Read Across the Living Room

It has just "clicked" in the last few weeks! Dr. Seuss would be proud!

Reading of "The Wig" from Rachel Broderhausen on Vimeo.

And I realize my last few posts have been about Audrey. Mr. 9 yr old doesn't generate so many blog-worthy, heart wrenching posts these days. It's mostly because his stories often don't feel like my stories to tell.

But if you look at this picture (I am almost barfing that I'm posting it), you might be able to tell what my right-footed boy spends most of his waking hours doing. (HINT: Involves a black and white ball, and at school, a muddy field).

If you can't see it, the entire right big toe side of the shoe is blowing out. Lots of kicking, I guess!


And if it's not soccer, it's this...

My heart belongs to the plumber

She handed me this envelope...
At first I thought, "Who's Bill Wood?" but then realized it's my WATER BILL!



Evidently my water pressure is going down. She must have heard me yelling that someone flushed the toilet while I was in the shower...



She has the answer,

and the best A-for effort sweetness around.
(I will try my best)

Just wonder how much she charges, and if she's bonded and insured?

I have to throw in a special thank you to her fantastic kindergarten teacher, who encourages them to always try "kid writing" before asking someone how to spell things. They do a morning journal writing 4 times a week where the kids write and then have adults come around and show them the "adult writing" with the spelling corrections. But it's all this wonderful environment where the kids write their own words and aren't told they are wrong.

Questionable dress code

I walked into Bitty Girl's room today after she'd been up there playing and found this.


Perfectly arranged, mid-story.


Behold, the teacher bear.

It's even a Halloween-themed story.

Not quite sure about the girl with no pants on the right, but at least she's sitting quietly and listening. In Bitty's class, you wouldn't dare do otherwise.

Wired for school

Guess which kid is headed for a life as Ms. Goody Two Shoes like her mama?

She brought this "homework" sheet from preschool today - it's not due until NEXT Wednesday, but she insisted that WE DO IT RIGHT NOW, MOM! And no, you can't write it for me. I'm doing it myself. With a marker. And you need to print out a picture of Sammy, my stuffed animal dog that "breathes" because we don't really have a pet.

Of course you are!

Bitty Girl is suddenly interested in letter sounds, mostly thanks to the Sound of the Week in preschool. This week was "C," so they were talking about cupcakes and construction and cats.

At dinner tonight she was making the hard "c" sound, saying "cat, cut, cookie, cracker..."

I said, "And what are you drinking from?" (Thinking she'd say CUP, of course.)

Bitty Girl: "A STRAW!"

And she was. But at least she didn't tell me that straw doesn't start with "c."

More big than Bitty

(No, this is not his first day of school outfit. He starts next week)

Bitty Girl went to preschool today. Same classes where her brother went two years ago.

Actual conversation on Tuesday:

Brother: "I think Bitty Girl is going to be a little more nervous than I am this year because she's going to a new school and I'm just going into a new class."
Bitty Girl: "I'm not nervous!" (scampers away giggling)

And she really wasn't. Just tired. Good thing she doesn't go again until Tuesday.

Lots of kids, mostly boys, crying. She went right for the ponies and didn't give me a second look.

The "Special Dinner for the Night Before School Starts," Part I

(Part II comes Monday for her brother)

She requested the flowers on the table, eating in the dining room, macaroni & cheese, soft carrots with brown sugar sauce, strawberries, and chocolate cake with pink frosting and lots of writing on it.

More like the beginning

I witnessed something amazing tonight. When you wait for something for a long time and it happens gradually, right under your nose, sometimes you don't expect to be hit smack in the face with the wonder of it.

After a busy day, with The Boy's last day of--gulp--kindergarten, an early morning run to Fred Meyer for emergency rubber chickens for Pat's Field Day, coffee/cocoa with Bitty Girl, end-of-school lunch at McDonald's (I know, don't judge me, it's what he chose), and the afternoon at Field Day, I did not have high hopes for the evening. Pat was gone at his staff party, and somehow I managed to get dinner on the table and The Boy showered.

The promise of stories in Mommy's bed found them both under the covers with their book choices. I wish I had a picture - it was beautiful.
The Boy picked up a book from my nightstand and... (wait for it)


started to read it out loud. It was Little Oink, a gift from Auntie Emmy, and he's heard it a few times before. And I knew he could read. He's been reading for months, in bits and pieces, various words on the page or little beginning reader books from his book bag at school.

But as I stood across the room watching him, so confidently reading the words, stopping only occasionally to spell one for me to help him, I could see it happening, the neurons and synapses firing with connections. He didn't give up like he often does, and this book has words like "savored" and "relished". His eyes lit up when he started to spell "because" and then realized he knew it!

HE CAN READ!

I have so many fantastic memories of reading and stories and being curled up with a book. And while this enthusiastic bundle of boy has so many of my characteristics, I often find myself "not getting him." So watching him read a book with delight filled me with joy and familiarity and such a grown-up sense of connection.

Way to go, my boy. You have so much ahead of you, and we are excited to be along for the ride.
And while it may be more "Captain Underpants" and Batman comic books than Little House on the Prairie or Boxcar Children, the light in your eyes is something I understand.

Except when you're laughing at the poop jokes. That part, only your father understands. Thank goodness you have each other.

I just made...

The last school lunch of the year.

And just like every other lunch, we have one turkey & cheese sandwich, crusts cut off, half a kiwi, thermos of milk (usually chocolate), a fruit leather, a strawberry yogurt tube, and rice crackers. What can I say, the kid likes to know what to expect. His dad takes the same lunch every day too.

And don't forget the note on the napkin, although I have been instructed NOT to write "I love you" anymore. Too mushy.

Every time I read those little "How to spice up your child's lunchbox" articles, I let out a snort that is part envy, part wonder. Do kids really eat pita chips and hummus, raw pepper slices, quesadillas, or SOUP for school lunch??

We'll just enjoy our summer of turkey sandwiches at home. At least I don't have to make them the night before.

The final stretch

Today The Boy celebrates the end of kindergarten. Friday is the official last day of school, but today is the ceremony.

He decided to start the party a day early by calling a 2nd grader a jackass on the bus yesterday. Because another friend told him he wouldn't be his friend UNLESS he called the bigger kid a jackass. Lovely. He lost Pokemon card privileges for the week and got a nice dose of "If someone tells you to do something you know is wrong..." but I promise I didn't ask him if his friend jumped off a bridge, would he follow?

But back to my nostalgia. The end of kindergarten. Excuse me while I get a tissue.

He has had an amazing year. He had a fantastic teacher, who in spite of being about to give birth any day, has managed to make it through the year. She is kind and understanding and puts up with an energetic class that includes many livewire boys.

This year the Boy learned to read, to write, tons of math concepts like addition, subtraction, partners of 10, teen numbers, all about isopods (bugs like those roly poly bugs), sea life, riding the school bus, took two field trips, had recess with big kids, played on a soccer team, played an entire t-ball season without breaking his arm, and learned how to appropriately use "asshole" and "jackass" in a sentence.

He made new friends, STILL hasn't lost a tooth, learned all about Bakugan and Pokemon and how everyone has been to Disneyland except for him. Oh, he learned how to say something "sucks," too. As in "You suck because everyone else in my class has been to Disneyland but me."

In September, writing was an excruciating task that he would speed through as quickly as possible. Now, if he's motivated and interested in the subject, he'll write a 10 page book. And by motivated, I mean that NuNu offered to pay him 50 cents a story.

We're ready for summer, but not before we celebrate an amazing year of milestones.

Congratulations to our boy. We are so, so proud of you. But we could do without the curse words.
Pictures from the "graduation" ceremony...

They read out loud their pictures of "What I liked best about kindergarten." Almost every kid said P.E. the field trip to the beach that was 2 weeks ago, or making gingerbread houses. You gotta love kindergarteners. I'm sure his teacher is wondering why she bothered with all that useless math and reading, or even being nice to them.

Thanks to Grandma and Papa for coming!

reluctantly posing with his annoying mom

Showing Grandma his memory book

And from the trip to Baskin Robbins later - waffle cone double scoop!

Navy Monsters

“It’s a chapter book, Mom. That’s why there aren’t many pictures.”

At first glance, it just looks like one of his many drawings.
But it’s a giant leap for The Boy.

During choice time at school (read: ON HIS OWN with NO DIRECTION), he wrote this book today. It follows some games they were playing at recess.

Navy and Monsters - cover (in color)

Page 1: Navy fights monsters all around. Army comes to help me to fight monsters.

Page 2: Navy fights a very old man. Navy kills monsters

Page 3: Mountain cracking. Navy trying to stop it. Everybody is trying to hold it up.

Page 4: Navy is helping to save the people.

Page 5: (We even have dialogue!) “Hooray for Navy,” they said. Everybody is happy today.

If he works slowly and with help, he can really sound out most words.

But I was completely floored that I could actually read some of these words and understand what he meant. He could read it back to me too.

The letters aren’t the most exciting part, though. It’s the fact that he did this voluntarily--wrote a 5 page book with lots of words and no pictures.

Congratulations to my young author. Maybe he'll guest post soon.

If only.

Tonight, after a heartbreaking crying session because he couldn't get his "stupid hand" to write the letters the correct way, The Boy dropped this one on me.

"Mommy, I need to tell you something. You know how you walk me in to school and take me to my classroom? Well, I'm going to have you walk me in when I'm in first and second and third and fourth and fifth and sixth and seventh and eighth and ninth and tenth and eleventh and twelfth grade."

I just hugged him and told him that was fine, but if he changed his mind, I wouldn't be mad.

(I couldn't help but smile and feel slightly sick at the visual: Taller than me, peach fuzz moustache, God-forbid-a huge messy curly mop of hair, saggy pants, and his hand in mine as we walk up the steps.)

I think most of his "less than stellar" behavior lately has been from stress. Kindergarten stress. He is learning how to read, but not quite as fast as he thinks he should. And it bugs the heck out of him that he doesn't quite have the fine motor skills to easily write all his numbers and letters. He can do it, but it's a struggle sometimes.

Aaah, the life of a first baby of two Type A parents.

Good news and bad news

As an alternative to the daily kindergarten journal writing, The Boy's fabulous teacher gave them a news assignment. They picked Good News or Bad/Sad News and had to write two sentences and draw a picture about their story.

The good news is that he dashed off two sentences willingly, with just some help from me sounding out the words. If you've been following the drama around here, you know about the new love of football. (Pssst... I am very close to being off the hook for most of the sports discussions around here)

If you can't see the photo very well (sorry, dark kitchen..), I'll interpret

THE SEHOCS LOST TO THE PATREOTS. THR QUORTRBAC WS INJRD.

The Seahawks lost to the Patriots. Their quarterback was injured. That was bad news.

And yes, those are shoulder pads and face masks in the picture. Remember, there are lots of fun activities to do when you get done with your news story, so why spend the whole writing time on your picture??

Skater Boy

The Boy's school has a roller skating party practically every month. Yes, I know you're jealous, wishing you, too, could spend two hours on a Monday evening sitting on the same red carpeted mushroom benches that have been there since "Grease" was a new hit movie, watching shaggy-haired sweaty 12-year old boys try to do skateboarding tricks on their inline skates.

Green with envy - I see you.

But the Boy, who begged for rollerblades last year and dutifully practiced, can really skate by himself. He hardly falls, and he gets right back up.

And they play YMCA, Journey, Queen, and tonight - Corey Hart songs. (Mom, remember taking me to the concert in 8th grade? Thanks again)
So basically, I love it, except for the newer music, which scares me. Also, the big kids scare me. I seriously have to avert my eyes so that I don't imagine The Boy's face under one of those shaggy greasy hairdos, with those saggy pants and "I wish I was a real tough guy" look. Don't even get me started on the 3rd grade girls with the tight jeans and inappropriate t-shirts.

I wish I had pictures, but I would definitely be "that mom who embarrasses her kid" if I took any photos. Who am I kidding, I'm going to be her anyway. Next month - PHOTOS!

Part II of Skater Boy will deal with the slight heartbreak I experience watching him try to navigate sliding onto the bench from a full skate, to keep up with a faster 1st grade friend, and being disappointed that most of his friends weren't there tonight because they had basketball practice. The basketball team that we decided NOT to have him join.

A milestone.....almost

When we take The Boy to school, we park and walk him right up to the classroom door, where the kids are waiting. We are not in the majority; many kids ride the bus or get dropped off on the sidewalk, so they walk in themselves. My opinion is that kindergarten is too young for this--their school is the "doors open right to the outside" kind with breezeways, not one building with classrooms inside. There's a lot that could happen between the car and the classroom door, and we often see that on our walks in.

Anyway, he has casually mentioned that some kids walk in by themselves, but hasn't expressed a desire to do it himself. He actually still holds my hand most of the time, which I keep waiting for him to give up. But I have to admit I secretly love it, knowing that it won't last.

So as we're driving in this morning, he says that one of his friends comes for school breakfast and walks in by himself. I ask if he wants me to drop him off, because I can. (As my heart breaks a little, silently)
He says yes, and then asks if I can park and just walk him up to the sidewalk.
I agree.
We park and walk up to the sidewalk, where I kiss him goodbye and he starts to walk down the breezeway.
I resist the temptation to pull out my phone and take a picture of my little boy growing up.
I also resist the temptation to cry.

About 15 feet away, he turns around, crying.

Evidently he's not quite ready to walk in by himself either. Whew.
We dried tears and walked in together. He recovered just fine, and once again, I managed not to cry.

Sometimes you're ready to walk right up to that milestone, look it in the eye, and say, "Maybe next time."

Too Tired for Words

We really are. Between getting up early for 8:00 am school every day, soccer practice and games, and Bitty Girl giving up her lovely habit of an afternoon nap, we're all a few hours short of well-rested.

But The Boy is loving school and soccer, he switched from scoring an "own goal" one week to having an assist another week.

Assorted photos of a kick in motion,


a throw-in,


and the post-game huddle!

So far so good

We made it through another week of kindergarten! The Boy has surprised us and done really well, settling in with no major drama. He likes his teacher, is making friends in his class, and seems to be enjoying himself.
Have I mentioned that he's exhausted? All this fun, plus a lot of soccer practice and games, takes a lot out of you.

And that's him in the pile on the left below. He runs so hard and concentrates so hard during soccer, but it's hysterical to watch them play. And heartbreaking - last week he scored an "own goal," which happens when you kick it accidentally in YOUR TEAM'S OWN GOAL!!! oops.
No one really seemed to care, luckily, including The Boy. Must figure out how to post videos on the blog, for some real entertainment.

Bitty Girl, on the other hand, is showing signs of the honeymoon being over. She, too, is exhausted. And Tuesday she CRIED and CRIED when I dropped her off at daycare. She did fine, but both days when I picked her up, she ran to me crying out of sheer relief, like "Oh thank god you came back!" She's either just tired or 2 yrs old or getting some new molars, or all of the above. Because she is Grouchy McGrouchypants lately, not napping well, very fussy and wants mama a lot. In other words, not what we're used to from Bitty Girl.

We're giving ourselves a few weeks for adjustment. But we've had beautiful weather, good health so far (knock on all available wood, please), and great teachers, so we're thankful.

Reason #1 to always carry my camera

So kindergarten is going well, 3 days down and 1 to go this week. He's tired, having strange sassy meltdowns each night, but that's what we expected.

Today was my day at home, in which Bitty Girl decided not.to.take.a.nap. Grrrrr.

But making the best of it, we left early to pick up The Boy at school. School gets out at 2:30 and I walked into the class at 2:15, thinking they'd need some help getting packed up and lined up. But they are already kindergarten experts and they were packed up, sitting on the front carpet singing songs with the teacher.

The following is true. I am not making it up, and there were witnesses. I only wish I had my camera.

Teacher: Does anyone know any other songs? (The Boy raises his hand, but then says, "I forgot" when she calls on him.
They sing another song, like Row, Row, Row your Boat.
Teacher: Anyone else? Yes (to The Boy)
The Boy: Ten Little Honeybees
Teacher: I don't think I know that one. Do you want to come up here and teach it to the class?

Ok, I don't know if she always says this, and encourages them to come up, or if she figured there was no way in hell he was going to come up there.

Can you guess what happened next? That's right, he walked up next to her, so all the kids are sitting in front of him on the carpet.
The Boy: (VERBATIM) Okay everyone, hold up your hands like this. (demonstrates by holding out his hands with all fingers spread, and sings) Ten little honeybees, making honey, one flew out to get some nectar. How many were left?
Class: NINE!!
The Boy: Nine little honeybees making honey, one flew out to get some nectar...

You get the picture. The whole song... I have never EVER heard him sing this song - he says he learned it at preschool, but I partly think he made it up. But the whole class counted down with him, and it conveniently used up all the time they had left while waiting for school to get out.

Somehow the teacher held it together and didn't fall down laughing. I was laughing inside, but trying to look presentable on the outside. That's our Boy, former karaoke star! Maybe we could hire him out to entertain the preschoolers.

A Day of Firsts

Whew. We made it.
The First First Day of School Picture:


But Bitty Girl really wanted to show you how she felt about going to daycare, I mean school...



Other firsts included:
First kindergarten lineup (this is where Mama almost started crying, but The Boy was BRAVE and didn't even cry, just gave this scared/stoic/pathetic puppy look)

(that's his backpack straps you can see, not some weird two-tone blue shirt)

Bitty Girl's first day of daycare, including first NAP at daycare and peeing on the potty, to be followed by pooping on the potty at home. That is a moment worth celebrating! Daycare is going to get us past those diapers. Wonder if they can do anything about her attitude?

It was also the first day of not getting off the bus stop at the right stop for after school daycare. Lucky his crazy Mama was there to run (Yes, I RAN) down the block to the next stop to loudly inform the driver that he had two kindergartners on the bus who should have gotten off at the last stop and one of them was my son! I'm sure they'll have that slight problem of letting the bus go too quickly and not checking their lists closely enough fixed by tomorrow! Too bad I'm tricking them and he won't be on the bus tomorrow...

We had the expected meltdown before dinner, where he loudly informed us that he didn't WANT to have chosen the special dinner last night, he wanted to choose it TONIGHT (as dinner was already on the table) and he WANTED CHICKEN NUGGETS! It was his first day of kindergarten, after all. After some stomping around and a time out in his room, I got it out of him... "I CAN'T READ, and my teacher told us to sit quietly and read a book!"

Oh.

Commence one discussion about how you LEARN to read in kindergarten and the teacher meant just look at a book like he always does, and how he knows all the letters and the sounds and he knows some words already and he's just about ready to read. After he made me say the whole alphabet so he could say each letter sound (he's just like his daddy sometimes in the determined department), he calmed down.

Overall, it was better than I expected. Think good thoughts for day 2!

Ready or not....

As if the fact that my baby is going to kindergarten isn't enough, I'm supposed to pack an emergency kit with a comfort letter from home!! School supplies I can do. But this letter is my stumbling block. On top of the nostalgic waves of sadness and the worry that he'll be exhausted or annoying or bored or not have any friends, now I have to worry about a natural disaster and include just the right words from Mom and Dad IN CASE HE'S STUCK AT SCHOOL FOR THREE DAYS eating peanut butter crackers!!?!?!!!

(Deep breath)

Ok, I'll write the darn letter. I appreciate the school's emergency preparedness plan, and attention to detail. I just wish my heart was so prepared.

But we had a good, intentionally low-key weekend, trying to get the kids to bed at a reasonable hour for the last few days.

I had hopes for a big "Night Before Kindergarten" special dinner, and it wasn't what I envisioned, but it happened. He got the red plate

We made special peanut-butter brownies for dessert,

and he got to choose a special dinner. Considering he's Mr. Three-item Menu, I figured it would be easy-pizza or chicken nuggets. But a morning trip to Trader Joe's and a sample of ground-turkey sloppy joes with bbq sauce on flatbread, and he had a new favorite. It was messy, but they enjoyed it. The pictures don't do it justice. And he ate broccoli, so who's complaining?

Maybe it's my photography.

Have I mentioned that Bitty Girl likes brownies? I think this is her "Whassup, Dog?" pose?

Also, in true second baby style, she is tagging along on the first day stuff tomorrow, with her first day of daycare. I am surprisingly not stressed about that part. Hopefully that's because she's more adaptable and I'm less neurotic this time around?

Or maybe all my neurotic is used up on the Kindergarten beginning.

I just hope I don't sob uncontrollably at the door of his classroom tomorrow. The way I did myself in kindergarten.....

Gulp.Gulp.

That's me trying to swallow the huge lump in my throat.

Watching The Boy run down the path ahead of me, playing "Jump," (his game where you have to jump over everything in your path like leaves or sticks or bird poop) and turning back to check if I'm jumping.

I'm looking at this boy ahead of me, with these long almost-gangly legs, the beginnings of broadening shoulders and a skinny frame just like his daddy, with his ears sticking out from his baseball hat and his tanned neck and I can't believe it's here.

We just went to a kindergarten orientation meeting, where they asked him to count and cut and write some letters and did a vision and hearing screening. (For inquiring minds, he passed the vision and hearing, says he knew all the letters, and they stopped his counting at 100, although he could have gone on all day!) But back up - KINDERGARTEN.
I was in a school library, talking with the principal and filling out some huge health information form that asked me for details about my pregnancy, his birth, and developmental milestones, asked me to describe him in three words, tell them his hobbies, interests, if he had any talents?

TALENTS? What??

Like that he's a champion swimmer or speaks three languages or can juggle while riding a unicycle?

I wrote that he can count way past 100, tell jokes, and hit a ball out of our yard.

It's fine that they're gathering information about kindergarteners. I understand they want an idea of who will be walking in on September 2. But I was literally sweating while I filled out the form. Asking me to dig into the memory files back to 2002 was dangerous, because all the while I had to keep my happy brave face on for him, put up with his nervous, slightly annoying behavior while we waited. And I had to do it without sniffling or crying or collapsing into a heap, screaming, "Where did my baby go?!!!??"

On the way out, we stopped at the school playground where he proceeded to swing across the monkey bars. These weren't any new fancy "build your self-esteem, child of the 21st century" monkey bars, these were OLD SCHOOL. It's the older part of the playground, serious metal, high up, and looooong. And he did it. About 10 times. With the callouses to prove it.

Take that, monkey bars. Kindergarten, watch out!