First day of school

Yesterday was the first day of school. We started back in full swing with homeschool and it was the first day of Chinese school.  It went really well overall. We are so thankful for how the Lord has provided the perfect first grade class for Austin.  It was not until the Friday before that we were even sure it was going to happen. Last minute changes are very common and it appeared last week like a change might do away with Austin's class.  But in the end, he is in a small Chinese first grade class with 5 foreign kids and 2 Chinese kids.  I was not a fan at first of that ratio, but it fits our needs perfectly with some other activities that are a priority in our week and is taught by our all time favorite teacher at the kids' school, meets the 3 afternoons a week we requested and will actually be taught so they will be caught up with the local Chinese kids' pace by second or third grade.  Perfect for what our family needs now and so glad he can continue in language study and stay at the school we have loved.  Bennett continues in the preschool, but in the class closest to an American kindergarten.  He is the big kid now and I think may thrive more without his older brother in the same class.

In the end, I hope to keep them two grades apart.  The six weeks that separate them from being two years apart are right in the cut-off part of the fall that divides grades (September to November). But it seemed to be pushing it to put Austin as a young boy in first grade last year, yet Bennett seems ready and his friends are ready to do Kindergarten this year.  He may do Kindergarten twice but we will see.  The short summer break (about 6 weeks) from Chinese school I think made it pretty easy to jump back into school with no tears or fears. Bennett has grown up a lot since he started preschool only one year ago.

Homeschool also started pretty well, though Lucy will be a challenge to keep occupied.  We enjoyed starting off a year on ancient history by doing our own family history book and enjoyed learning details of grandparent and great-grandparent's personal history. Thanks for the emails and memories! Wow, school starting exhausted me. I fell into bed early last night and am headed there soon tonight.