We're here!

No picture updates as of now, our desktop is on the blink so I can only check on Dave's laptop every so often. We're all adjusting to Dave's new work schedule, Emily's back to school schedule and (soon to be) Luke's back to pre-school schedule next week. He'll be going M/W/F mornings and Tuesday afternoons for a (Kindergarten readiness) type class. The same schedule Emily did her final year of preschool. He's excited to go back! Hopefully Logan can sqeeze a good nap in everyday too! Poor thing might be weaned from 2 to 1 a day. He'll adjust! That just means I can put him to bed at 7pm, right? Emily had a non-traditional first day(s) of school. Winona public schools have an orientation on the Tuesday after Labor Day, not a full first day of school. We took her to orientation at WK Tuesday morning. Something didn't feel right. It didn't seem like it was the path that we wanted for her, so by Tuesday at Noon, she was enrolled at Bluffview Montessori. And guess what....she loves it! Lets hope it stays that way. I'm sure the 2 large frogs in the classroom helped :) So, it looks like she'll be spending her 2nd grade with that style of learning. Change is good and she seemed happy with it. Maybe we'll really love it and Luke will go to Kindergarten there next fall. They normally have a lottery to get in to preschool/Kindergarten, but since Emily's there, he's "grandfathered" in so to speak. So that's at least reassuring. Or maybe we'll end up putting the kids in the WACS (Winona Area Catholic Schools) system. We have a year to decide. I have a friend who has been saying we need to check it out since our girls were in preschool together. I really should go in and tour and get the projected costs of 3 kids time X years each....ouch! Winona has so many school options, but at the same time, a lack of "choices." I'm used to the simple times ....1 elementary, 1 middle school and 1 high school! We'll get it figured out, but in the meantime, I'm thankful that Bluffview had an opening. Emily had her first fall term gymnastics this week, she finally advanced to the Intermediate class! Which is great since I was about to throw in the towel. She now goes Tuesdays from 4-5:30 (30 min. longer than before) with girls who are a little more advanced and she's better challenged. I can already tell by her confidence Tuesday night that she'll start enjoying class more. She'll start swimming at the Y next week, M/W/F after school, well, 2:45 to 3:15 only, for swim team practice. She won't be able to ride the bus from school to the Y since she isn't in their after school care. So, we'll have to reevaluate how much of a pain that will be come winter time :/ But, it will help some that she can take the bus to school in the mornings now and home T/Th. I'll just have to play Nap Nazi with Logan those days we have to go get her, and those are also the days Luke has preschool in the mornings, so this back to school business will be hard on the little(st) man. The kids also start swim lessons again at WSU M/W evenings in a week or so. Emily will have double time in the pool, but hey, it's a pool! I don't think she'll mind. She'll be one tired girl come bedtime. Plus, more activities = less time mingling with the neighbor kids. A "win win" if you ask me. The boys and I had our first fall term ECFE class this morning. Lots of new faces, but Katie and Colleen are back, so that's good! This will be Luke's last year...no worries, Logan bought me 5 more! So there's our Back to School experience in a nutshell. Not how we thought things would happen for Miss Em, but we all feel better about it. Nothing is as in tune as Mama's instinct, right? Until Dave figures out the computer issues, I guess I'll go on a blogging hiatus!