The start of school was a welcomed change of pace. I think we all were ready for something new. I enjoy the scheduled part of it and having to be places. It helps me be more time efficient. And, the boys really like going to school too.
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| Carter on the first day of Kindergarten |
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| Bridger on the first day of first grade. And, of course, Sissy... not quite ready for first grade. |
I am really happy with both of the teachers that the boys have. Carter has the same one that Bridger did last year, Mrs. P. and Bridger has a teacher that is so great, Mrs. T. She is the one of the most positive persons that I have met. When I volunteered last year in Kindergarten, I could hear Mrs. T. in her classroom praising every child for so many things. She teaches the kids cute poems and songs that help them to learn. She is wonderful.
Since it is now December that I am writing this, I thought I would include things that have happened since school started so LONG ago:
The school has Wild West Night- a fund raising carnival- with a Western theme where hicks like us- and basically only us- dress in our Cowboy duds and have a fun night at the school. I only took pictures of Eden in her cowgirl hat.
Parent teacher conferences were in October. It is always so fun for me to hear what people tell me about my children. I first met with Carter's teacher. Mrs. P. said that Carter is such a sweet kid and he is a good listener and stays on task and gets his work done. She said that he is at the top of his class (I used all Bridger's homework last year for Carter too) and that she wants to challenge him more with writing sentences and in handwriting. She said that he watches out for other people and is a good helper. She also told me she was happy with herself that she had only called him Bridger three times that year... that's about how many times I myself switch them in a day. It was a good visit and I got some great art projects to take home.
Bridger's teacher was next. I walked in and she was so animated in her description of Bridger. She said that she just loved him and that he is such a positive person. She said that he sincerely compliments other students on their work and that he is always happy and has a positive attitude. She said that he is a hard worker and he stays on task. She said that he is compliant and follows directions thoroughly. As she was talking, I started tearing up. It was a tender moment of pure joy for me. After hearing all the great comments from Carters teacher and then hearing Bridger's teacher tell me how much she was enjoying him, I was reminded yet again how lucky I am to have these wonderful boys in our family, how lucky I am to have them teach me the things that they do. It was a very fulfilling moment. And a reward to me personally- the reason why I stay home with my children and why I try so hard to teach them and discipline them and help them learn and sit still and be quiet and respectful and kind and helpful and all those things that sometimes I feel like I am not doing well enough and I wonder if they are listening or even care. It was totally embarrassing tearing up in front of the teacher as I am not a crier- although I have realized that now I do cry over things that are most important to me- like my little family.
And, now it is March and this post still has yet to be finished...
so, now that the year is more than half over, what else do we have to share?
Bridger: Bridger has jogged a lot during recess. He has racked up 45 miles and is one of the top joggers of the first graders. He was invited to a special breakfast on the blue football field with some athletes at Boise State University. He and two others were chosen from first grade. Great Job!
What else...every day his lunch consists of: blueberry bagel with strawberry cream cheese on one side only, 3 baby carrots, one or two sweet mini peppers, mini orange or banana. Sometimes a drink box or something else, but he usually doesn't eat whatever else I add. There was a period where he wouldn't eat the mini peppers because a girl at school made the comment, "Eww! Those are disgusting!" Which made him burst into tears when retelling the story to me. It took a while, but he worked through bringing this really enjoyable yet socially unacceptable food item, sometimes eating them at recess when others wouldn't see, and again enjoys them-at lunch in front of everyone!! Oh the trials of a first grader...
He continues to do well in school and his handwriting has improved quite a bit. He loves art, reading chapter books and playing with friends. Report cards came today and said he averages 68 words per minute and end of year goal is 53 for first graders. Bridger says he wants to be an illustrator when he grows up. Here are some of his projects:
Bridger painted this picture with some left over wood from Ben's project. I told Bridger that he is related to lots of artists: Grandma Tippets paints, Grandma Johnson used to paint, my Grandma Cole painted lots and lots of oil paintings, Aunt Alona was an art teacher, his Aunt Jocelynn is an artist... I say its in his genes. He took this painting to class for show and tell. They were supposed to bring a Christmas gift to show and then all the kids were supposed to share their toys with each other. He was very insistent on bringing this. He said he talked Mrs. T and she said it was okay. After school I asked him how it went and he said it was great. When it was time to share the toys, Mrs. T got out paper and paints for anyone who wanted to paint and Bridger was the art teacher for them. Mrs T is great and I really appreciated her accommodating him.
Lest I lead you into thinking that first grade has been complete bliss, it hasn't. Bridger has started the art of arguing. He has managed to get very good at pushing my buttons which is something new. Now that he is in first grade, he knows everything!! I have had a hard time with his attitude at home and hope that this is just a phase that will pass and if it doesn't- he would make a great prosecuting lawyer someday.
OK now for Carter: Carter loves to go to school. His favorite thing to eat before school is scrambled eggs with mozzarella cheese. I made this for him one day and told him a story of how much I loved eating it before I went to afternoon kindergarten and how I would help my mom make it for me. Since then he has it a few times a week and he is to the point that he can make it all by himself. He's never burned himself on the stove and he most recently has decided that he likes it on buttered toast. (We don't butter things here, mostly because I am too lazy to have a stick of butter out, and nobody has ever requested it.) Anyway he was introduced to this "buttering toast" thing by Holly and he is hooked.
Carter reads really well and picks up on things really fast. He is a great student and kindergarten is too easy for him. I always joke with him that he sneaks into first grade when he is at school and that is why he is so smart.
The other day he said,"Mom, I know what four groups of three is. It's 12." I said, "Wow! How did you know that?" He said, "By looking at the clock. See..." and he explained that there were three groups of numbers, in four groups. And then Bridger said, "Yes Mom. A clock is a math tool." They crack me up. I am impressed with the new Core Curriculum that has been started in the schools. I think they are definitely getting a much broader learning of what numbers really are. As a kid, I just memorized the times tables and regurgitated them and didn't really know what it meant. Hooray for a good government program that has been implemented that actually is positive and works!
Bridger's teacher was next. I walked in and she was so animated in her description of Bridger. She said that she just loved him and that he is such a positive person. She said that he sincerely compliments other students on their work and that he is always happy and has a positive attitude. She said that he is a hard worker and he stays on task. She said that he is compliant and follows directions thoroughly. As she was talking, I started tearing up. It was a tender moment of pure joy for me. After hearing all the great comments from Carters teacher and then hearing Bridger's teacher tell me how much she was enjoying him, I was reminded yet again how lucky I am to have these wonderful boys in our family, how lucky I am to have them teach me the things that they do. It was a very fulfilling moment. And a reward to me personally- the reason why I stay home with my children and why I try so hard to teach them and discipline them and help them learn and sit still and be quiet and respectful and kind and helpful and all those things that sometimes I feel like I am not doing well enough and I wonder if they are listening or even care. It was totally embarrassing tearing up in front of the teacher as I am not a crier- although I have realized that now I do cry over things that are most important to me- like my little family.
And, now it is March and this post still has yet to be finished...
so, now that the year is more than half over, what else do we have to share?
Bridger: Bridger has jogged a lot during recess. He has racked up 45 miles and is one of the top joggers of the first graders. He was invited to a special breakfast on the blue football field with some athletes at Boise State University. He and two others were chosen from first grade. Great Job!
What else...every day his lunch consists of: blueberry bagel with strawberry cream cheese on one side only, 3 baby carrots, one or two sweet mini peppers, mini orange or banana. Sometimes a drink box or something else, but he usually doesn't eat whatever else I add. There was a period where he wouldn't eat the mini peppers because a girl at school made the comment, "Eww! Those are disgusting!" Which made him burst into tears when retelling the story to me. It took a while, but he worked through bringing this really enjoyable yet socially unacceptable food item, sometimes eating them at recess when others wouldn't see, and again enjoys them-at lunch in front of everyone!! Oh the trials of a first grader...
He continues to do well in school and his handwriting has improved quite a bit. He loves art, reading chapter books and playing with friends. Report cards came today and said he averages 68 words per minute and end of year goal is 53 for first graders. Bridger says he wants to be an illustrator when he grows up. Here are some of his projects:
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| Am I Horrible? I took this picture then threw them away... |
Bridger painted this picture with some left over wood from Ben's project. I told Bridger that he is related to lots of artists: Grandma Tippets paints, Grandma Johnson used to paint, my Grandma Cole painted lots and lots of oil paintings, Aunt Alona was an art teacher, his Aunt Jocelynn is an artist... I say its in his genes. He took this painting to class for show and tell. They were supposed to bring a Christmas gift to show and then all the kids were supposed to share their toys with each other. He was very insistent on bringing this. He said he talked Mrs. T and she said it was okay. After school I asked him how it went and he said it was great. When it was time to share the toys, Mrs. T got out paper and paints for anyone who wanted to paint and Bridger was the art teacher for them. Mrs T is great and I really appreciated her accommodating him.
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| This is a bookshelf that Bridger made over Christmas vacation with extra wood. |
Lest I lead you into thinking that first grade has been complete bliss, it hasn't. Bridger has started the art of arguing. He has managed to get very good at pushing my buttons which is something new. Now that he is in first grade, he knows everything!! I have had a hard time with his attitude at home and hope that this is just a phase that will pass and if it doesn't- he would make a great prosecuting lawyer someday.
OK now for Carter: Carter loves to go to school. His favorite thing to eat before school is scrambled eggs with mozzarella cheese. I made this for him one day and told him a story of how much I loved eating it before I went to afternoon kindergarten and how I would help my mom make it for me. Since then he has it a few times a week and he is to the point that he can make it all by himself. He's never burned himself on the stove and he most recently has decided that he likes it on buttered toast. (We don't butter things here, mostly because I am too lazy to have a stick of butter out, and nobody has ever requested it.) Anyway he was introduced to this "buttering toast" thing by Holly and he is hooked.
Carter reads really well and picks up on things really fast. He is a great student and kindergarten is too easy for him. I always joke with him that he sneaks into first grade when he is at school and that is why he is so smart.
The other day he said,"Mom, I know what four groups of three is. It's 12." I said, "Wow! How did you know that?" He said, "By looking at the clock. See..." and he explained that there were three groups of numbers, in four groups. And then Bridger said, "Yes Mom. A clock is a math tool." They crack me up. I am impressed with the new Core Curriculum that has been started in the schools. I think they are definitely getting a much broader learning of what numbers really are. As a kid, I just memorized the times tables and regurgitated them and didn't really know what it meant. Hooray for a good government program that has been implemented that actually is positive and works!
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| Carter's feather for his class turkey in November |
Umm.. some other things that we have done is started reading novels to the boys before they go to bed or when we are driving for a semi-long distance. We have read the first Harry Potter, The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe and now are on The Horse and His Boy.
How could I forget this!?
I got a call one day in January from Holly she said, "Hi, Just want you to know that everything is okay, but Carter got hit by a car."
My mind started racing thinking of all the crazy things that you can think in a few seconds.
She continued, "he's on the corner, he is crying and shook up, but okay," That made the "okay" in my mind drop from being on a stretcher in an ambulance okay to a reality-he-is-fine-okay. Of course both girls were still napping, so I called Kasey next door and she ran over here and I went to get him.
I pulled up to the corner and there were three moms and a group of kids around Carter. I ran over to them, knelt down by Carter and gave him a hug. Everyone was just standing there and nobody was saying anything, they were just staring at me. Then my friend Tammy gave me a hug and said that she was so sorry, she told me that it was her that hit him and she didn't see him, but the boys in her car did and were yelling, "Stop! Stop!" Then she said that she looked in her side mirror as she saw Carter fall to the ground. Carter said that he tried to stop in the street when he saw her, but he couldn't and then he dented the car. I think he thought that he was going to be in trouble for hitting her car, (which I am not sure if he dented it or not, we didn't even look at her car.) Anyway, we aren't really sure what happened, one lady said that when she saw the accident, it looked like Carter was under the car, the other lady said she saw Carters bike tip over and then seconds later saw him run to the side of the street. It was a miracle that he wasn't hurt at all, you can see in the pictures that her tire completely ran over his front tire (her back tire hit him- I'm sure if it was the front he would have been injured) One of the first thoughts that came to me while I was driving over was that I am so glad that we have our family prayers every morning before school and pray for safety and that I give the kids a big hug and kiss and tell them I love them before they go to school everyday. We feel really blessed that he was safe and I know that the Lord was watching over him.
Today they brought home report cards and they are both doing great!
1 comment:
It's so fun to hear how your family is doing! That would be so scary to get a phone call saying your child had been hit by a car. I'm glad he was okay!
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