First Week of School

We survived our first full week of preschool. The schedule that we got is working out better than I ever imagined. Greyson is adjusting beautifully. Because he goes both in the mornings and the afternoons, he has different friends from each class. Yesterday when I picked him up from his afternoon class, he said, "Mommy, I made a friend. His name is Alexander!" Today he apparently made another friend named Connor. We are so pleased with the curriculum of this school. The facilities leave much to be desired, but we've realized that the kids really don't care. They have fun anyway and there are things that his current school teaches that our old school didn't like having the kids say "May I please be excused from the table?" after snack, and learning to do quiet solo reading time. The class sizes are smaller, so there's more personal attention and honestly, I think Greyson is doing better. Teacher Nina does a fabulous job running her classroom. I never expected it, but Forest Hill has truly exceeded our expectations.

I was a wreck when this week started. With our schedule up in the air, Greyson was so nervous about the new school. The night before our first day this week, he tossed and turned in bed till 11pm, whining about school. He didn't want to go, he didn't want to ride the bikes, he didn't like the sandbox. He was so happy at his old school, and it was heartbreaking to see him have to start all over again. But it's the end of the week, and suddenly the world is a different place. It only took him four days to acclimate to his new school and schedule. I wasn't sure how he'd take to four days of school a week, at different times each day no less, skipping his nap every other day. But he's doing great. And because of that, I'm doing great. Today he told me "I love school!"

The decision to transfer Greyson to this new school was a difficult one. I wondered if we did the right thing and felt guilty for putting him through what seemed like a needless transition. The Lord met my fears and answered me in ways that I didn't even consider. He is truly able to do "above and beyond all that we ask or imagine." I try to remind myself in my moments of anxiety, that He is the same God who orchestrated my parents arrival in the U.S. the day before I went into labor with Ella. I had Plans A, B and C, and none of them were necessary because Greyson was completely taken care of. Yet, knowing that, I still struggle with worry. I wish I could say I've learned my lesson, that I am convinced of God's faithfulness and will never doubt again. However the reality is, like those moronic Israelites, I will find myself back in this place wondering if manna will fall from the sky today. The conclusion of the week is that I, Sonia Ballesteros, am the ultimate Israelite.

pls: Above is a photo of Greyson posing with his school projects from this week. Another thing we've noticed is that the crafts he comes home with from Forest Hill actually look like he did them. At our last school, they were so elaborate, we were always really suspicious of who was actually doing the project. Here we know.