First Day of Kindergarten ...

On the way into Woodlawn - First Day of School

Wow. So, Riley had his first official day of Kindergarten. It could not have gone better! He loved every minute of it and was even upset when Corey came to pick him up because he didn't want to leave! Riley said he liked all the teachers, the helpers and the kids. Let's hope he maintains this enthusiasm for education for many years to come = )

Here are a couple of conversation highlights and actions from the first day of school that entertained me:

1. Riley was so excited for his first day of Kindergarten, he kept sneaking into the garage and buckling himself into his car seat ... starting at 6:45 am! I guess he thought if he was in there and ready to go, we'd get on the road quicker! When it was finally time to go at 7:30 am, he was still ready. Once we arrived, he ran ahead the whole way into the school, then I even had to ask him for a hug before we left him. He was so excited to start his new adventure he actually forgot to hug good ol' mom. I really didn't think I would tear up about the whole Kindergarten thing as he's been going to daycare and pre-school since he was just a wee little thing. But, I have to admit, the whole hug thing got me. Luckily, I still had Gage to hold my hand and chat with me on the way back to the car or I might have really lost it! However, I am also so happy and relieved that he is excited about school and wasn't scared or reluctant one bit to move on to this next step.

2. Riley really wants to ride his bike to school on his own (we live 1.5 miles from the school.) This boy is so independent. I explained to him that the school rules say you must be in 2nd grade before you can do this (this is actually in the handbook, thank you Woodlawn!) So, this brought about the conversation of grade levels, which grades are at which school, and what grade a person is in when they become a teenager. So, after advising Riley that K-5 is grade school, 6-8 is middle school, and 9-12 is high school, he had this to say about the whole school situation: "Wow. This is going to take a lot longer than I thought." Ha!

3. Gage is experiencing a little bit of the "green-eyed monster" regarding Riley's entry into Kindergarten. With them being only 13 months apart, Gage often feels that he is just as old and educated as Riley is. Although he is on Riley's level with a whole myriad of tasks, there are still so many skills to learn and hone during the year between ages 4 and 5. To help alleviate some of this jealousy we have been explaining to Gage that with Riley gone, Gage will have a very important job at pre-school. He will now be the only Huber at Building Blocks so it is up to him to be the biggest and best boy he can to bring pride to the Huber name. His response, "I can do it! I can be the biggest, bestest Huber super boy ever!" I know you can buddy! And I love that he added the "super" part. Always above and beyond = )

4. After leaving behind 5 girlfriends at pre-school (yes, 5! oy vey,) Riley was really excited that on his first day of Kindergarten the school had segregated the groups so he was with only boys. He thought this was great because he didn't have to "escape" all of the girls trying to hug him. Yes, he is a little Romeo. He had all 5 girls trying to hug him at once the other day at pre-school. Riley said that when this was happening he thought to himself, "This is a problem. I gotta bust out of here!" And so he did. That cracked me up. Anyhow, come Monday there will be a mix of girls and boys in his class -- hopefully  he'll be able to stay more focused on school than girlfriends!

5. Finally, Gage, oh Gage. He is such my little foodie. After he helped me drop Riley off at school, he had to check out the cafeteria and the food line before we could leave. He was so concerned with what Riley would eat for lunch! The lunch lady got a big kick out of him when I told her what we were doing. Gage spied a rack of homemade biscuits, took a big whiff and declared, "Those smell DEEEEE-Wishus!" He decided this food situation was satisfactory and is very much looking forward to eating there next year = )

Well, that's pretty much it for the first-day-of-school report. It went very well, thank goodness!

How do you ride non-stop at the County Fair? ...

... Go on Saturday afternoon when it's 106 degrees!

It may be HOT, but there's no waiting!

The carnival looks a little like a ghost town.

Our view of Grandma and Papa Soukup (center of photo) from the top of the Ferris Wheel.

Corey and Riley in the seat next to us at the top of the Ferris Wheel.

Gage and I being silly - once again on the Ferris Wheel = )

The boys on the Four Wheelers - still a favorite for Gage but a little boring for Riley.
He wanted to ride the "big boy" rides with Papa and Daddy!

(hmmm, not sure what happened here during the download,

this is actually supposed to be 3 different photos)

 

The roller coaster is still the fave!

Another angle of the fun!

Once a farmboy, always a farmboy. My dad feeding the little piggy by hand = )

Gage and the piggy.



Riley enjoyed petting the sweet donkey.

Gage kept calling this little guy a "bull" since he had horns = )

Corey and the camel having a serious conversation.

Looks like they got it all worked out = )



Riding the horses was fun as usual. Those poor animals looked so hot, though.

Another good thing about going to the fair when it's super hot? All the carnies are bored to tears, so the little ones are big winners at every game they try! On one dart game, Gage was having a hard time getting anything to pop, so the game operator kept telling him to yell "pop!" This would still earn him a prize = )



Gage and Grandma chilling out in the shade.

It was hot, but it was fun. The boys are already ready to do it again ... the wait 'til next year will be a long one!

Pre-School Graduation ...

Oh my goodness, we are so proud of our Rileybug! Riley has learned so much over the past couple of years in pre-school and is growing into such a fun, sweet and caring young man. His teachers tell us that in school he has such a big heart and is always one of the first to help or console a classmate if they are having trouble with a project or life issue or even if they are just feeling sad. They say he also truly enjoys learning and is always ready for the next challenge. As a parent, these are things you hope for your child and we see these things in him (along with his ornery side) at home. But, it is also so nice to hear from others what a nice young man he is becoming as well = )

Riley and me in his classroom before the ceremony.

Trying on his graduation hat that he made from
construction paper and cardboard.

Hats off to the graduating class!

Silly boy.

Having fun singing their "Graduation" song. I was pleasantly surprised by how well this group of 5 year olds sang. Riley, of course, made sure he sang the loudest. He was so proud of himself and he really LOVES to sing!

"Flash" Huber running across the stage to get his diplma. Guess I should have had the "action" setting on!

Riley with his rose and diploma next to Corey.

#1!

The class - Ashlynn, Maranda, Braylen, Collin, Elaina, Riley and Xavier
with their awesome teachers - Miss Emily, Miss Jessica, and Miss Brittnee.

Proud Parents with our Pre-School Graduate = )

This evening was a lot of fun, and truth be told, this momma even shed a couple of happy tears. Riley we are so proud of you for everything you have accomplished and learned at Building Blocks! You are so special and your love for fun is infectious. We are looking forward to watching you grow and learn in your next challenge - Kindergarten! We know you will do awesome!