Back to school 2018

Luke started school today at a new school - it's a small (very small) private Christian school (k-8) with a total school population of around 150. His 7th grade class has around 13 kids, he said. There are 3 new boys in the 7th grade class, including him.

When we looked at schools starting back in the late spring, this was the last of three, and it was the best one by far. Everyone has been extremely friendly and helpful, from the very beginning.

The Principal has even been involved with us, and did Luke's entrance testing and talked to Luke about what to do if someone bullies him or what he should do or say if Luke sees something that he thinks isn't right (this was an issue at his previous middle school—not the bullying, but Luke seeing other kids bullied or Luke having kids cheat off him).

The principal even showed Luke his office the day he did his testing, telling him it's nothing to be afraid of and Luke can come and talk to him anytime he feels like he needs to. Every time we've been at the school, the principal says hello to Luke and asks how he's doing.

When we went for registration day a couple weeks ago, Luke said "I'm nervous and excited." That was the first positive sign I'd seen out of him about going back to school. He said it would be the first time he was going to school where he would be starting off with all new people, and he was going to be force to be more extroverted if he was going to make new friends.

Last week was the school open house. We originally were going to miss it, because we had tickets to a show in Louisville that we bought for Luke. Luke decided it was more important to go to the school open house that to go to the show (it was for a couple of YouTube-ers that he follows), so we ditched Louisville and went to the open house so he could be prepared for school, have his supplies put away, see his classrooms and meet his teachers and a few kids from his class.

Then today, he got himself up for school—he said he was awake an hour before his alarm went off—and he was a chatterbox and making jokes all morning. No talk of dreading school or not wanting to go. We have to drive him and pick him up—no bus—and that is a definite plus for him, since he hates the bus. It's about a 15 minute drive to the school from our house and he was relaxed and talkative the whole way there.

When I picked him up today, he said it was a good day. One of the new boys has an unusual name and spoke with an accent (he's not sure where he's from). But the new boy also is into Pokemon (Luke's favorite thing ever) and they sat at lunch together.

Luke said everyone in his class is nice, except for one boy who is really a little out of control and got into trouble a lot by the teachers today. But that is only ONE boy, and at his old school, there were lots of kids like that. Also, this kid has a peanut allergy, and Luke is taking peanut butter sandwiches to school, so Luke won't be able to sit by him at lunch.

We've all asked him how his day went, and he keeps responding it went well. He also said a kid from school even asked him how his day went today—that is just how nice everyone there is. He got his small bit of homework done as soon as he got home. He got his binder organized. He is now relaxing in his room for some introvert time.

It's only the first day, but I have high hopes for him. I can seriously tell that his Wellbutrin is making a difference for him. Even though he still likes to be in his room a lot by himself, when he is with us, he is more interactive and witty, more like his old self. I'm just praying things go well at this new school.

Since it's a Christian school there is a lot of prayer and neat things they do there. They have Chapel once a week, and the 7th graders are paired with a 1st grader all year to be a "buddy." Next year as an 8th grader he will get a kindergartner. He got his 1st grade buddy today. He didn't realize this would happen (I guess I forgot to tell him); he loves little kids, so this is a cool thing for him. They pray every day at the end of the period before lunch. He is taking religion classes. This is so far from the public school setting, I just wish I'd thought to send him there last year. You don't know what you don't know.

I just pray things keep going well for him.

Sophie starts school tomorrow. She will be a Junior—at the #1 high school in our state. Her schedule is brutal. All AP & honors courses, since she is working on an International Baccalaureate diploma (by default—all students there are required to get an IB diploma). But she says she wouldn't go anywhere else. She has an amazing work ethic. She's going to do an amazing job this year, I'm sure.

She's been working all summer on her summer assignments, mostly French (Jill—she's taking 4 years of French, although I doubt she'll do much with it after HS! She's not quite enamored of it, I'm afraid, although she has a delightful accent, IMO). She had to read "The Little Prince" in French and it just about killed her, and also answer questions about the book, in French, of course.

So that's the scoop on the kids.

Other news.

I got a new computer! My 9 year old Dell laptop finally showed signs it was ready to give it up. When I turned it on and it reset the date back to 2009, and it did this multiple times, I thought it was time. I made the switch to a Mac. Sophie and I both did. I've been using my MacBook Air for weeks now. She has yet to use hers, but she will when school starts. I love it so much.

Some sad news. We had to put our sweet dog Lucy to sleep back on June 28. She was 13 years and 2 months. She was not eating, had digestive issues and losing weight. We did everything we could including getting a 2nd Vet opinion, It was just time. We miss her so much. The kids both grew up with her. It was super hard on Mark, too. He spent the last 8-10 months basically keeping her alive by making her people food.

We waited as long as we could but we can't be dog free for long, so we are getting a new puppy on August 18. We picked her out a couple of weeks ago. She is a Cavachon—a mix between a Cavalier King Charles Spaniel and a Bichon Frisse. She is so stinking cute. Cavachons are hypoallergenic and don't shed. She'll only be 8 weeks old when we get her, so it's going to be interesting around here, starting back to school and having a new "baby" in the house. But she will be good for the kids. Sophie especially has been aching for a puppy.

OK that's it for now. Gotta go and I will write more when I have more. Hopefully the weather will cool off soon. Best wishes to you, friends.