Educational Update

Sarah Jane is enjoying Second Grade. Her first morning was difficult with it being a new school and all. We both shed some tears, but once I left she settled right in and announced on the way home that day that she had made 5 friends. She is now quite comfortable with the campus, has made many more friends, and really likes her teacher too. She is in a split class (2nd and 3rd grades combined) and they work together in the mornings, with the afternoons spent separated by grade. They get to walk to the town library every Thursday and have short days (called Minimum Days) each Wednesday.
She is currently enrolled in the After School Program as we haven't been able to work out carpooling yet. She seems to enjoy the extra play time, although if we can find a family who can work with our schedule, getting her home earlier would be best.
Our days look like this- I'm up at 6am, Sarah Jane is awakened at 6:45 which usually results in the other two getting up also. We are all dressed, breakfasted, and ready to leave the house at 7:30. We arrive at Delta by 8am, with class beginning at 8:10. We get home from dropping off Sarah Jane around 8:30 and usually have breakfast #2 at 9am. The girls play and I try to get work done around the house until 11am- that's lunch time. Sadie Lynn and I leave for preschool at 11:45, and class starts at 12:30. We leave the preschool around 4pm, drive home to get the baby and take the babysitter home (who has been there since 3pm when Steve has to leave for work) then we drive out to Delta to get Sarah Jane. We have been getting home around 5:30, just in time for dinner, homework, baths and bed. However there are at least 2 nights a week when we have an evening commitment and bed time gets pushed back. Tonight is not one of those nights, and so a good night's sleep will be had by all! Woo hoo!
Our days are busy, and little else gets accomplished aside from those things that are needed for survival. I cook dinner, but extras like cookies and cake haven't happened since school has started. The laundry is getting done, but nothing gets ironed until it's time to wear it. As the year progresses, I will learn how to best use my time in the mornings and whenever possible, the weekends. Steve wakes up around 10:30 and I leave at 11:45, so we don't see very much of each other on the days he works, and what's worse is that Sarah Jane leaves for school before he is awake and he leaves for work before she gets home, so on those days they don't see each other at all. This only means that Steve's days off need to become sacred family time, and that as many Saturdays as we can get will be spent together.
On a brighter note, Sadie Lynn is having a wonderful time in preschool. She has had only a couple of misbehavior episodes due to the fact that I am both mom and teacher, but it hasn't been nearly as bad as I anticipated. I have some great parents in the class and they are becoming more and more helpful at re-directing her and helping her focus so that I don't have to fight with her about it. Most of the time she loves having me there with her, and it feels like our special time together since her sisters aren't with us.
Overall, the Huddle is busy, but doing well. Now I have to get back to work.

Yours 'till there's a horse fly in the Kentucky Derby.