Box Day

Yesterday bright and early our boxes of first grade curriculum arrived.  I was in the shower and hear the dog barking, then Nate asking me through the door if he should open the door.  Honestly?!  We've had that talk probably 88 million times. "if we aren't dressed or if it's dinner time we NEVER answer the door"

When I got out of the shower and was dressed I went to the door to find first grade.

Nate was really excited.  He brought the little box in with no problem, so he thought the big box would be easy too.  But I knew there was forty pounds of books in there.  

He tried.

He finally just rolled it in the house.

Opening that big box full of books was so exciting.  Last year I think I was just so terrified that I couldn't relax and enjoy the excitement- to my anxious self it felt like fear not excitement.  This year, knowing we can totally do this, it was fun.(plus I see a professional to deal with my anxiety now.... so that helps too)

This year when I pulled out the massive binder of lesson plans, I was excited instead of my throat closing up.  I know this big intimidating binder holds the key to my time.  Everything has been planned out and coordinated for me.  This is what I paid big bucks for.  

I love that this curriculum uses real books, not made for school books.  Someone asked me recently where I put the stuff after we are done with it.  On the bookshelves!  These are real books, a lot of them are classics, that we would want in our bookshelf anyway!  That's the beauty of Sonlight.  I actually had to check with the curriculum list a few times during the past school year to make sure I didn't order books from Scholastic's book club fliers that would be included with the curriculum.  

The fact that Nate wanted to take a smiling photo with his next Handwriting Without Tears book is some life lesson for me I'm sure.  Considering this was how it started off, I'd say we came a long way! 

And I cannot tell you how awesome it is for him to see characters he already knows in the box!  I love that I can probably find the coordinating TV episode on Netflix and make it a 'special treat'.  

So with 12 days of kindergarten left, and first grade here and waiting, I'd say we are excited about summer break, but also totally geeked about next school year!  

We are going to spend 8 of our 13 weeks of summer break doing a very light, three day a week of summer school, probably only half an hour of worksheets a day.  I don't think it will interfere with summer fun, or our summer trip to Michigan.

Gotta love box day!  And a six year old that is excited about getting new books!