First two weeks of school

This week is the first regular school week since Hazel started school. The first week they began on Wednesday, and the second week included Labor Day and an unscheduled day off due to lack of power from our terrific windstorm. Daddy said that he noticed more little ones crying the day after the holiday - they may not have realized that this is a full time gig for the year. Hazel, however, is excited for school every day - once she fully wakes up. The last five minutes before heading out the door have been a bit hectic, but our morning preparations are mostly peaceful.

 

Hazel did finally remember to ask her recess friend for her name, but she had already forgotten it when she got home that day. We also ran into a classmate at Red Robin last week, and they hugged and were so excited to see each other. Then Hazel said she couldn't remember if that friend was Isabelle or Elsa. Too funny. Let's see... she has bravely not cried when getting two rope burns from the play toy. She has figured out how to eat faster, since snack time and lunch time started out too short for her. She enjoys music time and PE, and she is very excited to exercise most days so that she can check off days on her exercise log sheet. They get a prize when they complete one every month, if they exercise at least three times a week. We've kicked the soccer ball, gone for walks, and raked leaves, but some days Hazel just has me time her while she runs in circles around the house. She even has me running around with her. 

 

The first weekend after school started, Hazel spent several hours preparing to have school for Daddy and I. She made good behavior charts for us and a prize box. If the kids get a sticker for good behavior every day, they get to pick something from the prize box at the end of the week, in both the German and English classes. This means I no longer have to buy Hazel things from the dollar bins myself - yaay! Back to school... Hazel called us into her room and then provided us with an example of the stenciling she wished us to do.

 

Daddy is holding up his behavior signs. He started out on green, but then got in trouble and had to change his card to yellow. You'll be happy to know that he did receive a good behavior sticker for the day.

 

You may not be able to see this, but Hazel drew smiley faces on squares of paper and taped them to the items we were allowed to play with for free time. She also wanted us to have recess and lunch, but we declined and opted for a shorter school day. We did have Saturday chores to do, after all.

 

Teacher Hazel burped and laughed at herself. It was such a perfect expression.

 

Daddy drew a firetruck during art time. Hazel gets her drawing talent from him.

 

My drawing was a bit more juvenile.

 

Hazel wrote letters inside of her stenciling, I think.

 

Our first day of school was capped off by Hazel presenting us with our very own schultuten she had made.

 

These are the gifts I received in mine.

 

The windstorm took down our nice big birch tree in back. Notice how it carefully fell down the middle of the yard, missing the fence and the house. The deck it fell on barely has a scratch as well.

 

The view from Hazel's window. She likes to crawl under the branches on the deck and say she's in the tree. We had fun helping the neighbors clean up their yards the morning after. The kids happily helped for several hours.

 

Hazel decorated this frame at Michaels for Grandparents' Day, but she decided to keep it herself. Sorry about that to the grandmas and grandpas, but we did think about you all this weekend. Hazel wore her dirndl for school picture day, and you will be getting a copy of that at some point.

 

As the mornings are now frosty, the mountains have fresh snow, and the Christmas decorations are appearing at select stores, Hazel has started her Halloween preparations. She already has her costume - an indian princess dress - and she made these two projects this weekend.