Thomas Starts Second Grade

This week, Thomas started second grade. The school he is going to is much bigger than ISW. There are five second grade classes with roughly 23 children in each. Last year, there were two first grade classes with 14 children in each of them.

This year, he is also a bus rider. We decided to have him ride the bus even on the first day because we knew the kindness & patience of the bus driver would only last for so long. Good call on our part, because while she was really patient on Monday, by Tuesday (the second day) she was already yelling & taking charge of that bus. But, by Thursday, she was sending them all home with Tootsie Pops because they were all "good kids".

Thomas seems to be doing fine. I had imagined that he would make a best friend right away but he has not. I also imagined that there would be another sweet, second grader at the bus stop for him to play with after school and there is not. In fact, he said to me a couple of days ago, "Mom, I don't really see the big difference between Maryland and Germany except that I don't have any friends to play with that live next to me." And that is hard, because we had it so great with not one but two ISW friends for him to play with on our same street. It made play dates very easy and low-key. And I have to admit that I did feel a twinge of bitterness yesterday when I counted six fifth graders rallied together after school in the center of my neighborhood.

But, all in all, the first week has been a success. He seems to be taking it all in stride and I think he is enjoying life.

Until later,

Emily