First Grade!!

On the night before Marcus started first grade, we continued or tradition of having a special back-to-school dinner. This year he picked his current favorite dinner: Hawaiian Haystacks. We also made sure to use the fancy cups.

After dinner, it was time for a haircut so he could look extra handsome for his first day of school. During his haircut the babies hovered around me mumbling, "No haircut."

Then it was time for the back-to-school cake! This year Marcus picked a strawberry flavored mix that turned out quite tasty. Everyone was VERY excited to eat it after having to look at it all safe and sound under its cake dome for the past few hours.

After cake, we had an impromptu dance party, but I was too busy dancing to take any pictures. :)

Just before bed, Tim gave Marcus a Father's blessing for the new school year. Earlier in the day, we had talked about blessings and how it is a chance for Heavenly Father to talk to Marcus before he goes back to school. I think what I said must have made some impact because during the blessing he was reverent and listened to what was being said. Even the babies were good and Owen jumped right up on the chair after Marcus was finished with his arms all folded and ready for his own blessing.

Then we put the kids to bed and as Tim and I were going to bed I suddenly started crying. I didn't shed a single tear when he started kindergarten, but first grade felt very different. It is all day. That means that for the first time in his life and mine, he will be with another adult for more time than he is with me, and I don't even really know this other adult very well (I'm sure she's great and by the end of the year I will be singing her praises) but right now it feels a little sad for me. I also hoped in my heart that we had done a good job teaching him about Heavenly Father and His love for Marcus. I hope that when he is faced with bad language or teasing that he will be strong and feel of not only his earthly parents' love but his Heavenly Parents love' for him.

Here's Marcus in his back-to-school outfit on his first day of First Grade. He was a little nervous about the whole thing until I took him to the store a few days ago and said he could pick out any shirt he wanted to wear on his first day. He found this Transformers shirt and it was love at first sight. He also got some new shoes and they are Transformer shoes, too. He believes quite sincerely that they make him run faster and jump higher :)

And then it was off to school! Luckily, we found our best pal, Caleb, right away and after that Marcus seemed quite happy to be there. My friend Liz and I joked that the boys were fine, it was the moms who were having a hard time. Today, Marcus didn't seem quite so excited to go to school. He worried he would miss me and that we would do fun things without him. I think the realization that it is all day and a little more sitting and listening is going to take some time. I think it will be a wonderful year, but it will definitely be a transition for all of us.