Guiding The Way

I don't guarantee painless, I just suggested that sometimes it takes a village. We are proud villagers.

It was a busy morning. I got a bit emotional when Harper held my hand when we were out for our walk. She is so excited and promised to hold her sister's hand when they leave the school, on the bus and until they see one of us to pick them up at the bus stop. I told her that Grandpa will miss them both, and they need to talk to him and tell him all about their day at school. She looked at me, and I told her that he has been looking after them since they were babies, and she told me that he taught them everything, how to eat, talk and walk. Then she let go of my hand and ran to Grandpa and took his hand.

@wolfgirl569 They did go from babies, to todlers to little girls so quickly. I thought that Adeline grew up quickly, maybe it is us as grandparents feeling the time passing too quickly and our own mortality, I suggested that to Ron (my hubs) this morning.

@Juliaacv They are growing too fast.

@Juliaacv At least the twins have each other..that will help to make it not so scary. I remember when they were telling my nephew about riding the bus a tear slipped out out of his eye..he said "I don't know how to make the bus go this way." One time the bus I road in ES looped around to get to my house and I was freaking out when they passed my house. Hopefully they will be OK with the big girl. My son was..He was always always pretty independent though. I waited outside of course, but I used to send him in the convience store to buy milk when he was 5.

@snowy22315 Our son and Grandpa have always encouraged independence, although taking a bus at the tender age of 4 is alot when we think of how quickly our world moves today and how little they are used to it. On the first day, Klaudia told them that her and Daddy would go to the school to check that they arrive just fine, as it will be their first day. I have to try to remember to get my husband to pick her up a bouquet of flowers, that is a big day for a Mama Bear.

Since they live at the very edge of town, they have the chance to ride the school bus. The neighbour's daughter is in grade 8 at the same school, and she has offered to make sure that the girls get on and off of the bus every day. That as a very nice gesture. The students in grade 8 make their Confirmation, and often times they need some volunteer hours for that as part of the religion cirriculum, so she may be doing it for that or she may just be a really sweet kid.

@Juliaacv ........sounds like a good group helping those kiddies along.

Yes, he and his wife have planned so well for this day.

Thank you. Grandpa is not letting himself think about next week, he knows it will be emotional on him.

It was a bit of an emtional day, even though it was a short time there. The girls sat at their places at the peninsula in the kitchen, they were given their lunch pails, and they had to open them (without anyone's help) and take out the bento boxes. The larger one, they had to put raspberries, grapes and strawberries into little compartments. Then a small cucumber in the large side. They were each given a slice of bread and 3 slices of lunchmeat (salami) and told to hold it and fold it in half. Then they put that into their bento box, and close the lid and lock it. Next came the small box, they had 2 sections in it, one for each snack time. Willow choose fishies and grapes for her snacks and Harper choose fishes and 1 of those little things of apple sauce in a bag thing that they drink. And they had to close that and lock it. Then we practiced opening and locking the boxes a couple of times. Finally they had to put the boxes into their lunch pail, and zip that up and put it into their knapsack. They had to identify which knapsack was theirs, and Mommy had nice tags with their name and a little picture on it. After that they had to put their lunchpail in it and zip up the knapsack, which I was asked not to help with-oops. Shortly after that our daughter-in-law came downstairs and let the girls listen to a voicemail that she had from Ms Plum, their teacher. Both were excited to hear her voice, and after that we made bathroom trips and put crocks on and got our umbrellas, in case it rained, and headed off to do a practice walk to the school. We played there and they peered into the windows and saw a teacher getting her classroom ready. Next week Grandpa will go in the mornings, get them out the door and down to the bus stop in the neighbourhood, and at the end of their day, he will do the same. He's trying not to think about spending his days without them.

Yes, very much ready for it. They begin Jr. Kindergarten the calendar year that they turn 4, and with having January birthdays, they are more than ready.

Their teacher called and left voicemail on Klaudia's phone. She raced downstairs and played it so that the girls could hear it. Mrs. Plum is going to call later to advise them of their start date, it is a staggered entry. Ron, Jonathon and I walked with them to the school, trying to get them used to the area. When we came home they ate their school lunch. After lunch we were getting ready to leave, as Jonathon wanted to take the girls to the Flying Squirrel (a trampoline play place) this afternoon, and I suggested to Ron that I would have time to bake a pumpkin loaf for him. Jonathon was quick to ask if I would make one for him, and when I agreed I asked him what else he'd like me to make for him. I am going to bring some meat tomorrow and use his pressure cooker to make supper for them. He was so pleased when I said that. But I do very little for him and Klaudia, so I am happy to do it. Of course Willow and Harper asked if I would bake them muffins, and Willow even suggested that she would be happy if I used the blue foil muffin wraps, as those are her favorite.

Thank you. Having twins during a lockdown of covid was difficult. And they were both preemie, so that was another all hands on deck requirement. And missing our family so much during that lockdown makes us very very thankful that those times are behind us, and we are very fortunate that they want us so involved in their lives.