Matthew Starts School!

Matthew started school last week! And despite a crazy time to have your first day of school, he never even blinked an eye. He has been SO ready for SO long and he is LOVING school. I knew he would. I have been a little surprised at how much I am LOVING that he is at school all day. I've had to fight back the guilt that sometimes creep in when I think, "Shouldn't I be at least a little bit sad that he is gone?" But I haven't been sad at all. In fact it is probably the very thing that will keep me in heaven, because I was hanging off the cliff by my fingernails. Suddenly I am a sane, functioning mother again. I actually enjoy spending time with children, and I am loving that I have time to devote to each of them. Life feels so peaceful and calm during the day with just Koyle and Landon. I can handle a few hours of crazy in the evening. And the first week was crazy. When Matthew would get home from school he would have so much stored up energy and emotion and combine that with being tired, it would all come flooding out. But he is settling into more of a routine, and getting back to normal life after being in Idaho so long has helped with that a ton.
  Matthew loves his teacher, Ms. Rogers, and she does seem to be really awesome. The other day he told me all about how he loves the sound of her voice and he loves how she says, "Ready, Go." She uses lots of music in her class and Matthew really enjoys that. He certainly seems all grown up. I can drop him off at the back of the school and he'll walk clear across the field, around the building, and into class all by himself. I love listening to all his little stories when he gets home. But you have to listen to him right away because after too long of being home he either forgets or just doesn't want to talk about it anymore.
   The routine hasn't been bad. I have even made Matthew cold lunch every day, including preschool days, and with Justin being gone. Go me! (That really is a big feat if you know me; just ask Justin, I don't make lunches.) But since Matthew's school participates in the free breakfast and lunch program, I refuse to let him eat at school. And so our public education journey has begun. So far I have really liked what I see coming from his teacher and his actual classroom experience, but there are quite a few "policies" I don't agree with. How ironic, get rid of all the administrative bull and federal guidelines and just let teachers do their job. But I digress.
I could go on and on with all the cute little things he has said the past two weeks. But I'll just sum it up by saying he is soaking up the excitement of school.

 Matthew would not just give me a normal smile. And we didn't have much time.

 He loves his Boise State backpack.

Matthew usually wants Peanut Butter and Jelly with a fruit. He was very adamant that he wanted PB&J and an apple. But he let me branch out one day and we used this cute idea I got from my sister in law this summer. I have sometimes put a few candies or special treats in his lunch box and he loves finding the surprises and always remembers to tell me thanks. It makes me smile. And who knew those cheesy pinterest things were on to something. All this time I have thought cheesy notes in the lunch were dumb.

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