It’s hard for me to believe, but school has already started for Otis. And, well, I guess we are cautiously optimistic as the first week draws to a close and nothing catastrophic has happened. Yet. We are getting used to our new schedule, as classes start so much earlier that Bee’s not even out of pajamas sometimes before he leaves. And yes, it’s been incredibly easy to get him into his uniform, so I may end up being grateful after all.
Last year, before kindergarten started, Otis and I went off on our Monterey trip. This year, we also had a Farewell to Summer weekend. On Saturday night, Otis and F went to a sleepover at the Oakland Zoo, which was incredibly fun. Animals, animals, a late night with s’mores and F all to himself, plus more animals – what else could Otis ask for?
If you ever think it’s not possible to find a kid who’s MORE nerdy about animals than yours, then attend a sleepover at the zoo. (As a tangent, did you read this article about how the Transit Museum in NYC has a program for autistic kids? It sounds awesome.)
On Monday, Otis and I took BART into San Francisco for a field trip which included:
It’s been ages since I’ve been on a cable car, and it was fun, especially since we were in the very back of the cable car, giving us a exhilarating view of the city as we went backwards up the steep hills. In case you ever come to SF and want to ride the cable cars, here’s a couple of hints: 1. Don’t wait in line for tickets. Just pay with cash after you get on. 2. Don’t wait in tremendously long and slow-moving line to get on at the first stop. Just go up the hill a block or two to the next stop and you’ll get on pretty quickly.
We took pictures at a photo booth at the Musee Mechanique, and I can see why the current craze for them exists – they’re incredibly fun. I’ve pinned up this memento of our fun day together in my studio, where I can look at it whenever I’m working.
I would totally recommend a Farewell to Summer day to anyone with a kid going back to school. Any of you planning something special with your kids before school starts?
Sounds like a great few days before school started. Otis looks great in his uniform – they do make life easier (and much less competitive for the kids!)
Yay Otis! So glad that things are going well so far. We did not do a huge farewell to summer thing, the camping trip for Ian and Lee did not work out at the last minute.
that sounds awesome–I wanna go on a field trip with you!
Back to school already?! Good luck with school this year, Otis. I really enjoyed being your teacher last year and will miss not being your teacher this year. I know you’ll make great friends and impress everyone with your charm, wit, and intelligence. Looks like you had a great summer and farewell to summer weekend with your parents. From the look of your back to school picture, it looks like you’ve grown too. Have a great time in first grade!
School seems to begin earlier each year. When I was in school it didn’t begin until the first Monday after Labor Day. Oh, well I hope everyone had a good summer and I for one are looking forward to fall. Next thing we will talking about Halloween costumes.