Here in the great state of daily thunderstorms and hurricanes we get some really good downpours in the afternoon. Do I own at least one umbrella for walking Aidan to the bus stop? I do...somewhere...in a closet...or was it in the car? Needless to say, I can't find a single umbrella! Bus stops are not fun in the rain. Mud puddles with clean white socks are not fun in the rain. (Maybe to Aidan)
Yesterday (Tuesday) It was time for Aidan's bus to be dropping off the kids when I receive a phone call from Aidan's teacher...The children are still at the school on lock down because of all of the lightning and flash flooding. I'm really glad she called. I could hear chaos in the background. The teacher put me on hold to calm down a little girl who was scared and her mommy was now coming to get her from the school instead of riding the bus home. I hear the word "Lock down" and I fear the worst... When they are crimes and police chases or anything of the sort, in the area of a public school, the schools are put on "lock downs" until the crisis is taken care of. I feel better knowing it's just the weather. I didn't like it when the teacher informed me that it is their policy for the bus drivers to also stop and if the weather is too bad, to bring the kids back to the school so the parents can pick them up there. Thankfully, the weather let up enough for the buses to continue and needless to say Aidan arrived safely home about an hour later than usual.
p.s. I called Rachel's mom to see if she had heard the news and she had not. (Skylar was still sick so Rachel's mom was going to pick up Aidan & Rachel from the bus stop for me) Luckily Aidan's teacher was calling all of her student's parents but not the other teachers in the higher grades (Rachel is in 2nd).I bet after Aidan's first day of school bus fiasco, I was first on her calling list :), she definitely reassured me on the phone that Aidan was ok and he would be coming home soon. I feel bad for all of the other parents who sat in the rain at bus stops for about an hour waiting for their kids to come home not knowing why they were so late...Don't bother calling the school to find out why, the lines were busy the entire time.
*Note to self: buy a large umbrella*
Yesterday I just so happen to be waiting for Aidan to get home so I could go grocery shopping otherwise the delay really wouldn't have bothered me. Now I was shopping an hour late, which put me into 6 o'clock traffic when we left the grocery store, which put me late into making dinner and now I have 2 children in the backseat of the car starving and chanting "we want french fries" *sigh* Damn Thunderstorms!
I really wish I could remember to not wear my flip flops when I go grocery shopping in the rain. My feet get soak & wet, then freezing cold as you step in the grocery store, plus you Hydro-plane on any flat surface until your flippies dry. Of course my little independent Skylar had to walk in the rain next to me from the store back to the car as opposed to riding in the shopping cart so I could at least run to the car in the pouring rain but Nooooo Miss Independent is all about me letting her walk like a big girl.
**Moral of today's story: Always keep an umbrella by your front door & if you are on a tight grocery shopping schedule and it's raining...don't bother, just order a pizza and shop the next day :)
Wednesday, September 29, 2010
Monday, September 27, 2010
Progress Reports
We received Aidan's progress report and it reads as I had suspected it would. Unless he is a trouble maker, a bully, socially disruptive or a biter, he is going to get all "S"'s for satisfactory. I really wonder if any other child got a different progress report? match, science, English, writing, and all of those categories, he received a "W" which is for Kindergarten & first grades only which means "working on skills". Wouldn't every single child in the first progress report get one of those? ALL children are "working on skills" that is the point of the first few weeks of Kindergarten. I'm confused. However, in the Art, Music, P.E. categories, he receives an "S" in all of them. So he requires the skills already for those? Maybe he needs to work on his jumping rope skill?
In the notes section the teacher write "Aidan is such a sweet boy. He is doing well in class. With a little extra help from the teacher he completes the work assigned. He can benefit from extra practice in staying on task and following directions, and writing letters appropriately.
I would like to point out that he is a 5 year old boy with the attention spam of a gnat! If I'm talking to him anywhere near a t.v., he will look through/around me to see the t.v. while I'm trying to tell him something. I would LOVE to give him some extra practice in "staying on task and following instructions" :) that one hopefully will work itself out in time, with the teacher's help lol. I don't believe that at this point with Aidan it is something that can be "taught" I can ask him to put something in his room and he will get half way there and start doing something else. I can tell Skylar to do something once and she does it, Aidan not so much. In fact, I can tell Aidan to go do something or get me something and Skylar will race him there to do it instead of him.
Such is the way with girls. Skylar still helps carry in groceries while Aidan walks inside, takes his shoes off and will sit down complaining he's thirsty. Amazing how girls learn instinctively at a young age to work and take care of everyone while boys learn to drop dead of exhaustion and complain until someone brings them a drink.
In the notes section the teacher write "Aidan is such a sweet boy. He is doing well in class. With a little extra help from the teacher he completes the work assigned. He can benefit from extra practice in staying on task and following directions, and writing letters appropriately.
I would like to point out that he is a 5 year old boy with the attention spam of a gnat! If I'm talking to him anywhere near a t.v., he will look through/around me to see the t.v. while I'm trying to tell him something. I would LOVE to give him some extra practice in "staying on task and following instructions" :) that one hopefully will work itself out in time, with the teacher's help lol. I don't believe that at this point with Aidan it is something that can be "taught" I can ask him to put something in his room and he will get half way there and start doing something else. I can tell Skylar to do something once and she does it, Aidan not so much. In fact, I can tell Aidan to go do something or get me something and Skylar will race him there to do it instead of him.
Such is the way with girls. Skylar still helps carry in groceries while Aidan walks inside, takes his shoes off and will sit down complaining he's thirsty. Amazing how girls learn instinctively at a young age to work and take care of everyone while boys learn to drop dead of exhaustion and complain until someone brings them a drink.
Sick Again!
Aidan was sick again last week, fortunately his only lasted a weekend and another Monday missed from still having a fever. He is all better now. However the cold was passed along to me, Daddy & Skylar who is still sick as we all got better.
Last Tuesday night was Aidan's first open house. They divided the night into 2 different time slots back to back for 40 minutes a slot. However, I think all parents for Aidan's class showed up in the first 40 minute time slot like I did, and we stayed the whole hour and a half. I was the first one there and the last one to leave :) It was cute. The class was set up all nice and we had a "scavenger hunt" when we walked in so our child could show us around the room and to each station and tell us a little bit about what they do during the day. Needless to say, I just walked around and looked at everything and would ask Aidan what is this for? And he was so excited just to show me all the kids in his class that I couldn't get much out of him. Joe was out of town working unfortunately so he didn't get to go. I had to take Skylar with me and she was QUITE the typical two year old running around touching everything. It was so hard to listen to what Aidan's teacher wanted to say because I was trying to keep an eye on Skylar while she was at a coloring station with other children and Aidan was a hyper talkative little boy who kept trying to tell me things. I was irritated at the "announcement" on video as soon as we "the parents" got into the classroom. We were all made to sit and watch a 10-15 minutes presentation on a video made for us about voting in November and what it means for school funding. I'm not saying it isn't important, but I'm here tonight in a very short amount of time to learn about my child's progression in school and what they have been working on plus any questions I may have, not to spend 15 minutes I'll never get back being kidnapped and FORCED to watch politicians speak.
We were informed that their first field trip in coming up. They are going to a farm/petting zoo place in the first week of October. I can't wait! I will not be able to chaperone this time since I will have Skylar but My sister is going in my place. I should say this now how much better I feel knowing that someone I know & trust will be with him while he is away. Plus she can take lots of pictures for me :)
I can't wait to post those pictures!
Last Tuesday night was Aidan's first open house. They divided the night into 2 different time slots back to back for 40 minutes a slot. However, I think all parents for Aidan's class showed up in the first 40 minute time slot like I did, and we stayed the whole hour and a half. I was the first one there and the last one to leave :) It was cute. The class was set up all nice and we had a "scavenger hunt" when we walked in so our child could show us around the room and to each station and tell us a little bit about what they do during the day. Needless to say, I just walked around and looked at everything and would ask Aidan what is this for? And he was so excited just to show me all the kids in his class that I couldn't get much out of him. Joe was out of town working unfortunately so he didn't get to go. I had to take Skylar with me and she was QUITE the typical two year old running around touching everything. It was so hard to listen to what Aidan's teacher wanted to say because I was trying to keep an eye on Skylar while she was at a coloring station with other children and Aidan was a hyper talkative little boy who kept trying to tell me things. I was irritated at the "announcement" on video as soon as we "the parents" got into the classroom. We were all made to sit and watch a 10-15 minutes presentation on a video made for us about voting in November and what it means for school funding. I'm not saying it isn't important, but I'm here tonight in a very short amount of time to learn about my child's progression in school and what they have been working on plus any questions I may have, not to spend 15 minutes I'll never get back being kidnapped and FORCED to watch politicians speak.
We were informed that their first field trip in coming up. They are going to a farm/petting zoo place in the first week of October. I can't wait! I will not be able to chaperone this time since I will have Skylar but My sister is going in my place. I should say this now how much better I feel knowing that someone I know & trust will be with him while he is away. Plus she can take lots of pictures for me :)
I can't wait to post those pictures!
Wednesday, September 8, 2010
Kindergarten DAY ?
Ok so it has been one week since my last post. Labor Day weekend just passed us by (A nice 3 days) It is the 3rd week into school and I am already seeing no point in "counting" the kindergarten days as day..whatever. I have a 2 1/2 year old daughter who as I type this is screaming her little terrible two self to death right behind me. (Time for some Advil) I have Aidan in Kindergarten with homework (for me apparently not him) every night now. I have mandatory reading him 20 minutes of stories a night as well which I love doing, but let's face it - there are some nights where I'm exhausted and it isn't possible for story time. Which of course I as a mom go to bed feeling every badly that I didn't do it anyways, even with my migraine. Between laundry, cleaning, cooking, working from home & the kids, there is little time left over for me & daddy in the evening, Especially when he gets home from work at 6:30-ish every night, just in time for dinner and some t.v. downtime before he has to shower, bed & do it all over again the next day.
If any of you have any secrets to juggling all of this? Please feel free to leave them here :) Aidan never had the terrible twos or threes so this is all new to me. I will end this here so I can go calm down my poor screaming baby who is thrashing & kicking and screaming at me for what appears to be no apparent reason.
Thank-You for understanding :)
If any of you have any secrets to juggling all of this? Please feel free to leave them here :) Aidan never had the terrible twos or threes so this is all new to me. I will end this here so I can go calm down my poor screaming baby who is thrashing & kicking and screaming at me for what appears to be no apparent reason.
Thank-You for understanding :)
Thursday, September 2, 2010
Kindergarten DAY 8
Wednesday September 1 2010
I'm so aggravated at this blue take home folder of Aidan's. I thought it was for me to look at everyday with information for me, fliers, school announcements, etc.. Apparently it is a "communication" folder. Explain to me again why teachers nowadays communicate through a folder & a 5 year old? It is like passing notes in study hall. I emailed his teacher yesterday after 3 worksheets appeared in the folder with question marks at the top -nothing else. On a calendar was a note (with a tone) to complete homework. I was under the impression homework so far was reading for 20 minutes a night and signing off on the calendar which books we read. If this was a homework folder, shouldn't I have been told this at open house? Or any other time in the past week? *sigh* Right after I received the very structured and business sounding email from his teacher, I received the same email again however, it was Carbon copied to every other parent in the teacher's email address so they are now informed as well.
I'm happy now we are all on the same page. I'm still upset at how all of this feels so impersonal. Maybe it is just Aidan's teacher? Maybe it's the school? The County School System? How would I know. All I do know is this fairy tale dream I had of a great school year and meeting the teacher and helping out in the classroom, and baking cookies, is a sham. I really do hate to think this is how it is done nowadays.
Aidan is very smart and we sat down and did all 3 worksheets very quickly, in fact when we were done he wanted more to do. He is getting a lot better at cutting
(we are cheating & using my good scissors) I also had to refrain from gluing his pictures onto his homework for him, I handed him the glue stick and let him go to town. I think we don't realize how much we do for our kids without letting them try it for themselves. Such as letting Aidan put the straw in his own juice box. Sounds really dumb right? That A 5 year old should be able to put a straw in his own juice box, but what if he's never done it before? I have ALWAYS just ripped it of the side, pushed it out of the plastic & popped it in the top for him. He probably didn't even know it didn't already come with the straw inside.
So that is my new goal for this year, let Aidan try to do everything first for himself, and then offer my help. Although opening the top of those hunts pudding cups are a big pain that I don't expect him to be able to do just yet. I ask him then who opens it during his lunch time? He told me a girl rips it open with her teeth for him everyday. LOL now that is funny. I wonder if that little girl goes home and tells her mommy that she opens a little boys pudding everyday with her teeth because he can't (he lost 3 teeth already in the front due to horseplay and an ottoman to my rocking chair) Score Furniture:3 Aidan:0
I'm so aggravated at this blue take home folder of Aidan's. I thought it was for me to look at everyday with information for me, fliers, school announcements, etc.. Apparently it is a "communication" folder. Explain to me again why teachers nowadays communicate through a folder & a 5 year old? It is like passing notes in study hall. I emailed his teacher yesterday after 3 worksheets appeared in the folder with question marks at the top -nothing else. On a calendar was a note (with a tone) to complete homework. I was under the impression homework so far was reading for 20 minutes a night and signing off on the calendar which books we read. If this was a homework folder, shouldn't I have been told this at open house? Or any other time in the past week? *sigh* Right after I received the very structured and business sounding email from his teacher, I received the same email again however, it was Carbon copied to every other parent in the teacher's email address so they are now informed as well.
I'm happy now we are all on the same page. I'm still upset at how all of this feels so impersonal. Maybe it is just Aidan's teacher? Maybe it's the school? The County School System? How would I know. All I do know is this fairy tale dream I had of a great school year and meeting the teacher and helping out in the classroom, and baking cookies, is a sham. I really do hate to think this is how it is done nowadays.
Aidan is very smart and we sat down and did all 3 worksheets very quickly, in fact when we were done he wanted more to do. He is getting a lot better at cutting
(we are cheating & using my good scissors) I also had to refrain from gluing his pictures onto his homework for him, I handed him the glue stick and let him go to town. I think we don't realize how much we do for our kids without letting them try it for themselves. Such as letting Aidan put the straw in his own juice box. Sounds really dumb right? That A 5 year old should be able to put a straw in his own juice box, but what if he's never done it before? I have ALWAYS just ripped it of the side, pushed it out of the plastic & popped it in the top for him. He probably didn't even know it didn't already come with the straw inside.
So that is my new goal for this year, let Aidan try to do everything first for himself, and then offer my help. Although opening the top of those hunts pudding cups are a big pain that I don't expect him to be able to do just yet. I ask him then who opens it during his lunch time? He told me a girl rips it open with her teeth for him everyday. LOL now that is funny. I wonder if that little girl goes home and tells her mommy that she opens a little boys pudding everyday with her teeth because he can't (he lost 3 teeth already in the front due to horseplay and an ottoman to my rocking chair) Score Furniture:3 Aidan:0
Kindergarten Day 7
Nothing exiting on Tuesday :) I'm very grateful. Everything went smoothly. I am still sick and so is Skylar, Aidan seems perfectly fine with a 24 hour cold. Although he did go to bed tonight exhausted before 8pm which is unusual, Skylar did too.
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