The First Day of Our New Life

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 First Day of School

This was the summer that never ended. Super fun, but it kept going and going.


I decided to start At Your Pace Academy when Lucille’s Pace started, on September 5th, the day after Labor Day. Luckily, we had our cousins visiting when Chesterfield County Schools started back, otherwise, I think I would have been sad. 


The first day of school was a day of competing needs. We had Lucille’s first day of school at a new school with a new routine and a special opening ceremony. This was especially important as it was the inaugural class and they made it extra special. It also happened to be her birthday so we had to throw in all our typical birthday traditions. Then it also was Hendryx’s first day at At Your Pace Academy and my first day as a principal/teacher/classmate. There was a lot to remember. 


But I think we did a good job:



Birthday lights and decorations - ✔️

Birthday donut with candles - ✔️





Morning birthday present - ✔️





First-day photos - ✔️





Pace Inaugural Ceremony - ✔️









Special Starbucks Breakfast for Hendryx with Mom AND Dad - ✔️

Library card for Hendryx - ✔️





Both kids (and mom) surviving first day - ✔️

Birthday Dim Sum dinner including mochi “birthday cake” - ✔️



My goal was to not put too much pressure on Hendryx or myself so we kept it to the basics filling out an “About Me” worksheet that talked about the things he wanted to do in school and some online learning programs he loved. I also introduced him to Pacey the Penguin, a stuffy, that is the school’s mascot. He was instantly in love and wanted Pacey to learn everything along with him. We rounded out the day with a trip to the library so he could get his first library card and a bunch of books on Birds which was our first Unit of study because Pacey, duh.


All and all, a solid first day.


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