Back to School

I have tried to do this post since Monday.  I attempted to upload pictures to blogger Monday night, Tuesday night, AND Wednesday.  Each time, I would get a few or even a lot of them uploaded just to have blogger get "hung up" and then all the pictures I DID have would also "go away".  So I got as many as would load last night saved in a draft in a long, slow process and then finished the rest today.  I'm not really sure what to be frustrated with - blogger, our internet, or my computer - but make no mistake, I can still be frustrated .  And now that I have gotten that off my chest and you all know what sacrifice it was to bring you these pictures, I can resume this regular blog post.  :-D

Monday was Kaelyn's first day back to school.  The beginning of this year has been as good as the beginning of last year was terrible.  Kaelyn has the same teacher and aides that she had for Kindergarten last year.  The [autism] Kindergarten and first grade classes are together this year and there are only three Kindergartners so all of her classmates are even the same except for those three new ones.  Other than a different classroom and a different grade level of work of course, everything has stayed the same for her, which is a really good thing for autistic kids.

Buster wasn't too happy about being left behind when we were getting ready to walk out the door.

I asked K if she wanted a picture with Buster and this is the best we could get.  :-)

The Brown's got Kaelyn this globe when they were shopping for school supplies over the weekend.  She loves it of course (maps, globes, gps's, etc. are one of her current obsessions/fascinations for those of you who don't know that already).  She was genuinely "studying" it while I got my shoes on but I thought it made a perfect Back to School picture.

The heat and humidity outside instantly fogged up my camera lens giving the hazy effect here. 

She was so proud of her new outfit.  She LOVED it!

Can't believe she's in first grade already!

Outside with her other classmates that are car riders waiting to walk together to the classroom.

Chipotle after school.

Opening the box that her new backpack came in.  I ordered her a personalized backpack online and it came Friday right before school started Monday.

She told me the next day, "I'm so excited about my new backpack."

And now a complete change of subject and pictures but these pictures are also from last weekend right before school started.  Since I loaded them to my computer at the same time as the school ones, I thought I may as well go ahead and post them as well.

The Brown's just got a new pedal boat and the kids were excited (at least Megan was) for Kaelyn to go out in the boat with them.  They even bought an extra life jacket so there would be enough.  They just took it around the canal behind our houses where the water is calmer.

Zach and Rod took the first shift of pedaling.

They came up behind our place so I walked out to the back porch to see them.  I'm not sure if you can tell unless you enlarge the picture but Kaelyn was waving and yelling to me here.

Kevin was down on the Brown's dock and zoomed in and took this picture of me standing on our back porch watching them.

Then Kevin and Rod took just Megan and Kaelyn out.

The canopy is an especially nice addition especially in the Florida summer heat.