K-4 Here we come!!

I have been worrying for quite a while about what exactly we were going to do about school for the kiddos.  I have a strong desire to homeschool them for many many reasons.  But I have been really concerned because Annalee has been talking about "going" to school for as long as I can remember she has wanted to go to school.  So this year I started looking into co op's.  Sometime these are just small groups of families that meet once or twice a week and one parent will each a certain subject and other parents will teach other subjects.  Sometimes they meet in homes or churches, etc...I knew I wanted to be a part of a co-op for the socialization it will provide, but I really wanted one that actually had a class type atmosphere. 

But I wasn't really worried about it until next year for kindergarten.  There just happens to be a woman in our church that is heavily involved in a local co op, so I gave her a call to get the run down on all that is involved with curriculum and accreditation.  Well, turns out, there co-op does meet in a church, but they have real classrooms, certified teachers, and they have around 600 students k-4- 12th grade!!  Whoo hoo!  My prayers had been answered and after going to the parent meeting I was even more convinced, as Annalee (and eventually Jude and Ezra) get older they will have all the options that public school kids have, sports, graduation (including kindergarten) year books, dances, school paper, and lots of electives!! Through middle school they will go 1 day a week, and I will be responsible for the other 4.  It is the perfect combination for our family!  I am so thrilled and thankful to have found Upstate Homeschool Co-Op!!


So back to today!  It is her first day, we got up early, had a good breakfast and took lots of pics!

And then headed in!  We prayed on the way and she was still full of excitement, but as soon as we got there, I saw some nerves setting in, it was busy and crowded and I'm sure she was feeling overwhelmed, but once we found her classroom she perked up a bit and I got these pics...

But when I said it was time for me to go, she teared up a bit, and I had to reassure her it was going to be fun, and that I would be back very soon to get her.  We found a book for her to look at and thankfully she was fine...oh but would I be??  it was so hard to leave her there, my sweet baby, it seems like we just brought her home from the hospital...and now I am leaving her with strangers...such a big transition...for all of us...