Kindergarten seems like a normal part of childhood, doesn’t it? Turns out, Silas will be ahead of both his Daddy and his Grampy when he graduates from kindergarten.

Stephen managed to attend about six weeks of kindergarten before he dropped out. He couldn’t color in the lines or take a nap, so one day, his dad told him on the way home from school, that he was just going to stay home for the rest of the year. Little Stephen never did finish K5, and after a year and a half, he just sailed right into first grade.

Apparently, Dad Moody didn’t attend kindergarten at all. He told Silas on the phone the other day that he was too smart for kindergarten, so he skipped it.

Here’s hoping Silas makes it through the entire year! We don’t have a good track record in our family.

Silas was thrilled to begin school, and informed me that he wasn’t nervous at all. I took him out for a little mommy-and-me time while we shopped for back to school supplies. At Bethany, most of the supplies are communal–for the entire class to share. So, we found our local Fred Meyer (Kroger) store and stocked up on paints, markers, pencils, etc. for the class, and Silas chose a backpack and some cool dino folders for himself. I had to smile when he chose to ride in the car cart, knowing he wouldn’t want to be a little boy for much longer.

Labor Day was our last day before becoming a “school family,” so Silas and I trekked to the mall on a quest to find a photo booth and create a back-to-school photo strip. We practiced our faces at home, and here’s what we came up with. Afterwards we hit up a Lego re-sell store where Silas picked out a minifig for his collection.

I was a mix of emotions in the weeks leading up to kinder, and definitely the week of. I felt much like that freshman feeling you get at college–bewildered by all the newness–knowing you’re sticking out because you don’t know where to go and what to do, but there’s nothing you can do about it. I was nervous to be a mom of a public school student, but Silas did great! 

The morning routine on the first day went fairly smoothly–starting with sprinkle pancakes–but I learned what not to do in a few cases too (tip: pack his lunch the day before). Our K5 student and his brother rode their bikes while the rest of us walked to school. It was a rainy morning, and at one point, I just had to laugh at us! Cooper was crying because he was tired of walking his bike up the hill, cars were coming towards the intersection where we were, a gust of wind blew rain from the tree leaves down on us, and Stephen was stressed. I could just imagine the parents in the cars passing by thinking, “Look at those chumps. Must be their first kid in kindergarten!”

We made it to Bethany in one piece (though Brynn was still in her jammies) and walked Silas into his classroom. He sat down at his spot, and we gave hugs goodbye. Silas Clark started kindergarten, and we are very proud.

Thankfully, Stephen had taken the morning off from work, so he and Cooper stopped at the playground on the way home. We settled our nerves by playing play-doh with the littles and eating lunch together.

It’s been an emotional, but good experience starting school. We’ve eased into a routine of sorts. Stephen and Silas bike to school each day, and the littles and I walk/ride to pick him up at the end of his day. I’ve enjoyed meeting other parents and members of the PTO. Bethany has many parent volunteers, and everyone has been welcoming and friendly.

Silas is loving it!