'S' is for... Student

Gracie started third grade last Wednesday.  Third Grade.
Not quite sure how that happened.
Perhaps time would slow down a bit if I'd just stop blinking.

Someone was a tad nervous about all the changes last week.  New nurse.  New bus drivers (different drivers and buses in the morning and afternoon).  New students on the bus in the mornings... all high school aged kids... BIG kids.  Huge changes in the classroom.  Someone was anxious and uneasy.  That someone was me... which I know added to the expression of mild bewilderment on my sweet girl's face on the first day.

When Gracie finally got to school, she seemed far more relaxed. Though the rest of us (nurse, bus driver, me) were definitely frazzled by the hectic and out-of-sort start to the morning. (I beat the bus by nearly 30 minutes.) Thankfully, with each day, Gracie has become more comfortable with her new routine, the fact that her class has grown exponentially (as have the number of adults in the classroom) and, I am sure, appreciates that her mother isn't quite as stressed as she was last week!

She has not, however, grown any more fond of me trying to get her to work on school lessons at home.  This hasn't been going all that well for some time now... she protests, throws things (yes... my sweet Gracie has a temper!) and simply covers her left eye (her only sighted eye) and ignores me until I give up.  She often sits there a long, long time as we both have very strong wills!

This was her first homework assignment for the year.  She wanted no part of it and started to cry when I put her glasses on.  Perhaps because it was Labor Day and she was refusing to labor!  However, once we ditched the glasses, she turned the papers upside down, matched the colors on the signal and signed up a storm, all the while looking at me as if I should already know these three colors and what they mean on the signal.  My girl has spunk and attitude... and I love that about her... even when it drives me nuts!

She wasn't so keen on homework tonight... same assignment, though this time, we glued down the colors.  (Check out her cute little homework envelope sweetly decorated by Robin, her instructional aide!) Gracie was far more intent on getting her glasses out of sight than she was matching and signing.  She dropped them on the floor.  When I handed them back, she simply shoved them back at me.  
I hadn't planned on taking any more pictures of her doing her homework, but often when she isn't cooperating with her "accessories," I can get out the camera and she will put on her diva-face and cooperate for the sake of the picture.  This time, not so much!