Mr. Smarty Pants

Last night we had Michael's first parent-teacher conference of first grade, and we were very pleased with the results!  His teacher let us know that he is reading at the second grade level, and he is also doing second grade math!  However, he is struggling with listening and being social at inappropriate times, and that is something he had issues with last year also.  I would like to think he is getting better, but if how he listens at home is any indication, he probably isn't.  We have learned that we have to make him look us in the eyes before talking to him, otherwise, it is falling on deaf ears.

He doesn't have the best penmanship, and she suggested that he just needs to have his motor skills fine-tuned.  We are going to work with him at home on that.  She said that using scissors to cut out specific shapes should help, as well as puzzles.  He isn't forming letters in the proper motions.  He will end up with a legible letter in the end, but how he gets there is really out of whack.  But if that is his worst area, we will take it!

At the end of our 15-minutes session (which is not long enough in my opinion), she brought up an issue she was having with Michael and another little boy in class.  As soon as she said the boy's name, Mike and I looked at each other with a look of understanding and dread about what she was going to say next.   We had heard this boy's name at home quite often, and not in a positive way.  Michael has been complaining about this boy, let's call him "L", and it's mostly a problem during recess.  L seems to like Michael, and always wants to play with him, but he can get to a point where he annoys Michael (his words), and is just too much for him to take.  Michael likes L, but gets to a point where he has had enough of L, and wants to get away from him.  But L won't leave him alone, and then almost becomes aggressive.  I say almost, because the stories we are getting are from a 6-yr old, and we don't know if we are getting the story in the correct light.  Michael says he tries to walk away, but L chasing him and has actually pushed him down.  Whether that was intentional or not we don't know.

Michael's teacher said that she has to keep them separated during class, because L can be a pest, and she used that exact word, which shocked us.  She went on to say that because of that, no matter how many times she changes the seating arrangement in the room, she will always be placing them as far apart from each other as possible.  Otherwise they talk and mess around and become a disruption in class.  Even when the classroom gets together as a group (circle time, line ups, assemblies), L seeks out Michael.  Since Michael has been complaining about L at home, we told him to just try to stay away from him, so they don't both get in trouble.  Mrs. Z said that she often sees Michael making an effort to move away from L, but then L tries to inch his way back towards Michael.   She doesn't think L is a bad kid, and that he can just be too much.  She said she doesn't recognize it as a bullying situation, but she does want to take both of them down to the school counselor - just to introduce them to her so they know she can be someone else they can go to talk, if they feel it may get to that point.  She said that it may be a good idea for them to just talk to her, to tell them their side of things, and that maybe she can assess it better than all of us.

In our view, we are on the fence on whether we think L is a bully.  We have talked to Michael at great lengths about this kid, and we asked Michael if he wants us to intervene.  At first he said yes, but then he said, "Well, sometimes I do like him, and he is nice and fun."  We told him if we intervene he may not ever be able to interact with L, and he didn't really like that idea.  So we are gonna give it just a bit more time and see.  And Mrs. Z said she is going to be watching them extra close at the playground when she in on duty.  But she thinks at this point that L is just over-bearing and Michael gets to a breaking point with him.

I really hope she had a similar talk with L's parents, and that they are the sort that will care about this.  Maybe they can talk to L about it at home, to try to get him to back off just a little.  I think that may work wonders, and they can both be happy.

But overall a great first grading period for our little man, and we couldn't be prouder of him!

We made it another year!

Today, my hubby and I celebrate our 8th wedding anniversary!  Eight wonderful, fun-filled years!  God and health willing, we will celebrate many more together! 

Since it fell on Tuesday this year, we celebrated our special milestone a little early this past weekend.  The kids were at their aunt's house, and we decided to whoop it up!

We started the evening off with dinner at a new place.  Well, it was new to us.  It is a locally-owned restaurant (our favorite kind!), that we had heard great things about, but never been.  It served Sushi, but also bragged about their martinis and desserts.  Although neither of us had ever eaten sushi before, we were game to try it.  Especially since quite a few of our beef and potato-loving friends recommended it!

We started out with a seared (barely) ahi tuna appetizer.  I admit it had good flavor, but the fact that it was raw and cold in the middle psyched me out.  I managed to eat 2 pieces with my chopsticks and Mike gobbled down the rest.  I chased my bites with a Dirty Monkey Martini, which was delicious. It was a banana, vanilla, and kaluha concoction.  I ended up drinking two of those bad boys.  Yum!

Next came the main course.  I chickened out and ordered the filet medallions, with a blue cheese and horseradish sauce on top.  Served with garlic mashed taters and asparagus.  It was very good.

Mike ordered the Cowboy sushi roll.  When they brought it out, I didn't think it looked like enough food.  This must be why there is not an obesity problem in Japan.  Or is there?  I really don't know.  But it didn't look like it was going to fill him up.  I was right.  He ordered a second one later.  Anyway, I tried it, and actually liked it!  Obviously Mike liked it to, since like I mentioned, he ordered another.

It wasn't until Monday that I looked up what was in it.  The meat?  Steak!  What?  He thought it said crab.  I should have noticed that the meat was RED!  Duh.  He must have been looking at another one and got confused is all I can think of.  So now we don't feel like we had real sushi, so I guess we are going to have to try again another time!

After we paid our ridiculously expensive bill, we decided to do something at the spur of the moment.  We went to the bar where we had our first official date.  Yes, our first date was at a bar.  Judge me not.  But there was a good reason for that location.  A very good reason!  The NCAA final four was taking place, and my alma mater was in one of the games!  So Mike had called me up that fateful day, April 1, and asked if I wanted to go watch the game where it was a bunch of other IU alums (the owners are also attorneys and IU grads) and raffles and lots of fun on tap.  I accepted and the rest is history...

So we went and had a drink (or 2 or 3 for Mike), chatted with the owners at great lengths, and just enjoyed ourselves!

I really wanted some dessert before the end of the night, so we left the bar at around 10 (boy, that is getting pretty late for us old birds), and went to one more local restaurant for cheesecake and a couple more libations.  Well, only one for me - a snickertini.  I was driving, and opted for water after that.

We had a really great evening, and equally enjoyed sleeping in the next morning!  But soon the kids were back home, and the celebrations came to an end.

Happy Anniversary, honey!  Love you bunches!

First day of school! First day of school!

Ok, so I have started a couple of traditions with Michael, and I only hope that I can keep up with them, and continue them with Allison too.  Mike already has me as failing, but poo poo on him!  I will prevail!

First tradition:  pancakes for breakfast.  But not just any pancakes.  Pancakes with meaning!

I put his pancakes on this same plate last year, and it appears as if the plate has been well loved since then.  Also, note to self - plain pancakes are easier to cut into shapes than ones with chocolate chips.  I think I may try to invest in some nice cookie cutters before next year than try to continue to do this free hand!

After breakfast, it was time for out photo shoot!

Very nice!  He requested his same lunch box this year, but I can already tell you that it will

not make it for a third year!

Another nice one, sans lunch box

But....

Uh-oh, I am starting to lose him...

Going....

Going....

GONE!

Ok, let's compose ourselves please.

Thank you!

And one more...

In this last picture he is holding a picture of himself from the first day of kindergarten last year.  I am hoping to get him holding a picture like this every year, with each year that kindergarten picture getting smaller and smaller.  We will see how long I can keep up with this little project, and how long he will humor his mommy!

Check out the difference in his height from last year to this year.  It's no wonder we have gone through 2 pants sizes since then!  With the waist cinched as tight as it can go.  Thank goodness for those adjustable waistbands!

I took Allison to daycare in time to get back home to walk to school with Michael and Daddy.



We made sure he found his classroom without any problem.

And his desk

He immediately spots a familiar face - a friend from last year!

After he was comfortably in his room, we made a quick exit.  Didn't want to cramp his style too much, ya know!  LOL! 

His first day went great, and he was so happy to see his friends again.  He has only had a bad report come home once so far - of course for talking when it is not the appropriate time to talk.  It was immediately followed by a good report the next day.  I think having an evening without cartoons and video games did the trick!  His reading is really taking off, and he has had one spelling quiz, which he aced.  So far being a first grader rocks!

Back to School!

Boy, did this summer seem to fly by!  I swear that summer gets shorter and shorter every year!  We enjoyed it while it lasted, and I will try to share a few things that we did (later), but it is now time to go back to school!

Allison actually had a back-to-school moment of her own this year.  She started a new "school" the day before Michael started first grade.  We had been thinking about making a change for her for about a while now, but it was a very difficult one to make, so I guess we dragged our feet a little.  The daycare that both kids had been going to was about 12 minutes away from our house.  This doesn't sound like a big deal, except that it was 12 minutes in the wrong direction for both Mike and I to go to work.  So that really equated to about an extra 25-30 minutes (including time for loading/unloading and good-byes) that we had to allow for in the morning.  The evenings were also a challenge on days that Michael went to taekwondo, since we would have to make sure we left work an extra 30 minutes early to get him there on time.  But the kids loved it there!  So we kept making that drive. 

But once Michael started kindergarten last fall, and his school was a block away from the house, it was more and more obvious that we needed to make that change.  Trying to drop off and pick up the kids being so far apart was an issue for us on more than one occasion.  We always managed to get it done, even if we had to recruit some family members to pick up one or the other.  But after doing it for a year, we knew we couldn't do it again for another school year.  So when August approached, we found a church near our home that offered daycare and a preschool for Allison, as well as a program for school-aged kids.  We let both kids go visit before making our final decision.  Both kids met their "teachers" and saw their rooms, the gym, and the playground.  Both seemed very excited for this new adventure, so we pulled the trigger.

The last day at their old daycare was a tough one.  Well, probably for me the most.  Michael had been there all summer, but he was excited and ready for school to start, so he took it just fine.  Allison didn't really understand what that final good-bye really meant, so I am sure it felt like any other Friday good-by to her.  But to mommy, I knew what it meant.  I was a mess.  I was more concerned for Allison that anything else.  This had been the only daycare she had known.  She loved those ladies, and the kids, and I was afraid that she may not take this change and separation very well.

But the first day at "church" as Allison referred to it arrived, and she was very happy to go.  She was especially happy that she got a new lunch box to take!  So I ushered her out the front door, like I did with Michael the year before on his first day of school, and made her feel like it was a special day.  She modeled her lunch box proudly!

We had no problems dropping her off, and she happily started playing with her new friends and the new toys.  There are quite a few boys in her room in relation to the girls, but I don't think that bothered her one bit.  When I picked her up at the end of the day, they told me she had a great day!  They also fill out a paper everyday that shows her behavior for the day, along with how much of her lunch she ate, and how long her nap was.  According to her sheet, she was helpful, talkative, friendly, and energetic!  They also told me she was very smart!  I attribute most of that to her previous daycare, since I know they did some preschool lessons with the kids there. I also take part of the credit, since we do flashcards at home every weekend.  She knows all of her basic colors, as well as pink, black, and brown.  She also knows her ABC's, and I am not just talking about the song.  Last night during bath time, we played with these foam letters that are intended for bath, and she was able to name 19 letters correctly.  Her favorite letter is A for Allison!

The second week was a little more rough, and we were seeing "whiney" on her sheets a lot.  But she is in a whiney stage right now.  She is like that at home too, and it is driving us nutso!  She did ask for her former teacher that second week, too.  I believe she thought that the church was a temporary thing and was wondering when she was going back to her old daycare.  But that passed fairly quickly, and each week has improved for her.  We are in week 5 now, and last week went great, as well as this week so far.  She seems to have adjusted very well, and Michael is excited to get to spend a day there now too.

Speaking of Michael, stayed tuned for my next post, as it will be all about his first day of school and being a FIRST GRADER!!

The 4H Fair, Day 2

On our second trip to the fair, we recruited Grandma W. to come along.  I took a day off from work just to go on a day that might not be as busy.  We wanted to hit some of the rides we missed on Sunday, eat some more fried food, and see the rest of the animals.

But first, we visited the Calf Birthing Tent.  They have this area set up each year, and it houses pregnant cows, and cows that have just given birth.  I couldn't resist getting the kids to pose for a picture by the giant cow.

Proud Mama

So cute!

The kids loved seeing the babies!

As much as we enjoyed the calves, it was time to moooooove on to other things!  (See what I did there?)  Ha!  Ha!

Pony rides!

Misting tent - Aaahhh!

A pink tractor!  Loved it!

In one of the commerical buildings, Michael's taekwondo school was there, and they let Allison break a board, three times.  Well, it was a re-breakable board, not a real one.  But she was so happy with herself!

"I did it!" she kept saying over and over. "Three times!"  Michael did it too, but he did it so fast, and I didn't get my camera ready in time.  But it's not like I don't have tons of taekwondo pics of him already!

We concluded the day going through Young McDonald's Farm, where there were more cute baby anmals to see.  The piggies were a favorite, and the baby chicks.  After you wind through the farm, you end up going past this fun scene:

I end up with a lot of similar pictures from the fair every year!  I am guessing at some point I will be able to make a collage with some cool side by sides of the same scenes throughout the years.  I hope this becomes one of them.  I just hope they keep bringing this board back to be able to do it!

Once again, another great year at the fair.  See you next year!

It's Fair Time!

Well, ok.  The fair was last week.  But true to fashion, it took me a while to get our photos posted.

Allison is at that height where she is just "this much" to short to ride most of the rides.  And boy, was she not happy about that!  She did NOT like Michael being able to go on rides that she couldn't.  So we rode the few that she could, over and over!  I can't wait until next year when she should be able to ride all the kiddie rides.  But shoot, by then, Michael may be too tall.  I guess we shall see.

We went to the fair on two different days this year.  The first time we went was on Sunday - free day!  It is always pretty busy on free admission day, but the rides are not bad at all.  Most people wait to do rides on wristband days.  But sometimes the benefits of not having to wait in long lines outweigh the extra costs to buy tickets for each ride.

No, we did not go on the ferris wheel.  I can't get Michael to go anywhere near it, and Mike is a no-go too.  So I just admired it from afar.

But we did ride this:

And these:

A played some games

For this game, this was the first year that Michael was able to ring the bell!   In previous years, the guy used a slight of hand to flick it all the way to the top to make it ring.  MJ was so proud of himself!

Allison picked a duck to win a Dora toy.  It was really hot, and she thought Dora might enjoy the misting fans.

We also ate some of our favorite fair foods and looked at the farm animals.  But I won't bother posting the same ole animals pics I do every year.  So this will conclude Day 1 at the fair.  Day 2 to follow shortly!

Happy Father's Day!

Happy Father's Day to the best Dad's I know!

And just because it was too cute not to share:

(Luke is 4 months old now!)

Happy Father's Day to all the dads out there!