In the spirit of "Hurry UP! So I can take your pictures!", I bring you Back to School Fall 2012 in the traditional we.are.almost.late Lindgren-Style.
Angelique (Kippy - "Redbull with legs") headed off to her first day of school and also her last year at Our Lady of Victory. Just saying that outloud makes me yearn for the bouncy days of super-sized crayola crayons and washable markers of years past. Kippy has Mrs. Jenc as her 6th grade teacher and is part of an intimate class of 8 (5 girls/3 boys). She is excited to get back to school to be with her friends.
Abby was ready early enough to eat breakfast, so we all consider ourselves very lucky! (Normally, it is breakfast on the go in the vehicle as her dad rushes her to school.) Abby missed seeing her friends over the summer, but isn't too excited about the "work" part of school. She heads off to the adventure of her Sophomore year.
The air was noticeably cooler this morning and there were a lot of crunchy leaves scattered around the yard. Fall is fast approaching and there are many activities on the Calendar for both girls: Pep Band & Dance for Abby; Soccer, Piano & Dance for Angelique.
I am looking forward to a more peaceful work environment in my home office during the day, and driving the girls to their various events after school.
Wishing both Abby and Angelique a school year full of fun, friends, memories and great experiences!
And I love how quickly both the girls get ready on the first morning of school... the rest of the mornings of the school year... NOT.SO.MUCH! The air was cool and crisp, feeling definitely like Fall. Abby is officially a high schooler at Kennedy Secondary school. Open house was last week, so the locker thing and class locations were all figured out. All that was left was the bright, fun outfit to wear. Abby nailed it!
Kippy thought it was chilly standing outside to take pictures, but that didn't stop her from wearing flip-flops on her first day of 5th grade at OLV. She dressed up her school bag with all the keychain fobs she had collected over the summer, including a special Seattle Space Needle keychain from her big sister.
Steve is able to take the girls to school before he goes to work, so my tradition has been to take pics of them getting off the bus on their first day. Bella was waiting and waiting for the girls, unfortunately, the new bus driver wasn't used to stopping at our house and drove right on past. The girls walked an extra half of a block and Miss Bella was so terribly excited to see them. They both reported great first days, with no issues. Can't ask for more than that! Wishing a successful year of school for you both, Abby & Kippy!!
A tale of two girls going back to school on Tuesday, September 7th... each going to different schools and having a different approach. Angelique started 4th grade at Our Lady of Victory school. She told me she was nervous the night before school. This made me smile, since she already knows 8 of the 9 kids in her class. There is only one new girl being added to the group, making her class size 10 students. Kippy also knows her 4th grade teacher, Mrs. Pawlowski, really well too. Nervousness... unfortunately, she gets that from me. It must have been this nervous excitement that inspired Kippy to be ready early and she asked me to braid her hair for her. I'm all for having it out of her face, so I quickly did it. Plus, she rarely WANTS me to braid her hair anymore, so I always jump at the chance to do it. This year, Kippy said she only wanted to have one pair of shoes for school, instead of a casual pair, plus a pair of tennis shoes. She picked these black tennies because she thought, "black won't look so dirty". We'll have to see if she is right as she is very hard on her foot wear {and clothing in general.} Kippy opted to not use a backpack for school, but picked a shoulder bag that we already had at home. Sweet - one less thing we had to buy! Normally, Steve drops the girls off at school, but on the first day, I road along so I could snap a few pictures. It was misting outside and barely had time to get this quick pic before
Kippy turned around and RAN into the building. No other photos could be captured and she never once looked back.
The girls got home off the bus around 4:10 PM.
Kippy brought this Who Am I? sheet home at the end of the day and I like that it captures a bit about her at this point in time. She had a great first day and told me that the new girl in her class is really nice. I just love the hair-halo she had by the end of the day.
Abby approached her first day of 8th grade a little differently. She was MUCH more relaxed. Her only concern was what new outfit to wear, getting her hair styled and her make-up just so. She was late getting ready and I literally had about 60 seconds to get her first day photographed. She used the same shoulder bag she had gotten mid-way through 7th grade last year, due to backpack breakage. The item she was most excited about wearing are her new converse sneakers that she bought herself with birthday money just 4 days before school started. Abby was very cool and collected as she was dropped off at Kennedy Secondary school, which had just finished a 2 year renovation and add-on process. She definitely gets her laid back attitude from her dad. I was very surprised when she stopped and gave us a wave just before she went inside and I was glad to snap a pic. Not much really shakes my Abby girl... except her little sister.
When Abby got off the bus, she was pretty excited about her first day and still had perfectly styled hair. She said, "I like ALL of my teachers!" Knowing Abby, the social aspect of school is probably her most favorite part of all.
New clothes, new shoes, new school supplies.... and new beginnings for both of my girls. Angelique starting third grade with her class of 11 students at OLV on Monday, August 31st. And talk about excited! She had her clothes picked out and backpack ready to go the night before. No complaints about getting woke up early to get ready. Thankfully, Steve's teaching schedule allows him to take both the girls to school each morning again this year, so they get to have about 30 minutes extra time in the morning. I rode along with Steve that morning to capture a few quick pictures of the first day of school. I was happy that Kippy at least turned around to waive at me before dashing into the building. And I was proud of myself for not crying. I didn't even tear up! It was a big-girl moment for me.
Especially since I have been thinking about and fretting over the changes this new school year would be bringing. Abby entered the public school system for the first time as a 7th grader. Abby's previous 6th grade class of 7 students from OLV would be increasing to almost 220 students. In addition, 7th grade & 8th grade have been relocated to the High School while an almost 2 year construction project is in progress. My heart rate starts to accelerate just thinking of the large age range and volume of students in the same huge building. Crazy concerns have been creeping into my head... Have we sheltered Abby too much by sending her to private school up until 7th grade? Is Abby properly prepared for the demands of 7th grade? Will she be able to find her classes? Will she continue to develop positive friendships with classmates - the kind that won't be negative influences? I tried to think of what I am most concerned about. At the core, I know it is the letting go process that is the most difficult. I no longer have the level of information I am used to having... I don't know all of Abby's different teachers personally. I don't know every single classmate as well as her classmate's parents. I am only going to know what she chooses to share with me.
My logical side knows that Abby will be successful. She is smart; She makes good choices; She knows how to be a good friend and values her friendships; She is outgoing; She is funny; She is a really great kid! Abby is confident and excited about 7th grade. She has attended both the "Early Start" orientation session and open-house. She knows her schedule, her teachers and where her classrooms are. She has met her locker-mate and has memorized her locker combination. She has all of her supplies and the skills necessary to be successful. So, I pushed my worry, doubts and concerns aside and focused on that as I watched Abby enter school.
And she did not turn back to look at us once... I was waiting on the porch to greet the girls when they got off the bus at the end of the day. They both were excited to share their day with me. Kippy said she forgot her backpack in her locker. When I asked, "How could you forget your backpack?" She said, "My bloody nose distracted me." Hummm... that would do it. Abby told me about going to the wrong classroom for 2nd period and said she was a little embarrassed when the Art Teacher pointed it out to her. But she laughed and said it wasn't a big deal and just went to the right class after that. Miss Bella and I were just as excited to have them back home and to have them share their new beginnings with us.
I am feeling nostalgic with a wee bit of melancholy mixed in as I reflect upon the end of this school year. On Friday, Abby graduated from 6th grade and will no longer attend Our Lady of Victory school. {Just typing that sentence produces a big lump in my throat.} She will be moving on to 7th grade at Fergus Falls Middle School and will no longer be part of her small class. Abby is very excited about this change, but I, on the other hand, feel a bit scared and nervous. {Reaching for tissue now.} I will no longer personally know all of Abby's classmates, teachers, as well as the parents of her classmates. Her 7th grade class will be around 200 students.
nos·tal·gi·a
(nŏ-stāl'jə, nə-) n.
A bittersweet longing for things, persons, or situations of the past.
The condition of being homesick; homesickness.
Yes, bittersweet longing sums things up accurately. My sweet, pony-tailed girl... you have grown up so much. {sniff} September 2002, entering Kindergarten at age 5 at Our Lady of Victory school... armed with a massive blue, Power Puff backpack and wearing her Bubbles watch. Abby's class size was 18 and Mrs. Moen was her teacher. We had just moved to Fergus Falls 10 days earlier and neither Abby nor I knew anyone aside from the principal, Sandy Carpenter. I was the nervous one on this day almost 7 years ago, but Abby was completely comfortable walking into a brand new school with kids she had never met before. She waived good-bye and I struggled to get back to my car before my tears began streaming down my cheeks. Entering First grade in the Fall of 2003, Abby was equipped again with her blue, Power Puff backpack. It was so loaded down, that she had to lean forward just to stay upright. Abby was 6 years old and her teachers in first grade were Mrs. Pawlowski and Mrs. Knutson, who shared the class of 19 students. By now, we knew who everyone was and what to expect. I was brave enough to let Abby ride the bus on the first day instead of driving her to school. I waived good-bye as the bus pulled away and hurried back into my home-office to cry. In Second grade, there was a new backpack purchase. This time no theme characters; just Abby's favorite color, PINK. The backpack was still too large for her little 7 year old body. Abby's teacher was Mrs. Case and there were 17 in her class. Oh, yes, I cried after sending Abby off on the bus. In Third grade, Abby was distinctly unhappy about having to reuse the pink backpack from the previous year. It still looks too big on 8 year old Abby. Her class had shrunk down to 13 due to some families moving. Mrs. Donnay was her teacher. Fourth grade and a new pink camouflaged backpack was purchased. I wonder if it was too big to even wear on her back since she has it perched on the bench in this picture? Abby's class had 13 students and she got to have Mrs. Pawlowski (her former 1st grade teacher) again. This year I drove Abby to school on the first day because in 2006, Angelique started Kindergarten. I knew almost everyone at Our Lady of Victory by then and we had lived in Fergus Falls for 4 years, but oh, so difficult to let them both go. Angelique was so confident with her big sister there to show her the ropes. Entering Fifth grade, ten-year-old Abby had to recycle her pink, camouflaged backpack. Wow - that is a massive backpack! Abby had 13 in her class and Mrs. Hohman was her teacher. I had a better grip on myself and didn't shed a tear as both girls marched off together on the bus that Fall. Sixth grade last Fall began with a new bright, pink backpack and a new "tweener" attitude. Fashion has definitely become a passion to the point of near annoyance. This final year at OLV was interesting for Abby because her class sized had dropped to 7 and all of them were girls. Her teacher was Mrs. Nelson and Abby was so excited to be the OLDEST at the school. Plus, what could be better than to have an entire class of your very best friends? The fact that this was Abby's last year at OLV was not lost on me, but I held it together and just took pictures and waived as the girls boarded the bus. I did not hold it together at 6th grade graduation. Her class was featured at Mass on Friday. They played Bells and it was amazing. Abby received her diploma from principal, Mrs. Carpenter. And we had a brief reception at the gym afterwords. If I had not been wearing 4 inch heels, then the height difference between Abby and I would have been greatly diminished. I believe she is only 2 or 3 inches shorter now. I don't like to check very often 'cause I prefer denial. Her smiling class of 7... back row L-R, Mary Gettel, Kellie Burke. front row L-R, Mariah Sigfrid, Audra Bartsch, Abby Lindgren, Danielle Ross,Chloe Comstock. One really fun moment was when the girls opened the time capsules they created in 3rd grade. Abby thought her self-portrait she had put into her time capsule was particularly funny. The girls were just bubbling with excitement, showing each other what they had created. Abby's journey at OLV has come to a close. She has grown, matured and learned so much. Her Faith is strong. Her confidence is high. She is well prepared for Middle School, even if I am not.
(nŏ-stāl'jə, nə-) 
