First Day of Kindergarten

On Monday Paul started Kindergarten! And boy was he excited! The day of his assessment (last Monday) he woke up at 6 am. When I got home from my walk at 7:30, he was fully dressed with his shoes and backpack on.
Sunday night we had a back-to-school night with pancakes shaped like books, special syrup, strawberries, sausage and eggs. The boys received father's blessings and then a surprise--a Captain Underpants book. The evening wasn't as big of a hit as last year, probably because I spent too much time lecturing about our new morning schedule. (Usually our mornings were pretty lazy with the TV on and cereal eaten throughout the morning and the house. Our new schedule is no TV, everyone gets up and gets ready, does chores and eats breakfast together at 8 am.)
Monday morning I awoke early to thunder and lightning. The kids got up and Paul got ready and did his chores right away. We all had oatmeal together for breakfast. Jer and I giggled as we gagged on the oatmeal and realized no one likes oatmeal--except Paul who was obliviously chowing down. Then it poured rain. So Paul wore his new winter coat. We were the first at the bus stop. The bus pulled up and opened its doors. Paul froze for a few seconds, then walked on without looking back. And just like that he entered a whole new world.
He came home talking in a weird voice about who he sat by on the bus, what shoes so-and-so had, and who's backpack was way cool. He seemed to have matured in the 3 hours he was gone. Now he is extra responsible and counts down the minutes every morning to leave for the bus stop. Yea for Kindergarten!