First Day of School

     After eight trips to the doctors for a "simple" update on Anneka's medical card (this is not including the three trips for swimming lessons), and buying needed school supplies, Anneka was ready for her first day of kindergarten!  I took a picture of most of the supplies as we checked them off of the list.  Some interesting items were a board game, a bag of dirt (not pictured), indoor sandals (also not pictured), medical gauze, toilet paper, coloring books and makeup remover cotton circles... in addition to the normal notebooks, glue, folders, etc.

     One item written on the list we had NO IDEA what it was!  It was like a scavenger hunt going from store to store.  Usually the person working would give a little smile and then send us on to the next place (fabric store, household store, furniture store, hardware store, etc.)  But finally a lady knew where to find it, as she'd just seen it at a large hardware store a ways away.  Anneka is holding the mystery item (foam rubber) in this picture on the morning of her first day.  It'll be interesting to know what she'll use it for!

     We still haven't found a preschool for Ella.  We'd talked up "school" so much for her when we thought she was going that now she keeps asking when she will go to school.  On Anneka's first day, we made it special for Ella.  Leif stayed home with Ike while I took Ella to the store to buy school supplies.  Then we had our "first day" of school at home and learned about different shapes.  After Anneka got out for the day, we all went out for lunch to a local cafe.  I'd forgotten how crazy it is to eat out with little ones.  We had fun, but we won't be doing that again for awhile!

     Ella and Ike love playing together in the mornings.  I try to include them in daily tasks, too.  This week we grated zucchinis that we got from Inka and Vera.  Of course in this stage of life, my "helpers" create more work.  But they have fun, and I have to remind myself that it's not all about efficiency!