After a low-key morning, I spent the afternoon checking a few things off of my to-do list while I let my kids watch a movie and eat jello and popcorn for dinner. The big kid just finished EOGs today - and honestly, I'm feeling a little "yeah, whatever..." after a couple of rule-filled, potentially stressful days. I really think schools put too much emphasis on this, and (I am not a fan of standardized testing, especially for ants-in-the-pants, 3rd grade boys.)
I did redeem this less-than-impressive dinner with some fruit and chicken quesadillas a little later. And there may or may not have been some chocolate-covered pretzels involved, too.
At bedtime, we read about Laura and Mary and Carrie and Grace and Ma and Pa having Christmas Dinner with Mr. and Mrs. Boast "By the Shores of Silver Lake" - and then they were both "hungry" again. How can roast duck made on a coal-buring stove 150+ years ago make them hungry when they won't even eat a roast chicken that I cook present-day? All joking aside, we have been slowly working our way through the Little House series since our camping vacation last summer. (It's what M picked, while J picked the Harry Potter series.) The kids are both enjoying the stories, we get in a little conversation about manners or vocabulary words or history here and there, and I'm enjoying the time to sit with them as we slow down at the end of the day (I read to them at bedtime). We don't get to it every night, but they miss it when we don't get to read. Honestly, I do too.
Showing posts with label School. Show all posts
Showing posts with label School. Show all posts
Thursday, May 30, 2013
Thursday, October 27, 2011
Rhino Project, and then Colorado!
J turned in his first "big" project today - a written report and a diorama about the white rhinoceros. If I could figure out how photos are organized on this new-to-me laptop, I'd upload one of the proud 2nd grader with his diorama (complete with adult rhino munching grass on the savanna, in front of some trees and a lovely sunset).
Now it's M's turn to complete a 'report' (they can be creative, making a poster, book, etc.) about Colorado. I'm not quite sure why she picked it, but she perked up quite a bit when we heard stories about Colorado on the news last night.
Now it's M's turn to complete a 'report' (they can be creative, making a poster, book, etc.) about Colorado. I'm not quite sure why she picked it, but she perked up quite a bit when we heard stories about Colorado on the news last night.
Monday, September 5, 2011
Reluctant Reader?
Mister J is a good reader when he wants to be. He can read the notifications on my cell phone, he can read anything video-game or Lego-related, and he can read comics, Boys' Life, and other "fun" stuff. I know there's something to be said for "fun" reading to help him learn to love reading - like his current favorite "Lunch Lady" books - but I know that he also needs to be reading things that challenge him.
He is supposed to read for 15 minutes every afternoon as part of his homework. He is also supposed to complete a reading log entry each day, noting the title and author of the book as well as answering a open-ended question (What did you think about what you read?). It's that question that seems to be the stumbling block, and we are concerned that the reason for this is that J may be reading for accuracy, but not for comprehension. Last year he was also supposed to read 15 minutes per day for homework, after which we were supposed to ask questions about/discuss what he'd read (What is the author's purpose? Summarize what you read. Fiction or non-fiction? Etc.) It was not pleasant then, either.
Since it's difficult for me to gauge the accuracy of J's answers if he's reading something I have not read, I decided that J would need to select a book which I would read first. Then I could have an informed discussion with him, perhaps prompting as needed to get the discussion going.
After a(nother) discussion this evening about our new reading plan, J selected a book. We will begin reading the Magic Tree House series, starting with book 1. (We have quite a few in the series, and we have read some of them before, but not as independent reading.) As I explained to J that I would start reading tonight, and read a bit each day, he perked up. He decided that he will try to catch up to me each evening during his reading time! I'm thankful for how excited he seemed when he made it into a competition. Of course, we will see how it goes, but I think I may have just gotten a peek into his motivation. And I can relate, having been a teensy bit nerdy when I was in school. I am also aware that he may get disappointed if I get too far ahead of him, so this will be a bit of a balancing act for the first little bit.
I'm looking forward to:
Working through a series of books
Having academic discussions with my "little" boy
Tackling a variety of books - nonfiction? more challenging chapter books?
I'm wondering about:
Am I underestimating his ability? Is the book we selected too easy?
Am I overestimating his ability? Should we be reading short stories?
Is this plan even going to work?
Some days I wish I had studied elementary education instead of higher ed administration. Then I remember that I'm not really cut out to be a teacher. Except that, as parents, aren't we all?
What's your biggest homework struggle? What strategies have worked for you?
He is supposed to read for 15 minutes every afternoon as part of his homework. He is also supposed to complete a reading log entry each day, noting the title and author of the book as well as answering a open-ended question (What did you think about what you read?). It's that question that seems to be the stumbling block, and we are concerned that the reason for this is that J may be reading for accuracy, but not for comprehension. Last year he was also supposed to read 15 minutes per day for homework, after which we were supposed to ask questions about/discuss what he'd read (What is the author's purpose? Summarize what you read. Fiction or non-fiction? Etc.) It was not pleasant then, either.
Since it's difficult for me to gauge the accuracy of J's answers if he's reading something I have not read, I decided that J would need to select a book which I would read first. Then I could have an informed discussion with him, perhaps prompting as needed to get the discussion going.
After a(nother) discussion this evening about our new reading plan, J selected a book. We will begin reading the Magic Tree House series, starting with book 1. (We have quite a few in the series, and we have read some of them before, but not as independent reading.) As I explained to J that I would start reading tonight, and read a bit each day, he perked up. He decided that he will try to catch up to me each evening during his reading time! I'm thankful for how excited he seemed when he made it into a competition. Of course, we will see how it goes, but I think I may have just gotten a peek into his motivation. And I can relate, having been a teensy bit nerdy when I was in school. I am also aware that he may get disappointed if I get too far ahead of him, so this will be a bit of a balancing act for the first little bit.
I'm looking forward to:
Working through a series of books
Having academic discussions with my "little" boy
Tackling a variety of books - nonfiction? more challenging chapter books?
I'm wondering about:
Am I underestimating his ability? Is the book we selected too easy?
Am I overestimating his ability? Should we be reading short stories?
Is this plan even going to work?
Some days I wish I had studied elementary education instead of higher ed administration. Then I remember that I'm not really cut out to be a teacher. Except that, as parents, aren't we all?
What's your biggest homework struggle? What strategies have worked for you?
Monday, August 29, 2011
A Good Day
Here's a little 'day-in-the-life' post - probably more for me than for you, but I love reading these on other blogs and I think it's a fun way to capture the day-to-day (the "ordinary extraordinary!") around here.
I slept in just a bit this morning, but still managed to get everyone up, dressed, fed, and headed to school on time this morning - actually, just a tad bit ahead of schedule! Even though I didn't pack lunches the night before. Even though I grabbed my own breakfast, which I normally skip - a banana in the car counts, right? J did about 1/2 of the preparation of his own breakfast - currently he's loving grits with a little butter and cheddar cheese. M ate dry cereal, one of her most frequent breakfast selections (Although on Sunday she managed a collaborative effort for some pb toast with banana- she got an assist from her brother on some toast, sliced her own banana, and when I came downstairs she asked me to help with the peanut butter so she could put it all together. A little more complicated, but still a success!) ((OK - all of these food-prep accomplishments make me realize that my kids have grown up A LOT over the summer!)) But I digress - into the car, drive to school (including a reminder about our plan for the afternoon), park and walk in.... J asked me to walk him to his class today (he asked to do it solo on the first day, and we typically do drive-through drop-off unless it's my volunteer day)!
The kids' school requires volunteer hours as a condition of enrollment - one hour per week per child. My two hours are on Monday, and usually include some combination of copying, grading, cutting things out, or filing/organization. I've been doing this for one hour/week for the same teacher for 3 years now. We 'get' each other, so it's easy to figure out how she'd like something done - especially if it's a busy morning and she's just left me a few sketchy notes about what she needs. It's not really a guessing game for me. My second hour of the week has changed each year, and this year I'm working the same type of classroom assistant 'job' for another teacher. I'm not sure she was expecting me there today, as she didn't have anything set aside for me. But she did have a project I could start working on - organizing the two puzzle/game closets that she shares with another teacher. I forgot to mention that when I got up this morning, I put on a dress. A short, summery dress. Not exactly closet-cleaning attire. However, I manged to go through all but one shelf and had a lovely, Southern 'glow' to show for it. I will still get to spend plenty of time making sure games have the right pieces, repairing boxes, and eliminating games/puzzles that are beyond repair. Next time, I'll dress for the job!
Afterwards, lunch with a friend! I have a standing lunch date with a close friend - we try to have lunch at least every other week during the school year. Believe it or not, we had lunch on Friday and again today - we are catching up on what happened over the summer! We do go to church together, and sure we can email or connect on Facebook, but there's just nothing quit like a girls' lunch out!
A quick trip to the bank, the grocery store, and a stop by the house were next. I checked email, worked out some scheduling issues (wow, is our fall getting busy already), got the mail, and then it was time to go pick up my two kiddos from school!
We had some interesting conversation on the way home. M told me a story about how her friend from Texas sat at her table during lunch today. When I asked if maybe she meant another friend, she said no - her friend from TX had decided to get a new house so she could go to school here, because they were *best* friends. I love her imagination! But some days, it's harder to figure out what part of her accounting of the day is most accurate. :) J had another good day (with another story about math!) and ate lunch with a new classmate. It's interesting to think that there are kids in his class that I know (from my volunteer time in other pods besides the one he was in the last couple of years) and that he doesn't, when you consider that I'm there way fewer hours per week than he is in school. It's also exciting for me, though, because it means he's meeting new people - something that can be a struggle for him sometimes. He is certainly like me in that respect.
Today was the first day of homework for 2nd graders, and also the first day of daily homework. Ks and 1s get a homework packet on Monday to be turned in on Thursday - and you can complete it at your leisure. J was not as excited about homework, but I was hoping it wouldn't be too much of a challenge since he was told during Open House that homework should only take 30-45 minutes (and that includes 15 minutes of reading). Let's just say that when writing is involved, we typically spend a little more time on it than average - and Mondays are writing days. In the end, though, J used 10 spelling words in 8 sentences which ended up being a pretty good little story about Cub Scouts. I was really proud of him, and I think he surprised himself with how well it all turned out. There was also some math in there, which he finished in a flash, and a math/logic game that we played several times while we talked about strategy.
M has been a little disappointed to not have homework these past few days, and was disappointed when she realized that J had homework and she did not. A few days ago, I made a math worksheet for her to complete, but today she occupied herself with coloring while J and I were concerned with his homework. I do hope she is still as excited about homework when she has some assigned by the teacher!
If all of that wasn't great enough, I still had to figure out what to cook for dinner. I did not do so well at planning ahead for the evening! However, I did have some shredded beef in the fridge (which was supposed to become taquitos, until my second pack of tortillas would not cooperate) and those darn, too-thick tortillas. Plan B = tostadas! We almost always have black beans in the pantry, and had plenty of lettuce and tomatoes from this weekend's fruit and veggie co-op. I have had plenty of limes and avocados around lately, too (I love guacamole just a little too much). Although J told me he didn't really like the smell of the tortillas frying, that little stinker ate two tostadas! M even ate one - with beef and beans! - and seemed to enjoy it. We had fruit on the side, which was also a huge hit with M. Afterwards, I surprised the kiddos with dessert - vanilla ice cream I'd just made this afternoon, topped with bananas and chocolate syrup. For a throw-together meal, it seemed to be a hit - and 'how much my family enjoyed the meal' is a bigger measure of success for me than how well I planned or how fancy/complicated the preparation. I think I got an A+!
Getting the kids to bed is always the toughest part of my day. They want to play games or play with toys and just have fun - and who can blame them? Instead, it's time for stuff like brushing teeth and picking out tomorrow's clothes. We have started reading at bedtime again - we sort of fall off of the wagon over the summer - and the kids are excited about that. I switched up the routine a bit tonight from pjs, teeth, read to pjs, read, teeth - and nobody fussed about brushing teeth tonight. Dilly-dallied, yes, but not the same kind of reluctance we usually see. Hmmm - food for thought. Another way the evening routine is just a bit different is that, instead of reading one book to both kids, I am reading to M while J reads silently. After I tuck her in, I go into his room to talk about what he's read and then tuck him in. The plan is he will pick out a chapter book that he wants to read, I will read it first, and then he will read it (while I work on his next selection). That way, we can discuss the book - which is hard to do for a book you've never read! We will probably work through some beginner chapter books in this fashion starting next week. I'm hoping he will get excited about this plan and really be motivated to read for comprehension and not simply accuracy. I think (hope) I'm going to be doing a LOT of reading!
Now that the kids are asleep, and this post is nearly complete, I think I may head off to bed with my Girl Scout Leader training materials and my laptop in case I can squeeze in the online training tonight. After I do one last sweep through the kitchen - I think the dishwasher just finished its load.
How have the first few days of school gone for you and your kids? If it's still summer for you, how are you wrapping up the summer and preparing for the 'new year'?
I slept in just a bit this morning, but still managed to get everyone up, dressed, fed, and headed to school on time this morning - actually, just a tad bit ahead of schedule! Even though I didn't pack lunches the night before. Even though I grabbed my own breakfast, which I normally skip - a banana in the car counts, right? J did about 1/2 of the preparation of his own breakfast - currently he's loving grits with a little butter and cheddar cheese. M ate dry cereal, one of her most frequent breakfast selections (Although on Sunday she managed a collaborative effort for some pb toast with banana- she got an assist from her brother on some toast, sliced her own banana, and when I came downstairs she asked me to help with the peanut butter so she could put it all together. A little more complicated, but still a success!) ((OK - all of these food-prep accomplishments make me realize that my kids have grown up A LOT over the summer!)) But I digress - into the car, drive to school (including a reminder about our plan for the afternoon), park and walk in.... J asked me to walk him to his class today (he asked to do it solo on the first day, and we typically do drive-through drop-off unless it's my volunteer day)!
The kids' school requires volunteer hours as a condition of enrollment - one hour per week per child. My two hours are on Monday, and usually include some combination of copying, grading, cutting things out, or filing/organization. I've been doing this for one hour/week for the same teacher for 3 years now. We 'get' each other, so it's easy to figure out how she'd like something done - especially if it's a busy morning and she's just left me a few sketchy notes about what she needs. It's not really a guessing game for me. My second hour of the week has changed each year, and this year I'm working the same type of classroom assistant 'job' for another teacher. I'm not sure she was expecting me there today, as she didn't have anything set aside for me. But she did have a project I could start working on - organizing the two puzzle/game closets that she shares with another teacher. I forgot to mention that when I got up this morning, I put on a dress. A short, summery dress. Not exactly closet-cleaning attire. However, I manged to go through all but one shelf and had a lovely, Southern 'glow' to show for it. I will still get to spend plenty of time making sure games have the right pieces, repairing boxes, and eliminating games/puzzles that are beyond repair. Next time, I'll dress for the job!
Afterwards, lunch with a friend! I have a standing lunch date with a close friend - we try to have lunch at least every other week during the school year. Believe it or not, we had lunch on Friday and again today - we are catching up on what happened over the summer! We do go to church together, and sure we can email or connect on Facebook, but there's just nothing quit like a girls' lunch out!
A quick trip to the bank, the grocery store, and a stop by the house were next. I checked email, worked out some scheduling issues (wow, is our fall getting busy already), got the mail, and then it was time to go pick up my two kiddos from school!
We had some interesting conversation on the way home. M told me a story about how her friend from Texas sat at her table during lunch today. When I asked if maybe she meant another friend, she said no - her friend from TX had decided to get a new house so she could go to school here, because they were *best* friends. I love her imagination! But some days, it's harder to figure out what part of her accounting of the day is most accurate. :) J had another good day (with another story about math!) and ate lunch with a new classmate. It's interesting to think that there are kids in his class that I know (from my volunteer time in other pods besides the one he was in the last couple of years) and that he doesn't, when you consider that I'm there way fewer hours per week than he is in school. It's also exciting for me, though, because it means he's meeting new people - something that can be a struggle for him sometimes. He is certainly like me in that respect.
Today was the first day of homework for 2nd graders, and also the first day of daily homework. Ks and 1s get a homework packet on Monday to be turned in on Thursday - and you can complete it at your leisure. J was not as excited about homework, but I was hoping it wouldn't be too much of a challenge since he was told during Open House that homework should only take 30-45 minutes (and that includes 15 minutes of reading). Let's just say that when writing is involved, we typically spend a little more time on it than average - and Mondays are writing days. In the end, though, J used 10 spelling words in 8 sentences which ended up being a pretty good little story about Cub Scouts. I was really proud of him, and I think he surprised himself with how well it all turned out. There was also some math in there, which he finished in a flash, and a math/logic game that we played several times while we talked about strategy.
M has been a little disappointed to not have homework these past few days, and was disappointed when she realized that J had homework and she did not. A few days ago, I made a math worksheet for her to complete, but today she occupied herself with coloring while J and I were concerned with his homework. I do hope she is still as excited about homework when she has some assigned by the teacher!
If all of that wasn't great enough, I still had to figure out what to cook for dinner. I did not do so well at planning ahead for the evening! However, I did have some shredded beef in the fridge (which was supposed to become taquitos, until my second pack of tortillas would not cooperate) and those darn, too-thick tortillas. Plan B = tostadas! We almost always have black beans in the pantry, and had plenty of lettuce and tomatoes from this weekend's fruit and veggie co-op. I have had plenty of limes and avocados around lately, too (I love guacamole just a little too much). Although J told me he didn't really like the smell of the tortillas frying, that little stinker ate two tostadas! M even ate one - with beef and beans! - and seemed to enjoy it. We had fruit on the side, which was also a huge hit with M. Afterwards, I surprised the kiddos with dessert - vanilla ice cream I'd just made this afternoon, topped with bananas and chocolate syrup. For a throw-together meal, it seemed to be a hit - and 'how much my family enjoyed the meal' is a bigger measure of success for me than how well I planned or how fancy/complicated the preparation. I think I got an A+!
Getting the kids to bed is always the toughest part of my day. They want to play games or play with toys and just have fun - and who can blame them? Instead, it's time for stuff like brushing teeth and picking out tomorrow's clothes. We have started reading at bedtime again - we sort of fall off of the wagon over the summer - and the kids are excited about that. I switched up the routine a bit tonight from pjs, teeth, read to pjs, read, teeth - and nobody fussed about brushing teeth tonight. Dilly-dallied, yes, but not the same kind of reluctance we usually see. Hmmm - food for thought. Another way the evening routine is just a bit different is that, instead of reading one book to both kids, I am reading to M while J reads silently. After I tuck her in, I go into his room to talk about what he's read and then tuck him in. The plan is he will pick out a chapter book that he wants to read, I will read it first, and then he will read it (while I work on his next selection). That way, we can discuss the book - which is hard to do for a book you've never read! We will probably work through some beginner chapter books in this fashion starting next week. I'm hoping he will get excited about this plan and really be motivated to read for comprehension and not simply accuracy. I think (hope) I'm going to be doing a LOT of reading!
Now that the kids are asleep, and this post is nearly complete, I think I may head off to bed with my Girl Scout Leader training materials and my laptop in case I can squeeze in the online training tonight. After I do one last sweep through the kitchen - I think the dishwasher just finished its load.
How have the first few days of school gone for you and your kids? If it's still summer for you, how are you wrapping up the summer and preparing for the 'new year'?
Thursday, August 25, 2011
First Day Recap
Mister J started 2nd grade today. So far, he's told me all about having lunch in the cafeteria (kids at our school have lunch in their classrooms through 1st grade), how he has 'green lunch' and how there are five different lunch sessions to choose from. He also said that he started learning multiplication today, and that this was his favorite part of the day!
Miss M started Kindergarten today. She told me that she has a new friend named Remmi (who I happen to know is a first-grader). She learned abut "plus-ing" (addition), and when asked for an example she told us that 7+8=15. M was also very excited to go on the big kids' playground (the pre-Ks play on a different playground). Her favorite thing about the playground was the 'twirly slide', and her favorite thing about the day was playing in Home Living during centers.
I'm sure we'll learn more over dinner, and I hope to post some of today's photos, too!
Miss M started Kindergarten today. She told me that she has a new friend named Remmi (who I happen to know is a first-grader). She learned abut "plus-ing" (addition), and when asked for an example she told us that 7+8=15. M was also very excited to go on the big kids' playground (the pre-Ks play on a different playground). Her favorite thing about the playground was the 'twirly slide', and her favorite thing about the day was playing in Home Living during centers.
I'm sure we'll learn more over dinner, and I hope to post some of today's photos, too!
Wednesday, August 24, 2011
Unexpected...
I just tweeted, and wanted to share:
"Suddenly I feel oddly unprepared for 1st day of school. Lunches & supplies packed. Forms completed. Backpacks at door. #crazymama #notears"
We had a good day today. Miss M had a friend over, and the kids played really well together until that mid-afternoon hour when sleepiness seems to hit for M. While they played, I got a good bit of work done (mostly sorting through all of the paper that seems to collect on every flat surface in the house). After we took our friend home, I took Miss M to get her hair trimmed. Thankfully there was only a 5-minute wait! Then to St@ples for some last-minute school supply purchases. The store was packed, and we only managed to get half of our list. Boo. (Why we don't have the true supply list until 2 days before school begins is a whole 'nother topic.) Then to the grocery store for limes, the one missing ingredient for a chicken marinade I need to prep and freeze asap.
Unfortunately, we had a rushed dinner this evening, but did manage a bit of snuggle time before heading upstairs for baths and bed. Things kind of went downhill at that point. M needed a bath, J needed to clean up the rest of his trains, I needed to buzz J's hair, then he also needed a shower. Then I helped M select her outfit for tomorrow - which went much more smoothly than expected. Then teeth-brushing and tucking in. Whew! I was disappointed that Mister J got to bed much later than I'd hoped. Mostly due to dragging his feet on the clean-up (even though he knew it was a 'must-do' chore). By 9:30, I was thinking about climbing into bed myself!
I didn't go to bed that early, but perhaps I should have. While I was not going to bed, these are the things that popped up on my 'worry list' this evening:
What will I pack for lunch? (Been doing this for two years now - why am I stressing?)
Did I get all of their supplies packed? (Um, yes - you've been over the list a few times now...)
Wait - M said she wants me to pack a change of clothes just in case! (Just needed to put them in a zip-top bag....)
Snacks! Don't forget to pack snacks, too! (I've forgotten to pack J's snack a few more times than I'd like to admit, and this is the first time M has needed me to pack a snack, so this is a valid worry.)
Pictures!!!! Don't forget to take pictures!!! (Um, duh....)
What will we have for breakfast? (You'd laugh if you could see how many boxes of cereal are in my pantry.)
I'm planning to have breakfast with some friends, and then...? Don't get me wrong, there is plenty on my to-do list - but suddenly I find myself thinking, "The house is going to be sooooo quiet!" Any other day, I'd be happy to be alone in my house - because that never happens.
Now that we've been together all summer, I think I'm going to miss their sweet faces tomorrow.....
"Suddenly I feel oddly unprepared for 1st day of school. Lunches & supplies packed. Forms completed. Backpacks at door. #crazymama #notears"
We had a good day today. Miss M had a friend over, and the kids played really well together until that mid-afternoon hour when sleepiness seems to hit for M. While they played, I got a good bit of work done (mostly sorting through all of the paper that seems to collect on every flat surface in the house). After we took our friend home, I took Miss M to get her hair trimmed. Thankfully there was only a 5-minute wait! Then to St@ples for some last-minute school supply purchases. The store was packed, and we only managed to get half of our list. Boo. (Why we don't have the true supply list until 2 days before school begins is a whole 'nother topic.) Then to the grocery store for limes, the one missing ingredient for a chicken marinade I need to prep and freeze asap.
Unfortunately, we had a rushed dinner this evening, but did manage a bit of snuggle time before heading upstairs for baths and bed. Things kind of went downhill at that point. M needed a bath, J needed to clean up the rest of his trains, I needed to buzz J's hair, then he also needed a shower. Then I helped M select her outfit for tomorrow - which went much more smoothly than expected. Then teeth-brushing and tucking in. Whew! I was disappointed that Mister J got to bed much later than I'd hoped. Mostly due to dragging his feet on the clean-up (even though he knew it was a 'must-do' chore). By 9:30, I was thinking about climbing into bed myself!
I didn't go to bed that early, but perhaps I should have. While I was not going to bed, these are the things that popped up on my 'worry list' this evening:
What will I pack for lunch? (Been doing this for two years now - why am I stressing?)
Did I get all of their supplies packed? (Um, yes - you've been over the list a few times now...)
Wait - M said she wants me to pack a change of clothes just in case! (Just needed to put them in a zip-top bag....)
Snacks! Don't forget to pack snacks, too! (I've forgotten to pack J's snack a few more times than I'd like to admit, and this is the first time M has needed me to pack a snack, so this is a valid worry.)
Pictures!!!! Don't forget to take pictures!!! (Um, duh....)
What will we have for breakfast? (You'd laugh if you could see how many boxes of cereal are in my pantry.)
I'm planning to have breakfast with some friends, and then...? Don't get me wrong, there is plenty on my to-do list - but suddenly I find myself thinking, "The house is going to be sooooo quiet!" Any other day, I'd be happy to be alone in my house - because that never happens.
Now that we've been together all summer, I think I'm going to miss their sweet faces tomorrow.....
Tuesday, August 23, 2011
Countdown to School!
I have been looking forward to the start of the school year, and I'm feeling even more excited about it now that we've had the opportunity to sit down with each of the kids' teachers to talk about the upcoming year, expectations, etc. This year, we have a kindergartener (in a blended K-1 classroom) and a 2nd grader!
While our teacher meetings went well, they didn't go quite as I would have expected. We met with Mister J's teacher first, a very enthusiastic woman with a moderately strong Northern accent. Mister J suddenly became uncharacteristically shy when his teacher asked him a few simple questions (parents' names, phone number, etc.). When he did answer her questions, he spoke so quickly she had to ask him to slow down. Miss M, on the other hand, was quite happy to talk with Mister J's teacher about summer vacation and give plenty of detail!
Then we were off to meet with Miss M's teacher, a calm, soft-spoken woman. Mister J made himself at home investigating the classroom and reading some books. Miss M was checking things out with him for a few minutes, and when she sat down with us to talk to her teacher she kept mumbling her answers. Shyness struck again! I'm sure she will show her true, outgoing, spirited self in no time!
This evening, I'm gathering papers and library cards that need to go to school, renewing our PTA membership, and re-linking my VIC card. Tomorrow, I'll be gathering supplies to pack into backpacks, doing some laundry, and planning to pack lunches for the first time since June!
Happy New (School) Year!
While our teacher meetings went well, they didn't go quite as I would have expected. We met with Mister J's teacher first, a very enthusiastic woman with a moderately strong Northern accent. Mister J suddenly became uncharacteristically shy when his teacher asked him a few simple questions (parents' names, phone number, etc.). When he did answer her questions, he spoke so quickly she had to ask him to slow down. Miss M, on the other hand, was quite happy to talk with Mister J's teacher about summer vacation and give plenty of detail!
Then we were off to meet with Miss M's teacher, a calm, soft-spoken woman. Mister J made himself at home investigating the classroom and reading some books. Miss M was checking things out with him for a few minutes, and when she sat down with us to talk to her teacher she kept mumbling her answers. Shyness struck again! I'm sure she will show her true, outgoing, spirited self in no time!
This evening, I'm gathering papers and library cards that need to go to school, renewing our PTA membership, and re-linking my VIC card. Tomorrow, I'll be gathering supplies to pack into backpacks, doing some laundry, and planning to pack lunches for the first time since June!
Happy New (School) Year!
Monday, February 14, 2011
Valentine's Day!
We did things a little differently around here for Valentine's Day 2011 - no gifts! And we still had a lovely day!
In the past, I've gotten the kids books or music - usually something small - to celebrate. I think I spent the most ever for Valentine's Day last year - I spent about $35 on two beanbags for the kids' rooms. It was usually around $16 for childrens' books in previous years.
Today, I spent about $25 - on all four of us! I brought Chick-Fil-A lunch to school, Daddy met us there, and we all had lunch together. It was actually a nice bit of family time, since we get to eat a table away from the activity of lunch in the classrooms. The kids are always excited to have us come for lunch, I got a day off from packing lunches, and Daddy got a cookies-n-cream milkshake for his treat! (CFA was running a buy-two-combos-get-a-shake special today!)
Also - the weather was gorgeous today, and the next session of 5K training began this evening. My goal is an all-running 5K in the spring, and I ran 1.25 miles tonight - no intervals! That's the longest distance I've ever gone without intervals - woohoo!
Of course, it wasn't all sunshine and running shoes today.... Miss M came home from school sounding very hoarse and even a bit squeaky (sad face). Mister J has had a nagging cough, too. So, with both kiddos sick, there was no basketball practice for Mister J tonight. Miss M will be home with me tomorrow, and we've had to cancel our after-school doughnut date with a friend. (sigh)
That's just life, though, you know? Thankful that I've got these three to share it with - the ups and the downs.
In the past, I've gotten the kids books or music - usually something small - to celebrate. I think I spent the most ever for Valentine's Day last year - I spent about $35 on two beanbags for the kids' rooms. It was usually around $16 for childrens' books in previous years.
Today, I spent about $25 - on all four of us! I brought Chick-Fil-A lunch to school, Daddy met us there, and we all had lunch together. It was actually a nice bit of family time, since we get to eat a table away from the activity of lunch in the classrooms. The kids are always excited to have us come for lunch, I got a day off from packing lunches, and Daddy got a cookies-n-cream milkshake for his treat! (CFA was running a buy-two-combos-get-a-shake special today!)
Also - the weather was gorgeous today, and the next session of 5K training began this evening. My goal is an all-running 5K in the spring, and I ran 1.25 miles tonight - no intervals! That's the longest distance I've ever gone without intervals - woohoo!
Of course, it wasn't all sunshine and running shoes today.... Miss M came home from school sounding very hoarse and even a bit squeaky (sad face). Mister J has had a nagging cough, too. So, with both kiddos sick, there was no basketball practice for Mister J tonight. Miss M will be home with me tomorrow, and we've had to cancel our after-school doughnut date with a friend. (sigh)
That's just life, though, you know? Thankful that I've got these three to share it with - the ups and the downs.
Wednesday, August 25, 2010
First Day of School (1st grade, Pre-K4)
Ah, the end of summer - back to a routine! Back to our regularly scheduled activities! Back to early wake-up calls!
Miss M has been so excited about going back to school! Uncharacteristically, she was the first kid up this morning, and was cheerful about it, too! She may be extra-excited because she's full-day this year. Mister J asked, "Why do I have to get up so early?" Never mind that he has been getting up early (on his own!) all summer long! We still managed to make it out the door only 3 minutes behind my ideal schedule (I've already confirmed, I'm a dork), thanks to my very successful preparations last night!
So what slowed me down? In truth, not the kids. I wanted to take some pictures! Forgive the poor color on the lunches - it was overcast this morning, so the natural lighting was non-existent. (I'm also not taking the time to color correct since I'm anxious to go pick up my kiddos!)
It started with photos of their lunches, which we a little fancier today than normal. Translation - they had some fun notes and stuff. See?
Mister J's lunch had:
Verdict: He ate the whole thing!
Miss M's lunch had:
And finally, here's a picture of the two cutest kids I've ever taken to school:
Didn't even have to ask him to put an arm around his sister. But I did have to ask her to not stick out her tongue. Yep, just a normal day around here. Except for this - I can't remember the last time I was alone in the house. It's kinda quiet....
Post-school update: They walked out to the mommy-van holding hands and smiling! Mister J wanted to talk non-stop about a new computer game he played at school. He's usually not much of a talker, so I felt a tiny bit guilty for asking him to give Miss M a chance to answer a few questions about her day. It wasn't long before I turned the conversation back over to Mister J; I could tell that Miss M was worn out after her first full day of school. After a quick snack once we were home, Mister J invited a friend over and now they (along with Miss M) are playing in the backyard.
Also: check out last year's first day of school post. Scroll down to see a picture of the kiddos - they have grown so much since last year!
Also posted to What's for Lunch Wednesday (Week 13) hosted by What's for Lunch at Our House. Click on over to get some great lunch ideas!
Miss M has been so excited about going back to school! Uncharacteristically, she was the first kid up this morning, and was cheerful about it, too! She may be extra-excited because she's full-day this year. Mister J asked, "Why do I have to get up so early?" Never mind that he has been getting up early (on his own!) all summer long! We still managed to make it out the door only 3 minutes behind my ideal schedule (I've already confirmed, I'm a dork), thanks to my very successful preparations last night!
So what slowed me down? In truth, not the kids. I wanted to take some pictures! Forgive the poor color on the lunches - it was overcast this morning, so the natural lighting was non-existent. (I'm also not taking the time to color correct since I'm anxious to go pick up my kiddos!)
It started with photos of their lunches, which we a little fancier today than normal. Translation - they had some fun notes and stuff. See?
Mister J's lunch had:
- turkey and cheddar sandwich, cut in half, with an apple cutout on the top slice of bread
- yogurt with a frozen cube of strawberry puree - according to Mister J, it kept the yogurt cold, but was also melted by lunchtime (yeah!)
- jello - a special treat for the first day of school (I don't usually pack a dessert). It's hiding under the note from Mom & Dad
- veggies and ranch dip - an apple-shaped slice of cucumber and some carrots hiding underneath
- a Phineas and Ferb napkin - another fun surprise
- an afternoon snack of pretzel nuggets
Verdict: He ate the whole thing!
- half-sized turkey and cheddar sandwich with an apple cutout on the top slice of bread
- strawberry yogurt, store bought for the extra fiber
- jello - again, hiding under the note from Mom & Dad
- veggies and ranch dip - an apple-shaped slice of cucumber and some carrots hiding underneath
- a Princesses napkin - another fun surprise
And finally, here's a picture of the two cutest kids I've ever taken to school:
Post-school update: They walked out to the mommy-van holding hands and smiling! Mister J wanted to talk non-stop about a new computer game he played at school. He's usually not much of a talker, so I felt a tiny bit guilty for asking him to give Miss M a chance to answer a few questions about her day. It wasn't long before I turned the conversation back over to Mister J; I could tell that Miss M was worn out after her first full day of school. After a quick snack once we were home, Mister J invited a friend over and now they (along with Miss M) are playing in the backyard.
Also: check out last year's first day of school post. Scroll down to see a picture of the kiddos - they have grown so much since last year!
Also posted to What's for Lunch Wednesday (Week 13) hosted by What's for Lunch at Our House. Click on over to get some great lunch ideas!
Tuesday, August 24, 2010
New-School-Year Eve
I just posted this as my Facebook status.
I seriously have nothing left to do to prepare for tomorrow. This feels weird.
The weird part is that I posted it around 9:30 pm. That's about 90 minutes ahead of my school-year bedtime. I feel like I must be forgetting something to be done this early. So far this evening (since 5pm) I have:
I seriously have nothing left to do to prepare for tomorrow. This feels weird.
The weird part is that I posted it around 9:30 pm. That's about 90 minutes ahead of my school-year bedtime. I feel like I must be forgetting something to be done this early. So far this evening (since 5pm) I have:
- Held a "peanut butter alternative" taste test (look for future blog post - with photos). Both of my kids are in class with peanut-allergic kids, so we'll be using an alternative to PB again this year. Stay tuned to see which one it'll be.
- Cooked dinner
- Cleaned up after dinner - all before I went upstairs with the kids. That last part there is what makes it a HUGE deal. (Just FYI, that means I cleared table, put away leftovers, loaded dishes into dishwasher, washed non-dishwasher safe items - all before the start of the bedtime routine.)
- Packed the kids' school supplies - one paper bag full of 'supply list' items for each of them (we never get the 'real' list before Open House, which was on Monday, so I didn't have quite everything they needed until today).
- Remembered to include all of the 'first day of school' forms - which I completed yesterday, including a copy for my files and getting them into said files.
- Prepared the backpacks - which mainly means cleaning them out from the summer (toys, papers, odd crayons, etc), but I also tucked in a travel-sized pack of tissue. They couldn't resist the Toy Story-themed packets (Woody for Mister J, Jessie for Miss M) when we saw them weeks ago. Kudos to me for not losing them by now.
- Packed their lunches, complete with fun surprises (more details tomorrow)! Except for the sandwiches. I'll make them in the morning so the bread doesn't get soggy. But the bread is even cut in half already, just waiting for the fillings. Oh, my, I'm a dork.
- Put the kids to bed on time - really on time - for the first time in ages. And that includes bathing, flossing, brushing, and reading (3 chapters of How to Eat Fried Worms). Oh, yeah - I'm feeling like SuperMom.
Monday, August 23, 2010
Crafty? Yes.. Creative? No.
"You're so creative!"
I get that a lot. And while I like to think I'm crafty, it's less about creativity and more about being able to follow directions. Cut this. Fold here. Print this. Yes, you read that right. Print this.
One of my newest crafty loves - free printables. So quick! So easy! Usually just a little cutting and folding required and - voila!
I'mstealing borrowing and idea from One Pretty Thing - a site that has a ton of craft links every. day. Only OPT has a photo of every craft, and I'm just linking you here with a short description. I like to print cards (to stuff into my collection of unused envelopes) since I'm really a fan of letter writing. Most recently, I've been doing back-to-school printables - especially lunch box notes. One day my kids will outgrow this, and I'll be sad - but for now, I guess there are worse things that printing out free stuff. I'm going to link you directly to the site with the printable download, but many thanks again to OPT for the links, the ideas, and the craft reading escape on a daily basis!
Backpack Snack Treat Topper (for the first day of school, so print it now!)
After School Convo Cards (hope this is a fun way to jump-start some after-school conversation with my oldest)
Gingham Lunch Note Cards (so cute!)
Lunch Box Love Notes (get out your circle cutter!)
Lunch Box Notes, Tags, and Stickers (customizable notes, and a cute idea for attaching the notes!)
Make My Lunch ... Fun (notes and bag tags)
Lunch Survey (scroll down - probably best for older kids)
Printable Lunch Box Menus (boy and girl designs - 4 per page)
School Notes Printable (scroll down; 2 per page)
And one more, not via OPT:
Super Sweet Lunch Notes (in celebration of the newly-designed another lunch - one of the bento blogs that I read)
Enjoy!
ETA: Look at this post that just came through my reader today. She has some of the same printables in her post!
I get that a lot. And while I like to think I'm crafty, it's less about creativity and more about being able to follow directions. Cut this. Fold here. Print this. Yes, you read that right. Print this.
One of my newest crafty loves - free printables. So quick! So easy! Usually just a little cutting and folding required and - voila!
I'm
Backpack Snack Treat Topper (for the first day of school, so print it now!)
After School Convo Cards (hope this is a fun way to jump-start some after-school conversation with my oldest)
Gingham Lunch Note Cards (so cute!)
Lunch Box Love Notes (get out your circle cutter!)
Lunch Box Notes, Tags, and Stickers (customizable notes, and a cute idea for attaching the notes!)
Make My Lunch ... Fun (notes and bag tags)
Lunch Survey (scroll down - probably best for older kids)
Printable Lunch Box Menus (boy and girl designs - 4 per page)
School Notes Printable (scroll down; 2 per page)
And one more, not via OPT:
Super Sweet Lunch Notes (in celebration of the newly-designed another lunch - one of the bento blogs that I read)
Enjoy!
ETA: Look at this post that just came through my reader today. She has some of the same printables in her post!
Wednesday, August 18, 2010
Back to School - Lunch Box Practice
School starts next week, and I'm gearing up to pack two lunches a day, five days per week. I'm not new to the routine, but I've done a little practicing and preparation over the last couple of weeks. For starters, I've packed lunches for some of our trips to the pool. Although the meals are basically the same, we do have slightly different tastes. Miss M has a smaller appetite, and Mister J's is growing. This was a good way for me to visualize how much the kids would need in their boxes since it's been a while since I've packed them.
They usually eat pretty well at the pool, but get hungry again quite quickly. I supplement a normal-sized lunch with extra snacks and drinks. It's pretty easy to do that since there's a break the last 10 minutes of every hour.
I've gone to several sites with free printables to print out lunch box messages. Sure, my kids love a few stickers and a note from mom, but the printables are quick and easy for days that I don't have time to track down the sharpies and stickers! I keep them right in the cabinet with our lunch supplies so I don't have to go very far.
Another way I've started to prepare for the year is by trying out a few new things. My kids don't mind my school-lunch experiments, but I also like to try new things when I can see their reactions.
I also experimented in one other way, though I'm not sure the folks at Laptop Lunches would endorse what I tried. I've hand-washed the insulated carriers that my kids use, but after an unfortunate yogurt spill I was never able to get the zippers completely clean. After several loads in our new front-load washer, I noticed that our clothes don't take nearly the beating that they did in our old top-loader, so I thought about tossing in the kids' insulated lunch carriers. I figured that if it all went wrong, the kids could use our insulated lunch sleeves until I could order new carriers. I decided to play it as safe as possible, and I put each carrier - closed but unzipped - into a zippered lingerie bag. I put a couple of towels into the washer to cushion the bags a bit, washed them on cold, and set the spin cycle to a slower speed. I'm pleased to say that they came out looking new.
Along with the two lunches I pack each day, I also pack a snack for Mister J. Last year, I either packed a non-perishable snack (like a granola bar), or he would finish up any lunch leftovers. Finishing up the leftovers was fine, except that he had to get his whole lunch out again. I'm not sure if the teacher was a fan of that idea or not, but at least she never complained. However I struggled with that idea a bit. Lunch time is short, and snack time is even shorter so I didn't want Mister J to feel rushed. I also wanted the flexibility to pack something like fruit or veggies, but the bento was already full. As I was shopping earlier in the summer, I came across these insulated containers:
I'm pretty sure these would get condensation either on the food or the outside of the container, and I'm guessing they would need to be inside of another insulated bag to remain cold. I'm not sure how leak-proof they would be. And, you'd need to wash the ice pod and the container after each use, and do it with enough time to spare that you could re-chill the ice pod. So, as you can guess, I pretty much talked myself out of one. But, I wonder if any of you have other ideas to share?
Do you pack lunches for your kids? Are you getting ready to send you oldest off to school and still trying to decide? Questions, comments, and suggestions welcomed - and have a happy school year!
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| My lunch - with an extra sandwich wedge made with a sage-y bean spread, no carrot sticks (can't eat them with braces), add bell peppers |
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| Miss M's lunch with tomatoes |
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| Mister J's lunch with no tomatoes |
I've gone to several sites with free printables to print out lunch box messages. Sure, my kids love a few stickers and a note from mom, but the printables are quick and easy for days that I don't have time to track down the sharpies and stickers! I keep them right in the cabinet with our lunch supplies so I don't have to go very far.
Another way I've started to prepare for the year is by trying out a few new things. My kids don't mind my school-lunch experiments, but I also like to try new things when I can see their reactions.
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| New pasta dish based on an idea I'd seen somewhere else. Verdict: Mister J loved it, Miss M was not a fan. |
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| You can see these in use in the lunches above. I wanted to be sure they would a) not poke each other with them and b) put these back into their boxes rather than throw them in the trash (they can be washed and reused). Thankfully, my kids are used to keeping everything that they find in the boxes. |
Along with the two lunches I pack each day, I also pack a snack for Mister J. Last year, I either packed a non-perishable snack (like a granola bar), or he would finish up any lunch leftovers. Finishing up the leftovers was fine, except that he had to get his whole lunch out again. I'm not sure if the teacher was a fan of that idea or not, but at least she never complained. However I struggled with that idea a bit. Lunch time is short, and snack time is even shorter so I didn't want Mister J to feel rushed. I also wanted the flexibility to pack something like fruit or veggies, but the bento was already full. As I was shopping earlier in the summer, I came across these insulated containers:
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| From packaging: aladdin Chill Snack Pack - 14 oz., includes ice pod |
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| The ice pod is attached to the lid, but removable, so the capacity would be a little greater for a non-perishable snack. Oh, and they come in at least two colors from T@rget. They also had other sizes, but I didn't give those much attention since I have a pretty specific need. |
Do you pack lunches for your kids? Are you getting ready to send you oldest off to school and still trying to decide? Questions, comments, and suggestions welcomed - and have a happy school year!
Sunday, July 25, 2010
Happy Almost New Year!
I tend to measure the passage of time by school years rather than calendar years. I think many moms of school-aged (and maybe even preschool-aged) kids do the same. I even measured it this way when I worked in higher ed - the academic and fiscal years would begin within about a few weeks of one another.
As the new school year approaches, I'm thinking about washable markers, backpacks, and antibacterial gel. I'm preparing to pack lunches and snacks every day. I'm getting my new calendar in order: moving appointments from the old into the new, adding in our extra-curricular schedules, and thinking about opportunities for travel.
I am excited about the new school year. While I have enjoyed the flexibility that summer offers, and for the first time I'm sad to see it end, I really do love the routine that comes with the return to school.
And maybe I'll have some time to get my desk in order.
Sent from my Verizon Wireless BlackBerry
As the new school year approaches, I'm thinking about washable markers, backpacks, and antibacterial gel. I'm preparing to pack lunches and snacks every day. I'm getting my new calendar in order: moving appointments from the old into the new, adding in our extra-curricular schedules, and thinking about opportunities for travel.
I am excited about the new school year. While I have enjoyed the flexibility that summer offers, and for the first time I'm sad to see it end, I really do love the routine that comes with the return to school.
And maybe I'll have some time to get my desk in order.
My momAgendas - 2009-2010 in fuschia; 2010-2011 in turquoise
Sent from my Verizon Wireless BlackBerry
Monday, June 14, 2010
Reunion
Two weekends ago I attended a reunion for the small, private school where I went to Kindergarten and 1st grade. A few of my family members - a cousin and uncle on my mom's side, two cousins on my dad's side - also attended school there in the 70s-early 80s, and my grandmother taught there for several years. The reunion was for faculty, staff, and any students that had attended the school, and I had the pleasure of making the trip with my grandmother. My uncle and his wife were also there, so along with being a school reunion, it was a mini family reunion as well.
My mom had driven to my house earlier in the week, and we got up bright and early on Saturday morning to go pick up my grandmother for the trip to a neighboring state. A few hours of driving, plus the reunion, plus another few hours home gave us plenty of time to visit, but it was also a long enough trip that it was nice to be able to share the driving.
The enthusiasm displayed by her former students (on the alumni page on Facebook) was one of the main reasons Mom and I decided to make the trip. My grandmother doesn't travel much anymore, so it was really a big deal to make the trip. And I'm so glad we did.
Attending the reunion with my grandmother was like spending the day with a celebrity! So many former students sat down to talk with her - to thank her, to tell her how important she was to their education, to tell her that they still use the lessons she taught them (mainly English, but she also taught Art and History). When folks asked me how I was connected to the school, they didn't recognize me as having been a student when they were there, too - but they did make the connection when I told them that she was my grandmother.
I took a lot of photographs during the reunion, and plan to get them printed out for my grandmother this week. I can't wait to take her a photo album filled with photos of her former students and colleagues as they visited with her that day.
A huge thanks to the folks who worked so hard to organize the reunion. They even brought the sign and planted it at the reunion site that day, which was a total surprise! (I admit I got a bit teary when I saw it - I'm sentimental that way.) I'm looking forward to future reunions, and hope that my grandmother and other family member will be able to attend next year.
My mom had driven to my house earlier in the week, and we got up bright and early on Saturday morning to go pick up my grandmother for the trip to a neighboring state. A few hours of driving, plus the reunion, plus another few hours home gave us plenty of time to visit, but it was also a long enough trip that it was nice to be able to share the driving.
The enthusiasm displayed by her former students (on the alumni page on Facebook) was one of the main reasons Mom and I decided to make the trip. My grandmother doesn't travel much anymore, so it was really a big deal to make the trip. And I'm so glad we did.
Attending the reunion with my grandmother was like spending the day with a celebrity! So many former students sat down to talk with her - to thank her, to tell her how important she was to their education, to tell her that they still use the lessons she taught them (mainly English, but she also taught Art and History). When folks asked me how I was connected to the school, they didn't recognize me as having been a student when they were there, too - but they did make the connection when I told them that she was my grandmother.
I took a lot of photographs during the reunion, and plan to get them printed out for my grandmother this week. I can't wait to take her a photo album filled with photos of her former students and colleagues as they visited with her that day.
A huge thanks to the folks who worked so hard to organize the reunion. They even brought the sign and planted it at the reunion site that day, which was a total surprise! (I admit I got a bit teary when I saw it - I'm sentimental that way.) I'm looking forward to future reunions, and hope that my grandmother and other family member will be able to attend next year.
Sunday, June 13, 2010
Last Day of School & Beginning of Summer!
There was an awards program on the last day of school, and each of our children was awarded with the title of Ravenous Reader! Miss M talks a LOT about spending time in the Home Living center in her classroom, so we were pleased to learn that she continues to enjoy the reading center, too. Mister J has made great strides in reading, and is hoping to complete the Magic Tree House series this summer. I see a lot of trips to the library in our future! I've printed out a checklist so we can keep track.
We will begin our first full week of summer vacation with a gathering at a bouncy play place, a day program for elementary school students at our church, and some time at the pool. Oh, and Miss M's food challenge on Wednesday! It's the first week of 'vacation' - but we won't slow down until at least Thursday!
As much as I love the structure of the school year, I am excited about the summer. I'm hoping to keep a little structure in our week - as much as possible with camps and travel - but also balance it with special events and spur-of-the-moment fun. And, I'll keep you posted here with we've got time!
Wednesday, May 26, 2010
Random Thoughts
It's been lovely in our part of the world this week. A little warm for my taste, but mostly sunny and nice out. In fact, I started this post while I was sitting out on my back porch. My kids were outside, too. My son was sitting next to me, working on his homework. My daughter was running about using a toy butterfly net to scoop up grass clippings and put them in a pile to carry down to the curb. She wasn't asked to gather the clippings, she was just having fun with a project. Aaaaaand pretending the loaded-up net was a giraffe - the filled-up net was the head and the handle was the looong neck! She's really got a great imagination and is very artistic. So different from me, and very entertaining!
It's been a good week. It started last Saturday when a good friend came over to help me get started on what will (hopefully) be a whole-house project to minimize and organize. My kitchen has been a much more peaceful place, and I'm looking forward to creating this feeling in the rest of our home. I must say, though, that even my newly-organized kitchen still looked a little, um, messy when someone (me) forgot to put detergent in the dishwasher. And didn't realize it until the next mealtime rolled around. So I had to re-wash a load of dishes while the next round waited patiently by the kitchen sink. Still, it's a pretty quick fix. I also cleaned out the fridge today, and I'm thinking about tackling the pantry over the long weekend. The hardest part for me is avoiding the, "ooh, shiny" syndrome - that is, avoiding distraction so I can complete the project at hand. There's only one (small) downside to these projects. I have temporarily given up parking in the garage so that we have a space to store everything until we are ready to have a garage sale.
Speaking of garage sales, Miss M was playing in the den this afternoon. She was setting out several items on our ottoman and informed me that she was having a yard sale. Too cute! I wonder if she will be as excited when it's time to start paring down the toys. We sold quite a bit of toys at a garage sale last summer, and I always put a few toys in our church's clothing exchange each year. Still, the toys are completely out of control. The good news - if I can't regain control of the toy chaos, Muffy can! Now if I can just get my parking space back before the worst heat of summer sets in!
We've got just two weeks of school remaining before summer break, and these last weeks are flying by! So of course, we seemed to have hit on a very good nap schedule for Miss M and a good homework strategy for Mister J. As far as Miss M's naps, she really does still need to nap most days even though she doesn't want to. Although her new nap schedule eliminates any alone time for me in the afternoons, it's certainly worth it to have this improvement in our routine. I've been doing most of my work on my laptop, and Miss M has been snuggling with me while I work. She's never been a big snuggler, so I'm enjoying every minute! Now that I think about it, maybe over the summer we should institute nap time for everyone!
Back to that new homework strategy. After several weeks of struggling to get homework completed, we seem to have figured it all out. Two weeks in, this new strategy seems to be working pretty well for everyone. Not just Mister J, but the whole family. Yes, those rough homework nights were rough on all of us. Of course, this is the last week of homework before school is out for the summer. At least we'll know how to have a smooth start in the fall!
I have been anxious about the approach of summer break. As much as I love the freedom of summertime, I also love the routine of the school year. However, the fun and freedom is getting pretty tempting! I'm looking forward to the fun things we will do: swimming, going to the movies, summer camps for the kids, daytrips with friends, and (maybe most of all) being able to sleep in if the kids will let me! While it's tempting to push back bedtime - after all, it's tough to put kids in bed before the sun goes down - I still hope to keep it relatively early so I can preserve some of the evening to spend with Big J. Maybe even plan some at-home date nights - my favorite kind!
It's been a good week. It started last Saturday when a good friend came over to help me get started on what will (hopefully) be a whole-house project to minimize and organize. My kitchen has been a much more peaceful place, and I'm looking forward to creating this feeling in the rest of our home. I must say, though, that even my newly-organized kitchen still looked a little, um, messy when someone (me) forgot to put detergent in the dishwasher. And didn't realize it until the next mealtime rolled around. So I had to re-wash a load of dishes while the next round waited patiently by the kitchen sink. Still, it's a pretty quick fix. I also cleaned out the fridge today, and I'm thinking about tackling the pantry over the long weekend. The hardest part for me is avoiding the, "ooh, shiny" syndrome - that is, avoiding distraction so I can complete the project at hand. There's only one (small) downside to these projects. I have temporarily given up parking in the garage so that we have a space to store everything until we are ready to have a garage sale.
Speaking of garage sales, Miss M was playing in the den this afternoon. She was setting out several items on our ottoman and informed me that she was having a yard sale. Too cute! I wonder if she will be as excited when it's time to start paring down the toys. We sold quite a bit of toys at a garage sale last summer, and I always put a few toys in our church's clothing exchange each year. Still, the toys are completely out of control. The good news - if I can't regain control of the toy chaos, Muffy can! Now if I can just get my parking space back before the worst heat of summer sets in!
We've got just two weeks of school remaining before summer break, and these last weeks are flying by! So of course, we seemed to have hit on a very good nap schedule for Miss M and a good homework strategy for Mister J. As far as Miss M's naps, she really does still need to nap most days even though she doesn't want to. Although her new nap schedule eliminates any alone time for me in the afternoons, it's certainly worth it to have this improvement in our routine. I've been doing most of my work on my laptop, and Miss M has been snuggling with me while I work. She's never been a big snuggler, so I'm enjoying every minute! Now that I think about it, maybe over the summer we should institute nap time for everyone!
Back to that new homework strategy. After several weeks of struggling to get homework completed, we seem to have figured it all out. Two weeks in, this new strategy seems to be working pretty well for everyone. Not just Mister J, but the whole family. Yes, those rough homework nights were rough on all of us. Of course, this is the last week of homework before school is out for the summer. At least we'll know how to have a smooth start in the fall!
I have been anxious about the approach of summer break. As much as I love the freedom of summertime, I also love the routine of the school year. However, the fun and freedom is getting pretty tempting! I'm looking forward to the fun things we will do: swimming, going to the movies, summer camps for the kids, daytrips with friends, and (maybe most of all) being able to sleep in if the kids will let me! While it's tempting to push back bedtime - after all, it's tough to put kids in bed before the sun goes down - I still hope to keep it relatively early so I can preserve some of the evening to spend with Big J. Maybe even plan some at-home date nights - my favorite kind!
Tuesday, March 23, 2010
Firsts
Yes, my kids are older - potty-trained and all of that - but we still have firsts! Tonight, I have a 'first' to share for each of the kids!
Mister J has been taking swim lessons at school, and today he swam on his own - face in the water, and no floaties - for the very first time! I'm so proud of him! He was very timid in the water last summer, so I'm incredibly excited for him. He has been so proud of his accomplishments after each swim lesson (twice a week) - and I can't believe he waited until bedtime tonight to tell me this!
Miss M - well, this isn't exactly the same kind of milestone, but I think all kids do it... Miss M decided to take things into her own hands today and take a chunk out of her hair. Thankfully, she only snipped off part of a little ponytail (just the front section of hair that I'd pulled back for her dance class this afternoon), and it seems to blend into the rest of her hair pretty well. However, "Dr. Sabrina" will certainly notice it at our next hair appointment!
Mister J has been taking swim lessons at school, and today he swam on his own - face in the water, and no floaties - for the very first time! I'm so proud of him! He was very timid in the water last summer, so I'm incredibly excited for him. He has been so proud of his accomplishments after each swim lesson (twice a week) - and I can't believe he waited until bedtime tonight to tell me this!
Miss M - well, this isn't exactly the same kind of milestone, but I think all kids do it... Miss M decided to take things into her own hands today and take a chunk out of her hair. Thankfully, she only snipped off part of a little ponytail (just the front section of hair that I'd pulled back for her dance class this afternoon), and it seems to blend into the rest of her hair pretty well. However, "Dr. Sabrina" will certainly notice it at our next hair appointment!
Wednesday, February 17, 2010
School Night
Mister J is working on a project about Woodrow Wilson while Miss M alternately poses for the camera and does her own "homework."
Sent from my Verizon Wireless BlackBerry
ETA: Seriously? Another upside down photo? I think I've figured out the problem, but only just now.... Will fix this shortly...
Tuesday, February 2, 2010
"Blizzard" of 2010
We are currently on Day 5 of the first winter 'event' of 2010. The snow began on Friday evening and continued through Saturday, eventually turning into sleet. We all stayed inside on Saturday - the kids had no interest in playing outside while it was actually snowing, and I didn't argue with that. We got outside on Sunday, played a bit, shoveled the driveway, and then got out of the house for a bit (most of the major roads were clear). The temperatures are still fluctuating a bit - the leftover snow and ice melt during the day and then freeze over at night. Tomorrow makes the third day that schools have been closed, and we are expecting more wintry precipitation on Friday, and perhaps even more next week. If we have to get wintry weather, I'm hoping for more of the big, fluffy flakes like we had in December and less of the typical Southern snow, which contains a fair bit of ice. Read on to see what I mean....
Our cat, Mulligan, sitting on top of the snow/ice.
It took a bit of work for the kids to break through the snow, and the kids were amazed by the big chunks they could pick up this time (we had dry snow in December).
Poor Miss M doesn't have the best aim yet - and Mister J ducked at just the right time - but she sure tried hard to get her big brother!
This snow wasn't so good for making snow angels, but my two sure tried! Mister J did really a good job of breaking through the snow and here's the result!
The final snow tally was somewhere around 6-8 inches - including a bottom layer of ice, a middle layer of sticky snow, and a top layer of frozen snow/ice. Here's a big chunk of it - 6 inches thick - but this isn't the full thickness of the snow/ice. There was a portion of the yard that didn't even break when we walked across it - and all four of us walked across the same spot!
I really didn't imagine we would get as much snow as we did - after all, the weather forecasters never get it right two times in a row! So, once we knew the roads were clear, we ventured out for a couple more gallons of milk, some fruit, and some sanity! We let the kids play in the new playhouse that's on display, I looked at books (but didn't buy any), and we generally just enjoyed being out of the house. Check out that parking lot - and that's after it was cleared/scraped. The icy bottom layer just isn't going anywhere fast, and that's why tomorrow will be the third day in a row that school's closed.
Our cat, Mulligan, sitting on top of the snow/ice.
It took a bit of work for the kids to break through the snow, and the kids were amazed by the big chunks they could pick up this time (we had dry snow in December).We had really good snow for making snowballs. It probably would have made a good snowman, too, but we didn't make one this time. It was hard to get through the top frozen layer to the sticky snow underneath. The kids really wanted to have a snowball fight. Mister J took advantage of Miss M's smaller, slower hands and conserved some energy by not actually throwing several of his snowballs.
Poor Miss M doesn't have the best aim yet - and Mister J ducked at just the right time - but she sure tried hard to get her big brother!
This snow wasn't so good for making snow angels, but my two sure tried! Mister J did really a good job of breaking through the snow and here's the result!
And here's why Mister J conserved his snowball-throwing energy - a snowball fight with Big J! They had so much fun - lots of laughs and LOTS of snowballs back and forth! You can see that the snow is starting to melt, and that it wasn't really cold when we were outside (Big J didn't even wear a jacket out).
The final snow tally was somewhere around 6-8 inches - including a bottom layer of ice, a middle layer of sticky snow, and a top layer of frozen snow/ice. Here's a big chunk of it - 6 inches thick - but this isn't the full thickness of the snow/ice. There was a portion of the yard that didn't even break when we walked across it - and all four of us walked across the same spot!
I really didn't imagine we would get as much snow as we did - after all, the weather forecasters never get it right two times in a row! So, once we knew the roads were clear, we ventured out for a couple more gallons of milk, some fruit, and some sanity! We let the kids play in the new playhouse that's on display, I looked at books (but didn't buy any), and we generally just enjoyed being out of the house. Check out that parking lot - and that's after it was cleared/scraped. The icy bottom layer just isn't going anywhere fast, and that's why tomorrow will be the third day in a row that school's closed.
Wednesday, January 20, 2010
Low(er) Stress Homework
I have a kindergartner. He has homework. We have homework issues. Sound familiar?After a long day at school, it's no surprise that Mister J is just not interested in doing homework. He'd much rather be watching Dinosaur Train or Word Girl, playing Wii, or going to basketball practice. Truly, who wouldn't? However, the homework must get done. In addition to math homework each night, a weekly writing assignment, and a science or social studies assignment, Mister J is also supposed to read 15 minutes each day. I was having Mister J read our bedtimes stories, but it really wasn't working for us. He was tired, and so was I, so we weren't reading anything too challenging. Add it all up, and there were a few ... problems.
1 - Doing all of the homework in the evening is a big stressor for our family (yes, the whole family!), especially on nights when we have other activities scheduled.
2 -We were doing homework at bedtime. This is just not cool.
3 - We were selecting less-challenging books because we were all tired, which wasn't helping Mister J develop his reading skills.
About a week ago, Mister J's class was scheduled for a visit to the library. He'd listened to some of the Magic Treehouse books on CD during the holiday break and really enjoyed them, so I suggested that he select at least one during his library visit. He came home with three! THREE! When were we going to find time to read those?
(light bulb flashes on)
If we could listen to audiobooks in the Mommy-van, why couldn't we do our 15 minutes of daily reading on the way to school in the morning? Genius, I tell ya!
Aside from the benefit of spreading out the homework load across the day, I see lots of other pluses to this system:
1 - It's a way to slowly get into 'school mode' while still having fun (he really enjoys the stories).
2 - He's reading out loud - working on fluency and self-confidence
3 - Since he sits behind me instead of beside me (like when we read at bedtime), he's much more likely to try to sound out the words on his own instead of just asking me. Of course, being less tired also helps.
4 - Miss M is observing this, too - so there's a benefit there, too!
The Magic Treehouse books are challenging for Mister J, so he often spells out words that he doesn't recognize. Then, we just use some of his reading strategies to figure it out. I also think that talking through the reading strategies helps to reinforce them for times when he's reading independently. At the moment, I don't think he's using these strategies as much as he could be, so I am pleased that I can reinforce them while we do our reading homework.
Homework in the morning Works for Me!
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