School.... It's amazing.

Yesterday we, meaning me as Mark was at work across the island, registered the kids for school. Truth be told, I only got the boys officially registered. I still can't believe it, my heart aches... they are middle schoolers. Can't wrap my head around that one. I swear I just walked them to kindergarten last week. But here we are in a foreign land registering for MIDDLE SCHOOL.

Bet you're asking how'd it go... awesome. The boys are going to STATE OF THE ART brand spankin' new school; okay, it's 3 years old! After getting lost returning from the immunization clinic that had pierced my sweet children each with a shot plus a PPD test we arrived in stellar fashion at the school. Greeted by the Principal and head registrar we were off to a great start. Paperwork, people complain in the states about paperwork, I've seen nothing like it since arriving here. We've killed a small rain forest just w/ paperwork. After it was all said and done we got a 60 minute PRIVATE tour of the school by the Principle himself. What a wonderful man, it was such a blessing and relief to my boys spirits' to hear, see and learn from the leader of their new school.

We even got to pick their electives. Caleb in going to be in chorus (the first grading period anyway) and Seth picked band, a brass instrument. What immediately flooded my mind at that point: How in the world am I supposed to buy/rent a musical instrument in this country when I can't even get from one location to the other w/o getting lost?! Mr. Principle assured me it would be fine, then he showed us the music room. It's lined with instruments on every wall, every cabinet, hundreds of them. "We provide the instruments for the students" he said ever so calmly. I about passed out. Really a school that provides instruments, they even have a recording studio. And don't get me started on the computer labs, the science rooms, or even the plethora of resources available to every student.

Friday, we venture off to Katie's school. Where she will for the first time in her life get to walk or ride her bike to school EVERYDAY! She's beyond ecstatic about that and "I CAN'T WAIT!" She's a 5th grader now, not sure how that occurred. She was wearing a dance tutu and pig tails last I remember.

.....disclaimer: The first of these pictures is from the boys entering first grade and Katie entering kindergarten. I cannot find the boys kindergarten pictures. But I promise, I've already scrapbooked them! This last picture is Katie days before Daddy's first deployment, she was only 3! :(