The Night Before Kindergarten

The first day jitters are starting to set in.

I always get really nervous for the first day of school...even when I was the student.

I know the day will go well.

If all else fails read a book, right? :)

I've met all 22 of my little friends.

Some have been very outgoing...some have only whispered or said nothing at all.

A few know their alphabet...most don't.

We have  a lot of work ahead of us, but that's what makes it exciting.

All the possibilities. 

Tonight I'll go to bed early.

Get my lunch packed, clothes laid out.

And tomorrow when I get up it will be the first day of school, it's sort of like Christmas morning :)

Wish me luck!

Death and a Toilet Funeral

Dear little fish,

I'm sorry you got sucked up into the water filter. 

You probably died a very hard death.

I tried to find you yesterday, but you were no where to be found.

I feel so sad for your little life that wasn't very long and for that fact that it was my fault that you're still not with us.  Maybe you'll be reincarnated as a shark...that would be pretty cool right? I promise I'll take good care of your two brothers.

Sorry again.

Sincerely,

Jessica  

A Conversation About Chicken and Myself As A Five Year Old

Last night I was invited...well I invited myself over for dinner at my sister's.

They were having a pasta dish and I've been deprived lately, plus I love spending time with my family :)

The meal was very very good...buuuttt it had some chicken in it.

I ate around it and apparently somebody noticed.

I had run upstairs to talk to my twin sister and soon enough my sister and brother-in-law come up the stairs with my dinner bowl.

Elizabeth: You didn't eat any of your chicken!

Me: I did so!

Elizabeth: You left it all and just ate the noodles.

Me: so

Don: Do you know why you need protein in your body?  It is essential for the structure and maintenance of your body.

Elizabeth: You need to eat three more bites.

Me: But they're big pieces!

Just then Elizabeth began to pull apart my leftover chicken into smaller pieces...FOUR smaller pieces.

Me: You said I only had to eat three pieces and there are 4 pieces here. Can I at least have some more noodles to eat the chicken with? 

Kate (on the phone): Ewww does the chicken have the grisly stuff on it?

In case you were wondering I ate all four pieces of chicken and I survived.

Now my body has some essential protein to make me healthy.

My poor family.

Most people grow out of their five year old taste buds, but my twin sister and I have not been fortunate enough to do so.  Maybe they're just delayed? Whatever the reason I think I'll just stick to my PB&J.

Remember?

Today was the first day of school.

When I walked outside to my car this morning it even smelled like the first day of school. Can you remember what that smells like?  My husband thinks I'm a little strange when out of the blue I'll say, "It smells like school outside."

The air was a little cooler...a little crisper.  Like fall wasn't too far away. (Even though it is :)

Everyone was in new clothes.

The kids shoes were bright with no scuff marks.

Their shirts and pants had newly bought creases in them still.

As the kids got off the bus it wasn't the usual yelling and screaming.

They were quieter, anticipating the new school year...if their teacher was going to be nice, if they would see their friends from last year.

Everyone is on their best behavior.

This may change tomorrow, but I love holding onto what the first day of school is..

It's so full of nostalgia, opportunity and promise.

Anything can happen.

We started screening our Kindergarteners today.  They will start next week.

They are so little and very excited about starting school.

Some of them even dressed up in their Sunday best to come to their screening today.

We don't get very much information out of our testing.  The students are nervous and shy.

Me: Can you tell me what letter this is?

Student: Huge Smile

Me: Is it the letter O?

Student: Huge Smile

Me: What letter is this?

Student: Oh! That's a stick with a head on ...and that one is a man with arms.

Me: Ooooh

Mostly they were concerned that there were no fish in the fish tank. 

"What happened to all the fish? Did they all DIE!? "

It's been a good day.  Tomorrow I will meet five more of my little friends.

And next Wednesday will be my first day of school. 

Can't wait!

Organizing My Life

Yesterday I tackled the CD bookshelf in our office.  I think it's ugly and it takes up a lot of space that could be used for something we actually like.   I took off all 200 CDs and sorted them into alphabetical piles.  I ran to Target and got a large CD travel case and began the huge undertaking of pulling each CD and label out of it's case.

My Kindergarten skills really soared yesterday.  "Hey! I can definitely do ABC order!" I thought to myself.  Ryan Adams, Fiona Apple, Cher (fyi this would be my CD not Martin's), Eric Clapton, Cheryl Crow, Coldplay....wait a minute...what are these? The Beetles? Beach Boys? Beethoven?

Wait, doesn't B come before C?

 oh...

whoops.

I tried to keep the rest in ABC order as much as I could...the Haydn CD is in the the Ls and the Liszt CD is in the the Rs, oh well I tried. At least they're all in one place.  By the way, if you ever need to borrow a Bob Dylan CD we have all of 1,987,987 of them. 

 Now...the fun part.  What can I replace the bookshelf with?  A pretty table?  A chair? 

One more thing organized=happiness