Me! When I'm 100

This is one of Lindsey's school art masterpieces that she brought home.  I laughed so hard when I first saw it.  I guess as you age your neck gets longer.  I'm feeling pretty long-necked these days.

Patriotic School Night

At a school art night and for President's Day, Lindsey's class sang several patriotic songs including Yankee Doodle Dandy.  The grand finale was with the kids using plastic plates like cymbals.

We also went into Lindsey's classroom and admired several pictures the students had drawn and put on the walls, including several masterpieces by Lindsey.  Plus there was a great story about Abraham Lincoln she had written.  The cutest was a story about her father which said, "Daddy gets up in the morning, drinks coffee, watches TV and then gets us breakfast and ready for school and makes my lunch."   She's got a pretty special Daddy.

Great School Reports

We met with both Lindsey's and Sammy's teachers today for parent-teacher conferences and we got great reports on both kids. Both teachers said how smart and well behaved our kids were. Wow, that was nice to hear.

It was a little surprising that both teachers (and this was in separate meetings) said how well they listened in class. They don't always listen at home but we're so proud how well they're both doing in school and that they listen to their teachers.  I guess all that reminding them to "listen" to us has paid off!

TGIF

It's Friday evening before a 3 day weekend and all is well in our little world.  We've not only survived the 1st two weeks of school, but Sammy and Lindsey have done better than I thought they would.  They both have jumped right into the new routine and seem to be really enjoying school and like their teachers. 

The only problem has been that Sammy has hurt himself twice now on the school playground.  The first time was during Kindergarten orientation when he ran into a bar and the second time was yesterday when he tripped and face planted on asphalt.  He cried for so long that they called up Blain to pick him up because they said he was okay but inconsolable.  Even after Blain got him, he kept crying for his mommy so they called me at work when I was in a meeting so I could talk with him.  Fortunately it was a small meeting and I have a very understanding boss.  I was able to talk to him and calm him down. 

On a more positive note, Carley seems to have had another growth spurt and for the first time is able to reach the light switch.  She's growing up so fast!  I love my feisty and fun little girl, but she's a handful.  She definitely has a mind of her own and isn't shy about expressing herself.

1st Playground Injury

And it only gets worse - 2nd playground injury

It doesn't look like she can reach the switch...

But she can!

1st Day of Kindergarten for Sammy

Kindergarten starts locally one week after all the other grades, so even though Sammy had Kindergarten orientation last week today was his first real day of school.  We walked down to the school bus stop together and he got on board with Lindsey.  They both sat together and waved to me from their window as the bus pulled away.  That just made my heart melt!

I updated the slideshow from last week and have moved it to today's post to include pictures from this morning.

First Day of School and Best Kid Quote of the Week

Today was the first day of school.  Lindsey is now a first grader!  She rode the school bus by herself for the first time (which we followed in our car for the first day just to make sure it well and to take pictures, of course). 

Last year we were driving her to a charter school across town.  This year we decided to enroll her and Sammy in our district school.  Turns out our district school did better in test scores and parent satisfaction than the charter school.  Plus the kids can catch the school bus just down the block.  Wunderbar!

Lindsey had a great first day.  She loved eating lunch at school.  Now that she's in first grade, she's in school for the full day.  Sammy starts Kindergarten next week but we did have a 1 hour Kindergarten orientation this morning.  They took the kids out to the playground so the teacher could talk to the parents about what they will be doing this year.  After a few minutes, in comes a little boy with an ice pack on his head.  It was Sammy, of course.  Poor kid ran into a pole on the playground.  That's our Sam.

On a side note, the best kid quote of the week and maybe even the month.  Yesterday, probably because of the excitement and nerves of school starting, the kids were crazy wild and misbehaving.  At one point I put Lindsey in a "time out".  Her response was, "FINE, then I will NOT say excuse me when I fart!!"  Well, I guess she told me off.  I had to turn away quickly so she couldn't see the expression on my face.  Shades of a quote from an old Monty Python movie, "I fart in your general direction".

School Bus

Lindsey with her Teacher

Kindergarten Graduation

I can't believe how quickly this school year went by.  Lindsey had her Kindergarten Graduation ceremony tonight.  I am so, so proud of my beautiful, smart daughter!  She had a great first school year and learned to read this year.  It's so cool to have a child reading to me.

Lindsey with her BFF

Lindsey with her teacher showing off her diploma

Sammy's Kindergarten Roundup

We went to Sammy's Kindergarten roundup today.  We got him officially registered, then saw his classroom and met one of the Kindergarten teachers.  They even gave him a treat of crayons and a coloring book.

Lindsey came along as well to see the school because we've decided to pull her out of the charter school at the end of this school year that we had her in for Kindergarten and put her for first grade in our local district school along with Sam. 

I  had always assumed charter schools were automatically superior to non-charter public schools.  Plus I got so caught up in the whole lottery system on getting into one.  We struck gold with the charter school we got in because it's an "arts academy" and the most sought after charter school in our area.  Just wish I had that kind of luck when playing the slots in Vegas!

The Arts Academy was an okay school but overall I expected so much more and I was disappointed.  So for next year I did a little more research and found out that our local elementary school ranked in the top quarter in the state in both test scores and parent satisfaction while the charter school was right in the middle of the pack.  In other words, we were driving across town for a mediocre school while we lived 5 minutes away from a great school in our own district!  Plus they can ride the school bus which will pick them up a block away instead of us having to drive them back and forth through rush hour traffic.  For next year with one child in half day kindergarten and one child in a full school day, we would have had to go to the school 3 times daily and that would have been over 60 miles total and about and hour and a half out of the day.  In the end after I had found out our district school was better, basically it was a no brainer to switch. 

Zoo Field Trip

Today was Lindsey's spring field trip at her school and I was a volunteer chaperone.  We went to the zoo.  It was so much fun and I'm so glad I was able to join her today.

 

 

 

 

 



Winter Celebration

What better way to celebrate the last day of January then a "Winter Celebration" program at Lindsey's school.  The kids did a couple of songs and a couple of poems about winter then showed off some art pictures they had been working on.  After the program, I took Lindsey out to lunch for a mother-daughter date.  We don't often get the chance to have one on one time with our kids so it was a special lunch for the both of us.

Lindsey's creation

Christmas Show No. 2

Lindsey's daycare put on their Christmas show tonight.  Lindsey's class started out the concert with 3 songs - He'll Be Driving Eight Brown Reindeer, Where is Santa and the Twelve Days of Christmas.  The Twelve Days of Christmas was a special kids version, very cute.  Instead of a partridge in a pear tree they sang, "a Barbie on top of the tree" and "five Power Rangers" instead of five golden rings.  At the end all the kids got on the stage together and sang Frosty the Snowman and We Wish You a Merry Christmas.

The Christmas Season Has Officially Begun

When I was a kid it used to be the day after Thanksgiving when the Christmas countdown would begin, but over the last several years it has morphed to the day after Halloween.  Lindsey's school had their Christmas concert this week on November 16 and 17.  Sorry, I just can't get in the mood before Thanksgiving. 

That being said, of course the kids were all cute and I'm very proud of Lindsey learning the words to the 3 songs the Kindergarten choir sang - Gingerbread Cookies, Chime In and Rudolph the Red Nosed Reindeer.  Lindsey was nervous to sing in front of a crowd but she bravely went up with the other Kindergarteners and she did great!

Veteran's Day 2010

Today at Lindsey's school they had a special assembly for Veteran's Day.  It was heart warming to see the active military and veterans that attended and were recognized, especially the older veterans.  After the assembly there was a ceremony outside to retire the school's old flag which was pretty tattered.  An honor guard from Hill Air Force Base took the old flag down and raised a new flag.  Then the old flag was burned.  I've never seen that done before and it was indeed moving and made me feel patriotic to be part of it all.  Many thanks to all the men and women who have served our country so bravely!

Teachers Really Do Not Get Paid Enough

Yesterday morning while I was in the kitchen at 6:30 for my first cup of coffee, Carley entertained me by singing at the top of her lungs some unrecognizable song and dancing.  Which answers the question that yes, it is possible to think, "Aw, isn't that cute" and be annoyed at the same time.

Then I went to Lindsey's Kindergarten class where I had volunteered to help with something called "centers".  Lindsey's teacher said I would be helping with "crowd control" as she put it.  The centers were suppose to be where the kids are at different stations working on different skills.  The teacher was busy testing the children individually so she could prepare report cards which come out next week.  It really was crowd control, trying to keep them all at their stations focused on their tasks.  At the end of Lindsey's 3 hour class (half day Kindergarten), I was exhausted and had a stress headache.  Teaching is not for the faint of heart.  Teachers are definitely NOT paid enough.  Every day should be a "Thank a Teacher in Your Life" day.

Future Cheerleader

Lindsey has been attending a cheerleader clinic this past week put on by our local High School for "future cheerleaders".  They practiced a routine for 3 days after school then performed a cheer with their age group during the half time show at the Friday night football game.  There were 254 girls altogether who had signed up for the cheerleader clinic and the sound of them all SCREAMING a cheer at the same time inside the gym was quite an experience.  Lindsey did great and had a blast.  And the football game and half time performance were fun for the whole family.

Lindsey Goes to Kindergarten

Today Lindsey started Kindergarten.  She did great.  I'm so proud of my beautiful, grown-girl.

Second Parade of the Summer

Lindsey and Sam got the chance to be in another parade this Saturday, the second one this summer they've been in.  This time they rode on the back of a pickup and trailer with their preschool.  Their "float" won a trophy for "Best Children's Entry".  Great going guys!

Checkups and Kindergarten Roundup

This morning Carley had her 15 month checkup and Lindsey her five year checkup.  Carley is 23 lbs 6 oz and is right on track height and weight wise, still right at the 50th percentile.  Her head circumference, though, has shot up to the 90th.  We were thinking her head looked a little big lately!  And other than eczema, she's perfectly healthy and right on track developmentally.

Lindsey at 36.5 lbs and 41 inches was at the 10th percentile for weight and the 25th for height but the doctor pointed out that the growth charts they had were not multi-racial so she was probably more in the middle for Asians.  She was also pronounced perfectly healthy and right on track developmentally.

Then in the afternoon Lindsey and I went to her Kindergarten "roundup" where we got to meet the kindergarten teachers, see the classrooms and best of all, play in the playground.  Afterwards Lindsey and I had a nice mother-daughter lunch date at a restaurant that overlooks the local municipal airport.  So we got to watch airplanes and helicopters take off and land while we ate.

Tonight we weighed Sam since it had been a while.  We were shocked to see he now weighs 29.5 lbs.  It will still be a little while before Carley catches him.

Lindsey was a little bit nervous while waiting for the Roundup to start

Sam at almost 30 pounds

Where did baby Lindsey go?

Last week I registered Lindsey for Kindergarten for next fall.  Since we don't have a birth certificate for her, I used her U.S. citizenship certificate to prove her birthday which has a picture of her taken in China when we got her at nine months old.  In 2 weeks she'll be turning five.  I looked at her baby picture and thought how did my first baby become such a big girl?

New Old School

In our never ending quest to find the perfect daycare/school for Lindsey and Sam we had decided to pull them out of the Montessori school they were going to at the Christmas break.  There were some things going on there that we didn't like.  We were going to put them in a different Montessori school near our house after the holidays but at the last minute decided to put them back in the daycare preschool at my work.  I called and they had a part time opening for them both so we took it.  Now they'll only be going to school 2 days a week - Tuesdays and Thursdays.

Today was their first day back.  It went better than I had hoped.  They remembered some of their old friends and teachers and had a great first day back to the new old school or old new school, it gets confusing.  Once we got home, though, Lindsey had a total meltdown over something very small.  So the stress of the day came out after all. 

I feel so guilty sometimes on how much we've changed schools for the kids, especially Lindsey.  We've always had very good reasons for moving them, but I know it's been a lot of changes.  Oh well, it's like our pediatrician told us at Lindsey's first checkup after we got back with her from China.  He declared her to be in perfect health and then said we had the next 20 years to screw up her life.  I think we've got a pretty good start.