The Mischnick Family: Successful transitions!

Last week was the first week of kindergarten for Miss Anna and this week is the first week of full days. So far so good! The word of the week last week for our family was "transition" and we talked a lot about how different people deal with big changes in different ways. I think everyone felt the differences, but in their own way.

Anna has been hearing about kindergarten for so long that I think she got herself worked up a bit last Tuesday.

Anna's attempt at a smile shows a bit of her anxiety before the first day.

Then on Wednesday when I picked her up, it was almost like a weight was lifted off of her shoulders and a lot of her anxiety was gone.

Starting school didn't stop us from playing in the pool one last time and then snitching raspberries as a snack!

We still had some challenges with her on Thursday and Friday, but by the weekend we had a wonderfully cheerful 5-year-old to have in our midst.

Kate wasn't quite sure what to think or feel last week. She had a rough time on Wednesday morning while Anna was at school, and then just really wanted to play with Anna in the afternoons, but by that point Anna was having a harder time. Again, by the weekend, Kate found a nice rhythm and just enjoyed having her playmate around. Today went much better for Kate, too.

Another big transition of last week was my birthday :) My family and friends made it such a special day for me! Matt and the girls surprised me in the morning with an awesome full body pillow to help me through these last few months of awkward sleeping, plus a new baby sling for baby boy. I also got flowers from Matt, flowers from Adam, hidden 33's all day long, a birthday coffee date with some friends whose oldests are also starting kindergarten, and an ice cream cake from Culver's for dessert. Definitely a good birthday.

In addition to starting school last week, Anna also got to be a part of the dance routine for the McFarland High School football game last Friday night. I guess every year the high school dance team opens up a mini-camp for kindergarten through fifth graders for the opening football and basketball games. The little girls go to two short practices, learn a routine (sort of), and then perform at the beginning of the game. We decided to let Anna choose if she wanted to do this or not, knowing that being able to be a part of a football game would probably ensure a "yes" from her :)

Not surprisingly, Anna had a lot of fun. There was another girl from her class participating in the mini-camp and she and Anna got along great. Matt, Kate, and I watched from the stands and then we all stayed for the first quarter of the game. The girls really enjoyed seeing a football game and asking all sorts of questions, although Kate still uses the term "Packers" for any football event or team :)

Saturday was a wonderful day for our family. It was obvious early in the day that our daughters genuinely missed each other during the course of the week. They just wanted to play together all day long. It was very, very sweet. (And Matt and I got a LOT done, including draining and taking down the pool.)

The girls spent a good part of the morning creating this "car" in the kitchen and then pretending all sorts of things with it.

Sunday was a big day at church. The girls helped lead worship with other kids who were a part of this summer's music camp; it was the first day of Sunday School; and it was the church picnic. Lots of fun, and lots of memories (including another motorcycle ride by Anna).