100 Days of school....by a rookie Kindergarten Mom

100 Days….by a Rookie Kindergarten Mom

100 days of Kindergarten are officially in the books….! It literally feels like yesterday that I was fighting back tears as my oldest turned his back, held my neighbors hand (THANK YOU, Ezra!), and walked on the school bus for his first day of Kindergarten.

I had no idea what to expect going into the school year, especially with this being our first experience with school other than preschool. On one hand, I was so excited …but on the other hand, I was scared, nervous and so sad because I felt like a new chapter was starting for us.

I’ve had this post in the back of my mind since the fall, but I wanted to give us all time to adapt to our new rhythm and “normal” before I opened up about what I’ve learned over the last 5 months & my thoughts for those who will be sending their firstborn into kindergarten.

1. I wasn’t prepared for the emotions I felt the first 2-3 weeks: I can honestly say I thought I was somewhat prepared for the morning that my oldest stepped on the bus. And I was. Sure, I cried….But to be real with you it wasn’t the moment that he stepped on the bus and I cried that really got me. It was the moments after that I wasn’t prepared for. I had an empty feeling inside the whole day…wondering if he made it to his class alright? Was he ok on the bus? What was he doing that moment? Was he making friends? Was he making good choices? It was so hard not knowing what he was doing all of the time. Can someone invent a body cam for kids please???!! ha! I swear I looked around the house for him for the first few weeks.

   I’m not going to lie in saying that I felt like a part of me was missing.

2. There are a lot of good people. Pick a school where you can trust in your community: I still feel a little bit of that emptiness, but I will tell you that the incredible community and support system that we have puts me at ease. Parents, do your due diligence and make sure you have people that genuinely CARE about kids, and your kid in particular when picking a school. I’m forever thankful for the fact that we are surrounded by so many great people in our community. From our neighbor that held my son’s hand as he was on the verge of tears getting on the bus for the first time, to the principal that chased down every single bus trying to find my son when he got on the wrong bus, to the lunch lady that makes him smile, and to his great teachers, I’m forever grateful.

3. Hello, germs. Everyone said “just wait till they get to school” and I kind of rolled my eyes thinking….both boys are already in school…we know all about germs. #ROOKIEMOM lol. Preschool ain’t got nothing on Big kid school. Trust me….YOU DO NOT KNOW GERMS UNTIL BIG KID SCHOOL. I realized this about 2.5 weeks into the school year with Max basically walked off the bus on a Friday afternoon and puked everywhere. He proceeded to spread it to my middle son and ME (UGH) and right then and there, I knew that I had been initiated. Then in November, he caught a horrible cold that last a good 3-4 weeks & had an eye infection. After that point, I was desperate to find a way to battle the germs! I’ve been using thieves essential oils and the boys have elderberry every morning. I started this the day after my middle son, my husband and I got the flu and I swear its the reason Max didn’t catch the flu from us. Also, I was putting thieves on my middle son 2-3 times a day and I he was recovered from the flu within 3 days! Coincidence? Maybe…? .maybe not.

4. They’ll be tired: the first few days of kindergarten I think Max was running on adrenaline. But as the first full school week came to a close, he was exhausted. I’m talking….whiny, tired, and in bed at 5:50 pm exhausted! The first 6-8 weeks were a huge adjustment. A couple of times we even gave him a nap when he got home from school! We also napped him on the weekends. I will say that now that we are 5 months in, he’s nowhere near as tired. I think this is partially him adjusting, and partially maturity and growth especially because he is on the younger side in the grade.

5. You think you’ll have more time: In the back of my mind, I thought once Max went to kindergarten I would have so much more time. But in all honesty, I feel like I have less! I’m trying to cram everything into that 7 hour period that he’s gone so that when he gets home, I’m there. And if I’m not, I have the worst mom guilt ever. Also, it has been hard juggling my schedule. I used to have a schedule where I worked in the afternoons. I’ve completely swapped that so I’m home to get him off the bus, and I feel like I’m still adjusting to being ready to leave the house at 8 am 3 mornings a week. I also feel like I’m missing out on one on one time with the baby & my middle son because when I get home from work, Max is straight off the bus, and I have all three of them awake. But if I work later, I have less time with Max. Sometimes you just can’t win…

6. Get involved: I think it is a no brainer that being involved in your child’s education at home will only make them more enthusiastic and learn quicker. I also highly recommend getting involved in your children’s school, if time allows. I volunteered to be the room mom which keeps me really switched in with his classroom and events. I also volunteer in the lunch room twice a month. He is always really excited to see me at school, and it allows me to be a part of his day, spend time with him, get more familiar with the school, and meet his friends!

7. Prepare for mental overload every morning. Get organized!: Sometimes I feel like my head is spinning. Is it library day? Is it show and tell? Oh, next week Wednesday is PJ day?? Did you pack all of your books and your sneakers in your bag? I have a huge calendar on my fridge with all of our schedules because if I didn’t…we would be in trouble! I can’t wait till all 3 are in school LOL. Creating a routine in the morning has also been huge for us. It helps set him up for a successful day and keeps our mornings as stress free as possible.

8. They love it. I revert back to #2. My boy loves going to school. He loves his friends, his teachers, and everything about it. Don’t be surprised if they have a blast (most days) at school. This really helps with #1.

9. It’s not going to always be smooth and easy: I think we all know this from our own experience with school, but we are all guilty of living in the “bubble” and thinking “that won’t happen to my kid.”

   Every day isn’t going to be easy (for them and us). I’ve tried to remember this, knowing his journey through school is a long one, and everyone develops at different rates. Playing the comparison game can be a dangerous thing and its best to keep the blinders on.

   Celebrate the days where they come home with awards-no matter what they are- (build them up), and on the days that aren’t so good….just remember they’re humans too. They’re just kids, trying to find their way. We all have not so good days even as adults! The key is learning from them, and moving on!

10. You’ll be amazed with their growth:

    100 days later, I’m amazed with his (and his classmates) growth in every area! Reading, writing, math…. and most importantly his growth as a young boy.

    As hard as it is to say goodbye in the morning and see him turn his back and head on his latest adventure, it is even more fulfilling and rewarding seeing him gain confidence, and grow as a person.

    I guess this quote sums this whole motherhood thing up:

    “Making the decision to have a child is momentous. It is to decide forever to have your heart go walking around outside your body."

    - Elizabeth Stone, teacher and author

xo

Alex

Meal Plan Monday: Chicken Piccata

Happy Monday!

I’ve been on a roll experimenting with recipes and changing things up for dinnertime! #soproud ! I love playing around with ingredients and putting a healthy spin on meals & sharing them with you all!

I made a really nice Chicken Piccata meal last night for the whole family and everyone loved it!

Ingredients:

Whole grain or Protein pasta
Olive Oil
Butter (optional)
Chicken Cutlets
Salt & Pepper to taste
1 cup Flour (I try to use Unbleached white flour-they were all sold out yesterday)
2 cloves garlic, minced
pre-sliced mushrooms
1.5 cup chicken stock
Capers, to taste
1 lemon

Notes:

Pasta: I usually pick something easier to eat for the kids- angel hair or any other long noodle is a little bit harder for us with the age of our boys so I usually pick ziti, penne or bows! But if you don’t have young kids, angel hair is awesome!
-I definitely recommend buying cutlets of chicken! Much quicker to cook!
-We also made a side of a salad to go with this!

Directions:

1. Cook pasta according to package directions; drain.

2. Mince garlic; warm oil in frying pan. Sautee 1 clove garlic on low.

3. While pasta is cooking & garlic is becoming fragrant, place 3/4 cup flour in dish with salt, pepper. In a separate dish, pour 2 tablespoons oil & 1 tablespoon lemon juice. Dip chicken in oil/lemon mixture. Then dredge chicken in flour, shaking off excess.

4. Place chicken in frying pan with garlic . Cook 3 min on each side or until done. Remove chicken from pan. (I added butter when I flipped the chicken for a little more flavor)

5. In same pan, warm other clove garlic with oil. Cook until fragrant. Add mushrooms. Cook until browned. Add 1 tablespoon flour and 1/4 cup stock to pan, stirring with whisk. Add remaining 1 1/4 cup stock and capers, bring to boil. Tip: if it is too runny, add more flour. Add chicken back to the pan and cook for another 3-5 mins.

6. Top pasta with chicken & sauce. Enjoy!
   

xo
Alex

Fast Shrimp Paella

Happy Monday friends! I threw together this meal for the first time tonight and its definitely a keeper! Easy, not a lot of ingredients, tasty and quick!

For this recipe, I used brown rice and frozen peas and shrimp. This meal took me about 30 minutes all up to prepare and cook for (and thats including an intermission to get something for my son who came down from bed! Ha!)

I love this meal because using frozen shrimp and peas really cuts down on prep time. Rice is a super easy carb to make, and you throw it all into one pan! Also, tumeric is an EXCELLENT spice to use - there are so many health benefits to it (google it!).

Enjoy!

Easy Shrimp Paella

Ingredients:

1 cup of rice 
Olive oil 
1/2 tsp ground tumeric
1 cup chopped pepper (your choice what color) 
1-2 cloves garlic, minced. 
1 cup frozen peas
1/3 cup water
1.5 lb shrimp, peeled and deveined (I use frozen) 
Salt and pepper to taste 
Cilantro for garnish (optional) 

Directions:

1. Cook rice as per directions 

2. Heat olive oil, garlic and tumeric in a frying pan. Cook until fragrant. Add peppers. 

3. Add shrimp and cook until no longer opaque. Add peas. Add water if needed (I had a little leftover water as the shrimp were defrosting, so I did not even need to add it!)

4. Mix cooked rice and mix. Simmer for 3-5 minutes. 

5. Top with cilantro. Enjoy!

Hope you all had a great Monday!

xo

Alex