinpoint exactly why she was so nervous, but she was & made herself a bit sick with worry. I asked her tonight if her stomach problems went away & she said, "yes - the minute I walked into the school." Thank goodness! Madi's teachers are Ms. Arlene, Ms. Julie, and Mr. Boshko. Madi loved Mr. Boshko, the one teacher she didn't know. He just retired from the school district & has been teaching middle school for years! He decided to join our little school after retiring from the school district, and we are really glad. He has quite a reputation as "everyone's favorite teacher" wherever he has taught. He has all kinds of exciting field trips planned for the year, hardly ever gives homework, keeps a refrigerator with water bottles & healthy snacks for the kids to take anytime, and has a big horn sheep skeleton he found in the desert. What more could a middle-schooler want?



I was a little worried that Ben would get bored on this first day of school, with his sisters gone all day. But, he found things to keep him busy like a sticker he pulled off his ball & sticks he gathered in the back yard. He took a 3 hour nap & seemed to really enjoy his day. Despite his exciting day, Ben was really glad to see his sisters when we picked them up from school. In this picture he is enjoying the leftovers from Lacey's lunch.


Here, Lacey shows off her work from the first day of school. Her smiles reflect the way her sisters felt as well. And so we're off! Another school year has begun!