Positive Focus Thursday - School!

Yesterday was a BIG day!

Lady K is now officially a student.

Yep, the first day of school.

And I must say, so far, I am really impressed.

They split up the kindergarten students into three groups based on their last names and they came to school over three days. The purpose, it turns out, is to evaluate the kids and see which classroom would be better suited to that child's needs. 

The other two things (so far) which impressed me are the apps the school district uses.

The first is Nutrislice.  It's basically a school breakfast and lunch menu app for the school. So now we can just pull it up and see what's being served. No more hoping you remembered not to throw away the lunch menu for the week/month. And let me say, I want to eat at school!

The second one is the really fun one. Here Comes The Bus tracks the school bus Lady K will be riding. You have to have a student idea in order to log into the app, but then it tells you where the bus she will be riding is located. And you can set a range where it will notify you how close the bus is to her bus stop. With the map, you can watch the bus chug along to/from school. 

We are lucky the bus stop is one house away from us. She can exit/enter the back door and be at the corner where the bus stops. Plus the driver marks her picked up or delivered.

This app alone is a real game-changer for parents. I remember (2 decades ago now) wondering if the bus arrived, did the girls get on/off, what the status was all because I was at work. Loving this app after the first day.

Tonight is 'open house' for the kindergarten students. We will learn exactly who her teacher will be and which room she will be in. Fun time for all!

Texter took the day off because we had to take her in. Turns out they needed a health assessment which we had to fax her old doctor to fax back to the school.

After an almost tearful goodbye, Texter and I were free until 3:15 p.m.

So what better thing to do than to go to Oakdale Greenhouses and look around.

We were greeted by a water feature display populated with these lovely flowers.

And right behind them were the 'outside' plants to walk through before we actually entered the greenhouses.

I discovered a 'new' plant and I think I'm going back to get one and put it in a pot outside.

Tennis ball sized 'balls'  on this plant! It's a Balloon Milkweed.

Not only does it have 'testicles' (as Texter calls them), but it does its job of attracting monarch caterpillars.

Lots of eggs and several little caterpillars were on the plants. 

Growing up, the girls were treated with watching swallowtail butterflies hatch because I planted dill and fennel to attract the caterpillars. I really, really need this plant.

Once inside, while Texter branched out to fawn over the cactus and succulents (her favorites), I checked out the orchid display.

A bit disappointed as all they had were phals, of which I have a ton of already. 

Then we started checking out the inhabitants of the greenhouses.

Lots and lots of little lizards everywhere, darting in and around the plants. Natural pest control!

So after wandering for a bit, checking out the houseplants they have, Texter and I came home and did some repotting. And a list of plants we are going back for. She has her eye on a hanging basket of pitcher plants which was not only extremely attractive, was very reasonably priced.

I have in my mind making a terrarium. I want a small aquarium or a large, decorative jar to do it in. I had made one years ago with Savvy as a school project. Her teacher loved it so much we donated to her classroom and it was still there a couple of years later I know. 

I did come home with a small spider plant in a hanging basket and a Leopard Lily. Since I had purchased some clay balls to repot the orchids in from IKEA the other day, I cleaned up my orchids, repotting, trimming and dividing my poor, abused orchids.  

Texter now has plants in her room, set up in front of her window.

So a pleasant day all around. 

Lady K now in school. Time to stroll around without wondering what she was getting into! Playing with plants.

Now to learn who her teacher will be!