The first day of 2nd grade!

Friday was Gentry's 1st day of 2nd grade at Las Nubes!  The school year here goes from early February to early December.  As you recall, G was not a huge fan of his first year at Las Nubes for the simple fact half the time he was lost in translation trying to catch up and learn Spanish!  After we finished last year on a high note G was relatively excited (by that I just mean he only had one crying meltdown before school started).  

**Back story:  The first day of school for us, is historically, not the greatest experience.  When G started kindergarten we were "that family."  It was nothing short of embarrassing and seriously to this day I couldn't care less cause I was dying!!  I thought I was fine until we started driving towards the school and quietly tears just started to roll down my face all the way to the school.  They didn't stop there, and of course G was not excited so seeing his mom crying gave him every right in the world to bust out in a full blown meltdown.  Jeff pryed him off my leg and walked him over to the line with all the other tiny kindergartners as I stood there unable to stop the tears from flowing.  I seriously felt like a piece of my heart was being crushed.  Jeff kept elbowing me telling me I'm making him more upset, which I know is true but I couldn't walk away until he went in.  His sweet teacher Mrs. Moll came over and took him by the hand to walk him in, and he followed her but kept looking over his shoulder crying and waving...talk about heartbreaking!!  Jeff took me out for coffee which I don't even like coffee but I needed something strong!!  It was so hard for me to watch my little man, my buddy, my sweet boy, take his first big step of growing up.  For the FIRST time since we had G I thought I wanted to do this again, because man has this been so fun and such a blessing to my life, how could we only do this once??  

First grade, first day proved to be a little better, at least for G.  He knew his friends were going to be there, was semi-excited and right when we dropped him off his little eyes filled with tears and he gave me a big hug and told me to meet him right by this tree outside the door after school.  He kept turning around and waving much like he did in kindergarten but the tears never spilled over, as he was bravely holding them in.  I held my tears in until we got in the car and Jeff patted my back as I balled my eyes out, running through the same thought process as every mom goes through about "how he's growing up so fast, before we know it he will be leaving for college"  Again it took me a bit to get myself together and Jeff sweetly let me cry it out and by the time I picked him up at "the tree" after school we were both all smiles. **

Fast forward to this year!

Friday morning we went to wake G up for school only to find him laying in bed with tears in his eyes!!!  NOOOOOOO!!  We were so ready for this day, you picked out all those cool skateboarding and surf notebooks with stickers, you were excited you already knew your teacher, you know enough Spanish to survive and make this a much easier on you, new shoes, your buddy Alfonso is in your class, seriously what I am missing here???????  Jeff and I both turned into cartoon characters who's sole purpose in life was to dry those sweet tears and put a smile on his cute little face before dropping him off at his first day of school!  We pulled out all the tricks we had, favorite breakfast french toast...check, two big smiles and nothing but happy thoughts and words...check, a Billy Madison you tube video of back to school...check, tap dancing across the floor to make him laugh...check.  We literally pulled out every trick in the book to get rid of those tears and it worked!  By the time we were ready to leave for school he was smiling and laughing at the fact Billy Madison had to go to school when he was an adult and sang really funny songs!  SCORE!!!

It was pretty smooth sailing from there on out...at least for G :)  We dropped him off stood with his class for a little bit and talked to his teacher (whom we love!) and waited until they started going into leave.  I held my tears in until he walked away and then we had to scoot so I could have my yearly mom meltdown.  We drove home in silence and again Jeff patted my back and just let me cry.  When we got home I needed a little more time to cry and go through "he's growing up so fast, before we know it he will be going to college" thought process...and then I pulled it together and couldn't wait to pick him up and hear all about 2nd grade :)  Most important we all survived and G is feeling much better about 2nd grade!  Can't complain and just have to give myself grace and know that watching your kids grow up takes wisdom and patience from God, some tears, and occasionally you tube clips of Billy Madison :)  Here's to 2nd grade!

Thank you Billy Madison for helping us smile on the first day of school!

We even got him to brush his teeth...what else could we ask for?

I still get to walk him up to school, thank goodness, that will really be a rough day for this mom!

Gentry's 2nd grade class

Teacher Lauren with her class!  We are so thankful for her and excited for G to have her this year!

First day of 2nd grade family photo

They started heading in, and my eyes started to fill with tears...here's to another year of you growing up and another year for us to love every minute we have with you sweet boy!  Love you all the way to heaven :)