So much later than pretty much everyone else in the known world, we had our first day back to school today.  Last night the kids picked out what they wanted to wear today, since we would need to get up and head up to the school for their speech evaluations.  I had planned to take their pictures afterward, but since we had a downpour going on at the house, I opted to do them before.  Britt spent 20 minutes deciding on clothes last night.  He wanted all of his favorite things in his outfit.  So we needed a T-Rex Shirt and cowboy boots.  He also thought his Captain America socks were wonderful because they were both military, and SuperHero, and a little like the American flag.  He went back and forth between this hat (his Indiana Jones Hat) and his newsboy cap.  In fact, he changed his mind for a final time this morning.  I didn't have the heart to inform him that he couldn't wear it in the school building anyway.  Ultimately he opted to leave it at home so that it didn't get wet.  He also just knew he *NEEDED* a belt.  Just a little ridiculous, since he can't be bothered to wear one to Church or ever tuck his shirt in, any other time.  Ruth and Rebecca both just wanted something with leggings.  And Ruth picked the first outfit in her closet that was both leggings and shirt sleeve.  Then she told me she'd decide what to do with her hair in the morning, to see what she felt like, so headband it was.  Rebecca looked through everything 3 times, and then picked the thing, she picked out before she looked at anything.  I think she just wanted to be difficult.

The speech evaluations went well this morning.  We probably won't have the results back for a month, but initial thoughts are that Britt doesn't need any speech therapy, Rebecca might qualify for enunciation issues, and Ruth almost definitely will for both enunciation, pronunciation, and a slight stutter.  All in all, they did pretty well at the school.  We sat in the lunchroom, while they took turns going back alone.  Considering that it was eating into what is normally their morning playtime (or as Britt insists we call it recess), and that I had to actually wake the older two up to get ready this morning, I thought we did well.  Kate went to sleep in the car seat on the way, and slept through the entire hour and a half process and all the way back home again.

We picked up the schedule where we were so for our first day we knocked out history, lunch, read alouds, Bible verse memorization, handwriting, setting up our computer schooling, phonics, and reading to me.  We only missed math, journaling, and spelling because of the morning out of the house, and working out some kinks in the computer in the afternoon.  We even still managed a short trip up to the playground at the end of the day.  Of course, I spent a good chunk of this evening after supper and bedtime, working up some things for tomorrow, and adjusting the week's plans.  But all in all it was pretty good first day back to school.  Less problems than I would have guessed.

And for the inquiring minds, Kate wasn't cooperative at all today.  She never managed her second nap, so she spent a good chunk of the day crying.  Crying in the baby bed, crying in the swing, crying in the car seat, crying on her quilt in the floor.  She just wanted to be held, and while I held her a lot, I can't do everything with her in my arms, or in the carrier.  And then by this evening she was so, so tired it was ridiculous.  She even cried tonight in the bathtub which she loves.  So, I came through while Gary was trying to reason with her and handed her a bathtub book.  To be precise I propped it open on her belly.  She was quiet and staring at it for a good 10 minutes.  So when she started fussing.  Gary turned the page.  Hoping she settles down, in the next week.  I know she has been held a lot lately, and I love to do it.  But it's easier to work on Handwriting with Britt or teaching Rebecca how to form letters when I can actually show them what to do with their bodies, and when my handwriting actually doesn't look like a baby is bouncing all over me.