The Fallons

This year is really special because Thatcher entered kindergarten and BOTH kids were going to be at the SAME SCHOOL! Hallelujah! One drop off. One pick up. Heaven!

We had our annual Back to School shopping experience at the Ventura Shopping Mall. Being at a "real" mall is part of the fun. When you only have outdoor shopping malls, seeing an indoor shopping mall is a novelty to these kids.

When Samantha started elementary school 2 years ago, it was a solo shopping trip for the two of us. Those days are gone now which makes me happy and sad.

We went around Target (another amazing experience for us Target-deprived Santa Barbarians) checking off supplies on the school list. While Samantha was picking out a lunchbox and backpack, Thatcher was off in the summer section. Poor guy, his life was about to change dramatically the following week.

I did end up buying that pool though. We literally had what felt like our first Fall day this week!

The day before school started, Kindergarten had a meet and greet. We already knew our teacher because over the summer kindergarteners get a visit from their new teacher. Thatcher got Mr. Silva which isn't the same teacher Samantha had in kindergarten. Let's just say that we hit the jackpot when it comes to teachers with getting Mr. Silva. All schools have those teachers that you hear are the "most wanted" and while things end up being okay usually with whomever you get, I've wondered if we would ever get one of those talked about teachers. And we did! Just this past week, Mr. Silva was awarded Teacher of the Year for the Santa Barbara School District. Pretty sweet!

Mr. Silva took this picture of Thatcher at our house over the summer. He doesn't look happy, right?

How about here? Thatcher looks equally sad about school starting.

We are continuing the tradition of lining up the school supplies the night before school starts.

See, a tradition.

Sammy in K.

Sammy in 1st.

I still can't believe that little guy in the picture sits in a classroom five days a week. Thatcher and I logged a lot of hours together just the two of us when he wasn't in preschool.

First day!

Samantha and her new teacher, Mrs. Margerum.

Lined up and ready to go in!

Not a tear. Not a nerve. Just a quick hug and wave goodbye.

Cue the music, I was FREE at last!

I hopped on my bike and high tailed it to Shoreline Cafe to meet Sarah for a celebratory first day of school lunch.

We did it! We no longer had babies, toddlers or preschoolers. We both had TWO elementary school kids! Sarah and I have swapped kids since the beginning once a week to allow for us each to have a free day every other week. FREE as in no-cost babysitting and FREE as in a glorious kid-free day! We did this with our girls before they were in school and continued with our boys. Sarah, we need to do more lunching now that we can!

Wait, where was I? Oh right, the first day of school.

I have to document the new grass on the field. GRASS!!!! Like rain, indoor shopping malls and Target, grass is a novelty around here.

Mesa Cafe for dinner because who wants to cook after all that first day excitement?

Ready to go back for more!

AND, he's out. We are over 2 months into school now and about every other week he falls asleep on the way home, which is a good reminder that he's still only 5-years-old.

Cinnamon Roll Friday!

Thatcher says his favorite part of kindergarten is punching his lunch number in.

Panther Pride Fridays.

On the last Friday of every month there is an all-school assembly.

It's kind of like a Pep Rally back in my high school days. They kick it off with the Pledge of Allegiance, hand out Panther Paws (awards to students who go above and beyond around campus) and a whole lot of cheers.

Sporting some Never Give Up cuteness.

Our friend, Meredith, has a son, Mason, who is at Peabody now. These two lost touch a bit from being at different schools but now they've found each other again. Samantha has been a big part in making Mason feel comfortable at his new school.

Serious Cinnamon Roll Friday.

Back to School Night!

Yes, that is Mrs. Margerum during her presentation to the parents holding the classroom snakes.

Todd and I went out to dinner to Arigato after Back to School Night and guess who ended up at the same restaurant? Mrs. Margerum and her husband! As if I didn't like her before, now I really liked her.

That says "Trusting" not "Trashy" ;)

I help in both Thatcher and Samantha's classrooms once a week.

Both kids originally were going to take an after school Spanish class but it got canceled so now Thatcher is taking an art class and Samantha is taking an advanced math class. I'm not sure how much fun Samantha thinks the math class is BUT I am not detouring from my one drop off, one pick up so that's where she ended up.

So while Thatcher is creating fun stuff like this, Samantha is up to her ears in Common Core math. I even had to buy the book so that I could learn how to do math the way they do nowadays.

Thatcher has lucked out and still gets Spanish incorporated into class. I am constantly amazed at Mr. Silva and what he brings to the classroom for his students. Each day, they alternate doing the first half hour of class strictly in Spanish then the next day in English.

I love the Spanish days when I am in class. I get to hear Thatcher say, "Señor Silva" and they order lunch, do the calendar, talk about the weather, sing songs and more, all in Spanish.

Thatcher is practicing his writing everywhere. Literally, EVERYWHERE!

Workout clothing is Samantha's daily choice. Soccer, basketball, tetherball, kickball and handball is all she does at recess.

There's a whole crew of sporty girls at school that stick together.

Both kids joined the Panther Running Club. Once a week, I pick them up sweaty and tired from running class. The goal is to complete 26.2 miles by the end of the session. If you play a sport that involves running, you are automatically credited a mile a week and then you also have to run outside of class to meet that goal so we've been logging some running time each week together.

Kindergarten is rough.

Another after school crash while Samantha was taking piano lessons.

Cinnamon Roll Friday, again.

Kindergarten had a Teddy Bear Picnic where we watched the kids perform songs about bears and had brunch afterwards. Thatcher brought "Green Bear" and I didn't notice it until he was up in front of all the parents but he put a pair of his underwear on his bear.

Thatcher comes home with an awful lot of chalk, dirt, paint, clay, glue and whatever else they use in art on his clothing, face and hands.

Crazy Head to Toe Day!

Dance Party Fridays in second grade!

Each week the kindergarteners get a new job. This particular week, Thatcher was Señor Silva's Helper which means he's in charge of moving the Rekenrek, the number counter behind him, to show whose eating in the cafeteria vs. those who are not. Then he has to count them in Spanish, write the numbers and then group the numbers in ones and tens a la' Common Core style. I have to say, I've been giving the whole Common Core thing a hard time but since buying Samantha's math book so that we could do it together at home, it has become kind of fun for me. We watch YouTube Common Core videos all the time of parents explaining their kid's math homework. It's so bizarre to me that there is such a thing out there. I promise not to start my own YouTube Common Core channel.

I noticed Thatcher was taking up 3 rows with his name to sign into art class. We are working on that. I think we are down to two rows now.

Another creation he brought home for the mantle.

Kickball.

Kindergartners are only allowed to play kickball before school starts if a parent is there, otherwise they need to be in the kindergarten yard. Thatcher beams with pride when he gets to do this. He's the only kindergartener that has been brave enough to play with the bigger kids. They even let him play pitcher now! I do notice though that when the ball is kicked about a mile away, the big kids hang back and let poor Thatcher chase after it. He's like a puppy dog out there. I hear, "Go get it, Badger! RUN!" Kids still don't get his name right.

I hadn't been able to make lunch with either kid until a couple weeks ago and I surprised them. I wish I would have gotten Thatcher's reaction on video when he saw me standing in front of him. Kindergarteners have to eat inside the cafeteria if they buy lunch but if a parent comes they get to eat outside and bring a friend. He told me he didn't want to bring a friend but wanted to wait until we saw Samantha come through the line so he could sit with his sister. :)

Poor Todd. The Peabody ladies on every single committee chase after him to make signs. I think we have already fulfilled our mandatory charter school volunteer hours for our kids entire elementary school career.

What started as just signs turned into...

actual painting on the walls.

Happy mornings!

Picture Day!

Silly Days!

Sporty Days!

Toothless Days!

My little kinder stud!

We've got quite the collection of ceramics now that two are at Peabody.

Off to the Harvest Carnival!

Nachos with Zach!

Colored hairspray!

Slidin'

Stella and Samantha tried and tried to win a cake during the cake walk. That was one thing I was glad we didn't win!

Face painting.

The Winds of Fortune.

There are several types of passes floating around this thing to catch: homework passes, book passes, ice cream passes and the best passes which aren't actually passes but MONEY!

We literally closed down the carnival. The bounce houses were turned off.

These socks!

Caught this sweet moment of Sam reading while waiting for Thatcher's art class to get out.

What I love about Samantha is her hand is the first to go up when it comes to volunteering in the front of the classroom.

When I filled out the questionnaire on what skills I felt Samantha needed to work on for second grade, spelling was at the top of my list. So far so good on spelling tests!