Kate's SECOND first day of school

We are here. We did it. We moved. We had tons and tons of help. And there is plenty more about that to come later. Right now I have a picture for you.

 

Friday was Kate's second first day of school. We spent the first part of the week arriving and starting to settle in (I say "starting" because it is a very slow start...) and then she couldn't wait to get into her new school.

I was a bit wary about the transition, remembering all too well how hard it was for her to start school at the beginning of the year, not knowing anyone and being away from home all day long. And then having to do it all over again? Poor girl. She was much more sure of herself this time, though. She was only a little clingy when I took her to her class (we had come the day before to tour the school and meet her teacher, which was a nice introduction.) Her class was expecting her and her desk even had her name on it already. We walked in the room as the children were all arriving, and a little girl walked right up to her and said, "Hi, Kate!" As if they'd known each other forever. I could have kissed her. My greatest fear was that the other kids would shun her (haven't you ever been the "New Kid"?) and would be so set in their own circles and routines, having been together half a year without being used to seeing much change, that they would exclude her and she would never fit in. But NOT SO in the wonderful world of Missouri! Everyone was beyond nice to us and at the end of the day, she came home glowing like I'd never seen her in Maryland. The delight just poured out of her mouth. "Actually my teacher is REALLY nice and so fun, and she gave me a treat because I was so good!" Well, give Kate a treat and you've just won her over for life. I was so relieved that she was happy with her first day, and hopefully it will be a good kindergarten year for her.

Kate, however, is not the only one in the family who is celebrating a new First Day of School...

 

Travis had his first day of orientation on Friday, and classes start tomorrow.

I guess you could say this is his 26th first day of school.

(No, I am not exaggerating. I really counted.)

In case you missed what on earth it is we are doing (since I certainly haven't blogged our life story in a few years...) Travis spent the past 5 1/2 years working on his PhD in neuroscience at USUHS in Bethesda, MD. Not wanting to continue in the field of research for the rest of his life, he began investigating careers in health sciences, which is where he discovered the AA program (an MS degree as an anesthesiologist assistant). This is like a P.A., but specific to anesthesia. It is the same job as a nurse anesthetist, but without the nursing degree. It's a 2 1/2 year program that immediately ends in a career (no residency). After 5 1/2 years of graduate school, 2 1/2 years sounds like a cake walk! So in the end, he'll have 8 years of graduate school under his belt. Add that to his 5 years of undergrad, and we are looking at 13 years of higher education.

13 YEARS!

"Lots of people go to school for 13 years."

"Yeah. They're called DOCTORS."

Anyway, Travis is currently participating in a 12-step program for his school addiction. (We joke that his AA program stands for "Academics Anonymous")

This turned out to be a perfect fit for him, since he ultimately wants to teach or perhaps be a program director at a university, and the only doctorate degree that is relevant to teaching in the field of anesthesia is neuroscience. Which, conveniently, he already has. It's really amazing how everything ended up fitting into place.

 More details soon to come! I promise this time!!!