The Dykstra Family: Back to work tomorrow!

WOW...I can't believe 13 weeks has gone by already-yes this was our longest summer off in years. It has been a wonderful time home and Mikayla and I have had lots of fun spending time together...as much as I love being home all summer-it makes that transition of going back to work very difficult. We have been easing into it for the past few weeks. Mikayla is going to a wonderful childcare provider that I have known since before Mikayla was born. Linette is her name-I had both of her nephews in my preschool class, so she was very excited to have Mikayla as an addition to her home and Mikayla has loved going there the last few weeks. Along with the new childcare provider a few more new things in our lives are:

So as most of you know, Mikayla is going to school this year. She will be going 5 mornings a week to the ECSE (Early Childhood Special Education) program in Wyoming (the district I teach and we live in.) She will recieve speech and physical therapy sessions and it will be so nice for her to be in the school setting. She loves learning and is totally ready to go. I am trying to be super excited for her but it is also hard to believe our baby is going to be in school 5 days a week. She is growing up so quickly! So I will be taking Mikayla to Linette's in the morning and then the bus will come and pick her up at Linette's, she will go to school and then get dropped off back at Linette's. So she will be starting school next Tuesday and she is very excited and looking forward to it!

I feel very blessed to have a job this year and excited that I am still teaching 1st grade. Changes for me this year are that I am at a new school with many new staff members. I am looking forward to meeting all of them and getting to know them. It is hard to be up at the school and not know anyone, but I have been slowly meeting them and everyone seems so welcoming so far. Along with the new school this fall I am also taking a graduate class. This is almost my last one-I have 1 more class after this one and then I will write my thesis and then have my Masters. I am looking forward to having this done...not only for the pay raise, but also to have it done and not have to go to classes in the evening. Thankfully my mom lives so close and is able to help with Mikayla on the nights that James has to work! THANKS MOM!

So tomorrow is the day...we are back at it-bright and early 7:30-nothing like getting us right back into it. So I am leaving you with a few new pics of our night at the Hudsonville fair and our zoo trip today! Enjoy! I hope you like the new background...thought it would get me back in the groove of school!

Hudsonville Fair-Mikayla wouldn't get her face painted, but loved getting her hand painted. She also had fun on the rides...the slide was her favorite!