The Same and the New

The Same

Gracie's first day of Kindergarten in the fall of 2012

Gracie started kindergarten at Deborah Brown Community School in Tulsa, OK, in the fall of 2012. In January 2013 we moved to DC and she finished kindergarten at Cornerstone School. In the fall of 2013 she attended first grade at Stanton Elementary; in the spring of 2014 we moved back to OK and she was homeschooled for the remainder of first grade. In the fall of 2014 she began second grade at the Academy of Classical Christian Studies and for the first time completed a school year at the same school where she started. 

After we moved back to DC last summer, she began attending Anne Beers Elementary for third grade. Now, for the first time, she is at the same school for two consecutive years. So, thankfully, school is the same for her and Ben this year. The teachers, students, and staff know them, and things are familiar.

First day of school this year (Anne Beers Elementary)

Home visit with Gracie's teacher (whom Ben had last year)

Another continuation from last year is ballet. Gracie and Judah each moved up to the next level, but the frequency of classes is the same: once a week for Judah and twice a week for Gracie. 

I continue to serve on the Anne Beers PTO board as recording secretary, and I volunteer as the Forestville Pregnancy Center twice a month. We haven't moved; we haven't changed churches. I'm thankful for a little stability in our lives after the past three years of upheaval.

The New

But some things are new for us this year. After a difficult season at the charter school Tabitha attended last year, we made another school change for her. Sousa Middle School is much closer to our house (and easier to get to traffic-wise), and it's not as academically demanding as her former school. She is making good grades, participating in a dance class and a gifted and talented program, and learning to play the flute. She plans to join her school's indoor track team when it starts in a few weeks. She is happy with this change.

And Judah has entered a whole new world this year: kindergarten! She goes to Beers with Ben and Gracie. She has an excellent teacher, and she is doing great both socially and academically. She comes home singing the songs she's learned and wearing whatever letter hat she's made at school that day, then proceeds to make her own letter hats for the rest of us to wear at home.

Home visit with Judah's teachers

Gracie has joined a new after-school program Mondays and Wednesdays called Girls on the Run, and the girls also do coding. Ben participates in an after-school soccer program called DC Scores, and he plays on a touch football team on the weekends.

For the first time in nine years, I'm not caring for a child during the day! Sounds like a super carefree life, right? Somehow I still find myself staying busy, juggling PTO, the pregnancy center, regular household responsibilities, accountability/Bible study meetings, and my recently begun part-time job (only one day a week for a few hours; I'll explain in a future post). I've managed to squeeze a few lunch dates with Harvey in there, which has been a treat. So I can't complain.

While we certainly stay busy, I'm grateful that this year all the kids' activities are in our own community, and we never have to cross the river into the congested part of DC, as we did last year  (described in this post). This year's routine feels much more manageable and healthy, which is a nice change. Soon we will have children in three different schools (once Tabitha is in ninth grade), so I'll enjoy this relative simplicity for now, no matter how short-lived.

My crazy family!