First day of school! First day of school!

Finally!!! I feel like we've been waiting for this day forever! Pocatello schools started way later than any other schools in the state. They cut the teachers' salaries, but the union the teachers belong to said "if you cut the salary, then they will work less days". So that's what they did. I hate that they are taking away from the education of our kids, but I think that the most important learning comes inside the home-so for now, I'm okay with it.
McKinley goes to every other day, full day kindergarten. She goes on Wed/Fri and every other Monday. Today was her first full day. The school boundaries we live in had too many kindergartners, so they are busing her to a school on the north side of town. I'm okay with this, as it is rumored to be a better school. She gets on the bus at 7:16 am to drive to the elementary she should have attended, where she transfers buses and goes the rest of the way to one she actually attends. This was very nerve-wracking for me!! She made if fine though. The first thing she said to me after school was "I had 3 recesses!!". Oh, and this morning when I woke her up at 6:30, she started crying about how she wanted to go to school during the day, not at night!! Funny funny!! She's fine once we get her in the tub and let the water wake her up.
This first picture is actually after school as we were too late this morning to stop and pose for the camera. Love the pink converse!! They are hand me downs from a friend of Devin's. She doesn't have any white shoes. Oh well-they don't look too bad. Cute outfit came from Great Aunt Iva. I took 4 pics and this was the least cheesy smile! She hardly ever smiles for real at a camera-just loves to cheese it up.
Hurrying to finish breakfast while dad puts her shoes on. I actually got up and made her a warm breakfast. Then she informed me after school that she ate breakfast at school, too! We need to work on only one breakfast-as breakfast at the school is not free. I really don't mind if she eats there, though. Its less time between breakfast and lunch.
Here you see her with Shelby, who is in our ward, but doesn't go to the same school as McKinley. I had to make double sure that McKinley knew she couldn't follow Shelby off the bus. At least she has a bus buddy for part of the way. She was the only one on the bus for her bus stop on the way home. Shelby gets home way before McKinley! Weird. Oh well, at least she is excited to ride the bus. I have another friend who is driving her kid everyday, just cause she doesn't want her to ride the bus! As much as it makes me nervous, I know I have to let her grow up sometime. To each their own.
Overall a good experience. She will do fine in school. She's a smart kid.
Jamison made his first trip up the stairs today, with me right behind him. I can't believe he is that old! This last 9 months has gone by so fast!
Gavin is a monster! I thought he would get better by 3. No way! The kid is obsessed with Ninja Turtles and sword fighting. He gets super grumpy with a hyper/violent twist when he is tired. I can't hide him from Ninja Turtles forever.
Well, I need to go help Matthew get the kids to bed. I can hear them trying his patience.