First Day of School!

So all three of my kids are now going to school!!!  The day I've been waiting for for so many years has finally come.  And yes it is as good as I thought it would be!  Going to the gym and grocery shopping has become infinitely better.  Though, I think when the three o'clock hour rolls around I'm ready for my kids to come home.

This was the only picture I got of the Lorin and Ethan on their big day.  Lorin was having no part of me following her around JUNIOR HIGH with my camera.  We simply dropped her off.  She barely waved at us.  That's right I said Junior High!!!  What is up with that?!?!  How can I have a child who's in Junior high!!  When we went to the open house I felt a little sick inside.  Not because of the school itself.  I actually like it, but because it brought back memories of the time I did at Wilson Middle school.  PURGATORY!!  Never have I been more grateful to be an adult.  Junior high is just a swirling pool of awkwardness and hormones.  Lorin's junior high is WAY better than mine was.  The administration is hyper aware of bullying.  They have really great programs.  Lorin seems very happy.  There are very few things Lorin has not met head on and had success with.  I know she'll be great in Junior high!

Ethan got placed in a mainstream classroom this year!!!  That is a huge step!  That means he has worked really hard and has accomplished a lot in the last few years.  I'm so proud of him.  He has been so blessed to have teachers like Mrs. Sellers, Ms. Pilgrim, Mrs. Smith, Mrs. Simpson, Ms. Cody and Ms. Rogers and countless therapists, resource teachers, doctors,etc.  So many people have blessed him.  I feel like the Lord has really had a hand in bringing all of these people into his life!  They say it takes a village to raise a child.  I think in Ethan's case, by the time he's an independent adult it will be more like a mid-sized city!!  His teacher seems really sweet.  She seems to genuinely care for Ethan and the other kids in her class.  At meet the teacher night, before school started, when I told her that Ethan had autism and he was mainstreaming, she gave him a big hug and told him she was proud of him! She has a gentleness about her.  I feel like he's in good hands.  His aid also spoke very kindly of him and said she loves working with him!!  I know he has his moments,but, I'm so glad he is surrounded by so many wonderful people!!  

And then there's Brynn.  It was her first year of school!!!  WHAT!!!

She got a little sad when Gary dropped her off.  She cried after he left :(.  But when we went to go pick her up at 3 she was chatting non stop until she went to bed that night.  She loved school, she loved her teacher, she loved her friends!!  They let the kids bring their favorite stuffed animal the first week of school.  I think that was genius!  They sing songs and play games and learn about letters and sight words and have show and tell.  Kindergarten is AWESOME!!  All in all this school year has been off to a good start for the Bradshaw clan.  Each child went in facing big changes and each child has handled them beautifully!!  What awesome people they are!!