2nd grade ~ Going Solo!

Today Wu Yi started 2nd grade!  We have been preparing her all summer, but until today, I just couldn't predict how she would do. 

 We spent the Labor Day weekend camping with other families, and she made some new friends.  She happily held hands with her two BFF's (Elizabeth and Malyn) and even developed a little crush on Elizabeth's 16 year old cousin, Mason.  I was so pleased to see her forming these new relationships ~ just in time!

She proudly packed her new princess backpack, both with new American school supplies and also her treasured Chinese pencil box.  She helped me pack her lunch in her Hello Kitty lunch box (it has been a challenge to find foods she likes which don't have to be heated ~ she is a big meat/rice/noodle fan).  She said goodbye to her brothers ~ first Daniel off to the high school, then Kellen off to middle school, and finally she and Evan climbed into the car for their trip to Bryan Elementary.  She posed for photos both outside and inside the school (posing for photos on demand ~ woo hoo!!!)  She said "hi" to 3 new people in the hall (I was SO proud of that ~ I have been telling her that is the best way to make new friends and she was ON IT!)  We dropped Evan off at his new class and then went to her classroom.  She found her desk, sat down, unpacked her backpack, and finally looked around at the other kids and their moms.  She seemed pretty confident so I told her what time I would be back, hugged her goodbye, gave her teacher my cell phone number, and left. 

My phone was silent all day (Woo Hoo ~ free mom time!!) and I was eager to return at 3:30 to see how she did.  I spied from the hallway for the last 10 minutes and was so proud to see her confidently finishing an assignment, packing up her things, lining up to go to her locker, and finally leaving the classroom to find me when the bell rang.  She was happy and eager to show me her work.  She told me how fun recess was (3 of them!), how she saw Evan at lunch, how she shared chocolate kisses in the cafeteria (so I'm not above bribery!), and how she was quiet when her teacher was talking even though other kids were not.  (That's my girl!)  We drove home and she promptly pulled all the usual parent paperwork out of her folders (she wanted to know what they all said, too), then she opened the pantry, pulled out some microwave popcorn, cooked it herself, turned on the TV and started chillaxin!  Big day!  I hate to see Wu Yi lose her Chinese-ness, but she is becoming quite an American girl!