Back to school night! Both boys' new schools held ice cream socials to welcome the kids to the new school year. Yes they were at the same time, but luckily they are only a block apart (one of the reasons for moving Daniel to a new preschool) so we managed to take in both events. Since they were both in the 5-6 p.m. hour, our kids basically had ice cream for dinner. Nothing like a healthy start to the new school year!

Ed insisted on carrying his own school supplies. This lasted less than half a block before he handed off the extra bag. He made it about another block before handing off the back pack. Thankfully it won't be so heavy most other days.

On Friday afternoon, we went up to the elementary school playground and Ed noticed that the kindergarten windows were open. He looked in and the teacher came to the window.

"Well, hello," she said. "You're Edward, right? Your favorite color is pink and you like castles." My heart instantly melted for this woman, but we didn't know officially until tonight that she would be his teacher. Mrs. Smith, prepare for some Edward-style adulation!

Daniel's school will be quite different from his current preschool/daycare. The Montessori method seems very deliberate--all the elements of play are designed to stimulate the senses and prepare the kids for reading, writing, learning. They're also all about giving the child independence so parents are not encouraged to come into the classroom except for specified visits or volunteer time. In the morning we're supposed to stop in the hall for goodbyes and let them go through the door on their own.

I took vacation time this week so we could have a few days of fun activities before schools starts. Also, this way I'm not in a rush to get to work while dropping them off for their first days. Yesterday we went with Edward's old class on a field trip to a nature education center. Today we visited The Playstation in Cedar Rapids (indoor climbing/slides/etc.) A few weeks back they offered a Groupon for half price admission so I thought that would be a fun back-to-school treat.

Tomorrow, the boys want to ride the bus "for the whole route." That is, they want to see where it goes after we usually get off. Daniel also wants to ride a Coralville bus, and I haven't figured out a way to get out of that yet. That's a lot of public transit for one day. We'll end the day with Edward's preschool graduation and then come home to get ready for the big day.

Oh, by the way, Edward received a gift from the Lucas Elementary Parent-Teacher Organization tonight: all kindergartners get a t-shirt that says "Class of 2024."