1st day of school 2013/14!

I sent both my girls off to school today! They woke up bright and early at 6am, excited and eager for the school year. I can hardly believe that both of them are in school full time together now. Crazy how fast time flies. Actually, it's crazy how fast the summer flew by! Feels like we just finished school and here we are starting another year.

Getting on the "bus"! They rode side by side.

 Marvelly, with one of her favorite friends Kamaya and Sydaleigh with one of her best buds, Jada.

 On the basketball court waiting for their teachers.

Sydaleigh setting off to class with her new teacher Ms. Manning, who's Australian. And Marvelly in her classroom, sharing a table with many friends she already knows and her teacher Ms. Sow, who's accent sounds like she's from somewhere in Europe, but I'm not sure exactly where. I love that ISO truly represents people on a global scale....people are here from all over the world. In Marvelly's class this year she has classmates from Burkina Faso, Italy, Philippines, India, Cameroon, Switzerland, Germany, Guinea, and more.

Marvelly, my newest little kindergartner. Her first words when she woke up this morning, "It's my lucky day! I get to start school! I'm so excited!" She's been waiting to go to school, the little sweetie.  She told me she wanted to wear a skirt and asked me to put her hair in a low pony tail with her new headband. Fortunately, her feet were just big enough to wear her new flip flops, and her book bag was just the right size for my little munchkin. She felt so special, and rightly so. I couldn't help but be excited for her this morning. When you ask her what she wants to be when she grows up, as a kindergartner, she will tell you,  "a Mommy, just like you!" Last year she said she wanted to be a dentist, but now she's set on being a mommy. She already has her husband picked out and everything! =) I arrived at school and waited for her release and then walked her to her "bus", made sure she knew who to look for to drive her home, and then made her ride the bus home and I met them there. She told me her favorite part of the day was recess and playing with her new friends. Her teacher has her class schedule set up great and the kids are sitting for longer than 30 minutes before they move onto an activity that allows movement....which is GREAT for Marvelly, because that girl needs to move! Praying this year that Marvelly develops more confidence in herself and realizes that she is strong and able to do many things on her own. Praying that she would try new things and give herself a chance to learn. That she would not be easily discouraged, and not give up when faced with difficulties.

Sydaleigh, my 2nd grader. She wasn't as excited to return to school, having loved her time off this summer, but she was certainly eager to see her friends again. We've been talking to Sydaleigh a lot lately about her new responsibilities this year to look after Marvelly at school. Each morning she will have to walk Marvelly to her class room and check in on her when she sees her around the school grounds. When you ask Sydaleigh what she wants to be when she grows up...she still tells me, "an artist." It hasn't changed since she was four! Today what she enjoyed most was French class, recess and her new teacher. Praying this year that Sydaleigh would develop a love for learning. That her teacher would challenge her and help cultivate in her a love for learning. Sydaleigh is reading well now, but still doesn't like reading, and I pray that she would find a world of pleasure in reading open up to her. That Sydaleigh would be patient with herself and not easily discouraged. And that she would have a good attitude and grow in her sense of responsibility.

We've also been talking to both girls more about standing up for justice and displaying Christ like behavior in practical ways. To speak up against wrong doing or bullying and not stand by if you see someone hurting another person. To be good leaders and examples in the classrooms among their peers. To have good attitudes so as to not encourage other people to complain. To accept others and not exclude anyone. Lots of lessons to learn and keep learning for all of their school years, and it's my prayer that God would impart these teachings into their hearts early on so they will shine like bright lights for Christ's kingdom.

Praying for an awesome school year!