We’re 3 days in to the new school year here and possibly the new “normal” routine. The kids finished the last 6 weeks of school here last year, but we never really got to the normal part since I didn’t have a car or even a cell phone for a good portion of that.

The new school year isn’t going as well as I had hoped…BUT we’re only 3 days in. The weather has been very, very wet and chilly and overall kind of depressing, which I hope isn’t like foreshadowing of the rest of the year 😳.

On the first day, Wesley came home with a “disruptive talking even after multiple corrections” note that I had to sign. The second day, he lost/misplaced TWO jackets (a rain coat and sweatshirt since the weather decided to be terrible for the new school year), AND left his lunchbox at school, and then he told himself that I was picking him up instead of riding the bus (though Justin says he heard me tell him I would pick him up – not true!). Luckily a friend was at the school and saw him crying on his way back to the office and got him to the bus. The bus is a decent walk from the school and once they’re in first grade, they’re on the own. He’s only 6, and I have never really given him the opportunity to do anything that independently before. I know he can do it and his sisters are supposed to help, but it’s still scary for me to just let him go (he is on a military base).  Funny side story – when he was in PreK, he ALWAYS wanted me to pick him up at noon, but I worked 4 days a week. So usually one day a week, I could pick him up at noon. Well he quickly learned to associate his lunchbox with when he had to stay and would hide it at home before we left so that I would have to come pick him up 😂 Except they just fed him school food instead! Back to now – last item. Yesterday, he had to finish some work at home and the note on the paper said “work faster”. I mean, work faster? He is 6, in 1st grade on the 3rd day of school AND in a class that is taught in french!

Then there is my sweet Natalie. She hasn’t ever really had any issues in school. She is agreeable, does her work, doesn’t talk too much, and usually makes her one “best” friend right away. To start, she doesn’t have her teacher yet. She has a long term substitute until the new teacher is here. (She is not in French immersion because they do not have it for her grade). I know she will adjust to this ok, but it is still frustrating since she has been in 3 schools in 2 years, with 2 teachers in Norfolk (split classes). So she is now with her 6th teacher in less than two years. I don’t know that it will affect her, but I can’t help but worry about it.  She came home from school yesterday a little weepy but wouldn’t tell me what was wrong. She finally told Justin that she doesn’t have any friends at all and that she eats lunch alone. She eats alone? She is in 4th grade! Her one friend is in another class. Pretty heartbreaking. This is one of those “how do we deal with this” situations. Is it ONLY 3 days in and we should see how it pans out, making her stronger overall, OR is it one where we should intervene before it worsens (but will it worsen or get better? Who knows!) and see if she can maybe be in a class with kids she already knows (from the last 6 weeks of last year)? I usually do NOT intervene in these situations, but I can’t help but think it is our fault for all the moving and changing schools.

Meredith seems to be doing well and already speaks French with a perfect little accent 😂👍🏻. That’s about all for her so far, but I would expect no less.

Bennett and I haven’t settled into a new normal yet, unless it involves doing nothing and binge-watching Netflix (it’s only been 2 days really 😬). We’ve only had 3 days without the big kids and we’re still overcoming our exhaustion from the summer. He is a sleeper and needs it all, so I find myself needing/wanting/requiring being here for the nap which limits the time to do anything while they’re gone. He doesn’t get up until 9 or 10 (wonderful! After a solid year and a half of up twice a night, I’ll take it) and then naps for 3 more hours and by the time the nap is over, it’s time to get the kids from the bus.  Vicious sleep-wake cycle.

I’m still trying to register him for the CDC (child development center – daycare) on the base so I *maybe* have a place to drop him for an hour or two to socialize. But I spent hours last week filling out endless amounts of paperwork and updating shot records to get him signed up…only to still not be complete. I’m desperate to have him registered even though they don’t have space for him (because why would they? Why don’t they have availability to support all of their families? Why have I NEVER been able to use the CDC anywhere we have been? I digress…That’s another whole post in itself). By the time they have space (even for drop in) it’ll probably be February, which is when he can go to the Belgian schools for PreK – YAY!!!!

Fingers crossed today is all good news, as is the rest of the year!