Back to Kindergarten

I survived the first night with the new batch of kindergarteners. I had eight kids, and there are three more on the roster who weren't there. One of them probably won't come much until later in the year because right now there's a conflict with soccer. The beginning of the school year is always a bit of a challenge with kindergarteners because they're getting adjusted to a full day of real school and they either have a ton of pent-up energy at the end of the day or they're exhausted. Half the group was running around like maniacs and half the group was lying on the floor and claiming they were too tired to do anything. I asked one kid what he'd done that made him so exhausted, and he sighed and said, "Eight hours of school."

This group does seem to be a little more receptive to doing what the whole group is doing than last year's bunch. I'm not going to be naive and say it's going to be easier, but I don't seem to have a particular Problem Child with true behavioral issues who ends up affecting the rest of the class. I know just about all of these kids already, which helps.

I also had my first regular choir rehearsal of the season. We've got some fun music to start with, and we get our new director next week (this is music he's already picked out for us). And as a bonus, one of my choir friends who's been seriously ill made it back last night.

So now my "regular" year is back in session. It's even starting to feel like fall, as a front is coming through. I will celebrate with a walk to the library this afternoon.

And then Haven premieres tonight. I hadn't been crazy about last season, but I found when watching the DVDs that I really enjoyed it. I think there were just so many twists that I had to wrap my head around them and get over the shock before I could get into it. One thing I can say about that show is that it always surprises me. This isn't one where I can guess where it's going from the opening scene.