New beginnings

The first day of school. Every year it has a different energy than any other school day. The kids are excited about being back in school after the long hot summer. And I'm excited about getting some time alone with Holly for long leisurely walks in the morning or just doing errands without rushing. But I already miss the big kids. Meged is starting first grade today - her first day of "real" school. Brit and Zach will be turning 10 this year. Double digits. Holly has pretty much weaned herself recently. All of these major milestones are hard for me to take. My babies are growing up way too fast.

But this year is also going to be really exciting as each day takes us closer to the US for our big adventure. Brit and Zach are progressing at such an amazing rate in their English studies. Sure, they still have a way to go in order to get up to speed with the kids their age in the US, but I am so proud of the effort and seriousness they put into learning. They're learning American social studies, history, and science as well as their regular language arts topics - all of this on top of the work they get from school. Brit read a condensed Heidi and one of the Ramona books this summer. Zach read a condensed White Fang and several short stories in English. Meged is already reading in Hebrew and halfway through our English reading book. At this rate, by Christmas, she'll be reading in English at a 2nd grade level. Then we'll have more than half a year to work on other subjects 1st graders in the US are expected to work on. I'm not saying there won't be things they'll still need to learn and get used to once we move, but all of this preparation is going to make the move so much easier for them.

There are big changes in after school activities this year too. Zach has been excelling at gymnastics since he started two years ago and even chose to take a gymnastics camp this summer and last. So I expected he'd want to continue taking classes to increase his skills and he would have if all else were equal. But we can't put him in endless classes every year, so he wants to try something slightly different this time around - trampolines! He also started getting into chess over the past year, so he'll be taking a chess class too this year.

Brit was also in gymnastics for two years, but really it wasn't her thing. She went to an art camp over the summer and really learned a lot even though not much time was spent on drawing - which is really her forte. She had been excited about doing a drawing class this year....or so I thought. It was actually me who thought it would be great to have someone professional guiding her, but she was just going along with the idea. She finally told me that she doesn't enjoy drawing what someone else tells her to draw. It has to come from her heart. What a true artist! Even though I do think she'd get a lot out of it and learn new techniques to improve her skills, I was so proud of her for telling it like it is and not letting anyone sway her artistic aspirations. She is such a happy soul when drawing and I wouldn't want to do anything to risk sullying the joy she gets from it. In any case, she's been coveting a spot in the trampoline class as well, so she and Zach will be in the class together this year.

Meged was in gymnastics last year and although she enjoyed it, let's just say that her talents lie elsewhere! This year she wants to do something artistic - preferably painting. But whatever it ends up being, I'm sure she'll get a lot out of it. She just likes creating stuff, no matter what it is - like her Mama!

Holly has taken on Meged's previous Elmo obsession. A day just doesn't start out right without an Elmo DVD. She has also turned out to be quite the helper both in the house and the garden. Whatever it is I'm doing, she's right there pitching in to help. Of course, half the help makes more work for me, but it's great fun to watch her slaving away in the garden or "mopping" the floors. Such a funny kid.

So all in all, life goes on - ever changing and ever evolving. Sometimes that's a sad thing, but even when you want to hold on to the kids being little, you really can't deny how lovely it is to watch your child blossom.