Grandparents Day

Grandparents Day Lunch

Gigi, Rome, and Mimi...

 Rome and Duck

 Rome and Papa (Buddy)

Rome was so proud that they all came to eat with him at school and even more proud that they took him to the book fair and bought him books!

Homecoming

During homecoming week Rome got to participate in a lot of activities. The football team, cheerleaders, and band members came to our school and put on a pep-rally for the kids.

 Nash came up for the pep-rally and was terrified of Leo!

 Waiting on autographs with his class...

Ready for the parade...

Roar Lions!

First Day of School

...and just like that 5 years flew by!

I knew it would, but somewhere in the back of my mind I buried the thought...until it actually happened.

SCHOOL

A couple of weeks before Rome was to start school I got a phone call that would ultimately change the direction of our lives. Earlier in the summer I decided to put in an application to start laying the ground work for me to get back into the school system. That had been the plan all along but never in my wildest dreams did I imagine it would happen THIS year. Luckily, I had already enrolled Nash in Little Lambs Pre-school, since he would be lonely without Rome and just in case I got the opportunity to sub I didn't have to worry about what to do with him - also, mother and Jason's parents were available to help out if we needed them to. I was just hoping I would be able to get a leave of absence or two and ease back into teaching. Well, just like always, I am not fully aware of God's plans until they happen. In the blink of an eye, I was offered a kindergarten position that would be temporary/full time and possibly become permanent. Needless to say, I accepted the position and leaped in with both feet. My biggest concern for Rome about going to Kindergarten wasn't whose room he would be in, what he would learn, how he would get along with other, etc...it was how he would adjust to being there without me. After that phone call, all my worries were gone, he would be just fine because God had given me the opportunity to experience it with him and so I too began a new phase of my life...

Here is Rome the morning of his first day of Kindergarten.

He was so excited...

Running in the parking lot... 

 Sitting on the bench in front of the school...

 Outside his room...

Rome and Mrs. Leigh Ann Kiser... 

Rome and Emma at the end of their first day... 

Rome was so excited when he found out that he was going to be in Leigh Ann Kiser's room. He said that he knew he could make her smile everyday.

On one of the first days, Rome turned his paper in and Leigh Ann told him to go back and put his name on it. He walked back to his desk and she said that she saw him sit down and so in minute he brought it back and she looked and didn't see his name.

This is the basic conversation that took place after that:

Mrs. Kiser: Rome you still didn't put your name on it.

Rome: Yes, I did.

Mrs. Kiser: Well, I don't see it. Where is it?

Rome: IT'S INVISIBLE!

Mrs. Kiser: (dying laughing) Rome, you have to write it so I can see it at school.

Rome: Ok!

He wasted no time in making her smile!

What are we going to do with that boy? He is definitely something else!