School

Thanks to everyone who have been praying for Samuel and Emma and their first week back to school. Samuel was excitedly and warmly greeted back by his teachers and fellow classmates. Seriously, they are thrilled to have him back in the classroom! I was talking with Vittoria yesterday and she could not get over how much he had grown, matured and is so much better with class rules like listening and sitting still. His behavior is so much better and so much more affectionate as he gave her a huge hug when he saw her again. We believe his time in Kindergarten was a huge help to him not to mention our little guy just growing up. The language will come back for him quickly enough with his full days of school. Right now he kind of just talks in gibberish or says an English word with an Italian accent. His ear and mouth will soon become attuned to picking up his secondary language.

Emma was assigned to a different class with her teachers being Maurizia and Patrizia. I was disappointed at first that she was not with Samuel but in the long run it may be better for her to not be dependent on Samuel. Emma was more excited about going to school on Monday and definitely more hesitant today. She loves school and all the projects they do, but is very intimidated by the language. Her teacher says she has done well these first few days so that is a blessing. However, this morning she didn't want to get out of the van and said that "Italian is too hard". Oh, I can relate all too well! It's a good thing though so that we can be of better encouragement to her and sympathetic to her situation. In time she will too with understand and speak without much effort. Keep her in your prayers in this regard though and for her stamina as five days of school will be an adjustment for her. She is exhausted when she comes home. She will stay home tomorrow as there is a class trip scheduled for her that she was not registered for in time. So a day's break during her first week will be a good thing for her.

Luca wishes he could go to school as well. He came in the first day to drop the kids off and he was as big as some of the kids in there and immediately was brought in to an hugging/pushing match with one of the kids. Maurizia told me today that I should sign Luca up for next year. She has no idea what she is asking and believe me another year and a half is needed for him to work off some rough edges that would be most disturbing to a classroom setting. He definitely hates it when we drop the kids off as he cries and gets upset. He is most excited to see Emma for lunch and Samuel after waking up from his afternoon nap.

The house is so very quiet in the mornings and even worse during nap time. We miss the kids so much and it has been a week of stark reality that our kids are growing up and that life as it was with all three around during the day is gone.