Month 46 - Recap

Why hello there, you preschooler, you.
You started K3 preschool last month. We met your teacher a few days before you started, and I immediately liked her. She clearly has a heart for three-year-olds, and God bless her for it. You loved checking out your new classroom, but you made sure I didn't wander too far from you. You wanted me to sit beside you (in chairs meant for a three-year-old ... not a six-foot-tall thirty-four-year-old) while you explored the buckets of trains, cars, dinosaurs, and magnetic blocks. There was a neat dress-up area, a sweet tool bench, and lots of books. It was pretty much everything you love in the world.

You were shy when we met your teacher and you clung to my leg like a koala bear. I warned her that you might have a hard time leaving my leg on the first day. She assured me that there would be extra volunteers on hand to pry nervous kiddos of their mommas' legs. I did a mental whew as we left the classroom. You've had some fairly rough weeks being dropped off at Sunday School recently, so I was prepared for a Super Sobfest of Epic Proportions at your first preschool drop-off. Just when I think I have you (or your sister) figured, you go and throw me a curve ball. This particular curve ball was you walking up to your teacher on the first day, giving her a big hug, and waving to me as you walked into your classroom. I was floored. And I may or may not have been a little teary watching you put away your bag then sit down at the table to work on a puzzle. You looked so comfortable, so NOT nervous, so grown.

I'm not much of a baby person. I mean, I like babies - I like their inherent cuteness and smushiness. But when you were a baby, I didn't really mourn each passing stage as you learned new things because each stage has been more fun than the previous. I don't want to keep you a baby forever (even though you were a delightful baby); I love that you're growing up. And watching you in your new preschool made me feel so happy.

You've handled drop-off like a champ every day. You give me a kiss, give your teacher a hug, then run into class. And every day when I pick you up, you're drenched in sweat and have a big smile on your face. It can't get much better than that.

Speaking of kisses, you've decided your preferred method of kissing is with a fish face. You have an impressive fish face and an even more impressive kiss noise. Your Fish Kisses are indeed a treat for the eyes and the ears.

You and Daddy like to wrestle. You two punch each other (you, as hard as you can; Daddy, not so much), blow raspberries in each other's face, and make disgusting boy noises. It baffles me how this could ever be enjoyable, but you two have the best time. Daddy and I have (hopefully) made it clear that you're only allowed to play like that with him. In other words, Momma don't play that. I'm happy to be the booboo-kisser, the lunch-fixer, and the tickle-giver. But getting spit at in my face by a be-dimpled boy is infinitely far down on my list of Things That Sound Fun.

Getting one of your Fish Kisses is at the top.

Hugs and smooches,
Mommy & Daddy

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Headlines for September 9, 2015:

• Clinton offers first apology for private email server
• Refugees Left Behind: Millions of Syrians Flee, Few Reach Europe
• Sofia Vergara, Kaley Cuoco tied for highest paid TV actress
• Queen Elizabeth II becomes longest-reigning monarch in Britain's history
• Kentucky clerk battle fuels debate over religious accommodation laws

August 2015 - Recap

My darling first grader,
You now have your first few weeks of first grade tucked safely into your (theoretical) belt. And I had my first day of failing to prepare you what the first day of school would be like tucked safely into my (also theoretical) belt. I completely forgot to warn you prior to the first day that the first week or two of school is always spent in review. I distinctly remember this when I was in school, and I totally forgot to relay that information to you ... until you had your first meltdown. But by then it was too late.

Most of your first day was you spent in tears because you couldn't remember ANYthing (not true), that you'd NEVER remember what you learned in kindergarten (also not true), and that you'd NEVER be able to learn ANYthing new EVER AGAIN (I admire the dramatics, but again, still not true). It was an ugly day for sure. I toyed with the idea of putting you in public school for Day #2 because CLEARLY I am not cut out to be a homeschool mom if I can't even BOTHER to warn my child that the first week or two is going to a lot of frustrating review and all I did was make it WORSE when you were so upset.

It's no wonder where your flair for the dramatic comes from.

I stuck it out and thankfully Day #2 (and most other subsequent days) went great. You start out every day by writing your weekly memory verse. In addition to memorization, this helps you work on your handwriting (I think pretty handwriting - particularly cursive - is such a lost art, so I'm probably more of a weirdo about handwriting than most people) and learn new vocabulary words. I also just think it's a great way to start our day. Then you work on your math - sometimes there's an activity to go along with what you're working on, other times it's just a page or two in your workbook. The math is still a review at this point so you usually finish your work pretty quickly. I've looked ahead in your book and you're coming up on things you haven't learned yet, so I'm already preparing for teeth gnashing.

After math, we read about pilgrims and pioneers. Your curriculum does a great job at lining up the stories we read with the weekly memory verse, so you're able to connect the two really well. There are usually one or two science experiments each week that also go along with what we've read about pilgrims and pioneers. (SEE, Karen??? We do science!)

We usually finish school by curling up on the couch and reading. This curriculum introduces nine different genres, providing a book or two for each genre. We just finished up reading biographies of Helen Keller and Louis Braille (did you know that Helen Keller was at Louis Braille's funeral? I didn't, until a few days ago.) You were fascinated by those stories ... after we read them multiple times. Alas, you seem to have inherited your poor reading comprehension from your dear mother. So I'm learning to stop every paragraph or two and ask you questions about what I just read. Sometimes you give the right answer. Other times you were zoning out, and try your hardest to come up with a good answer.

Me: *finishing up a paragraph* So what was Helen Keller just do?
You: *clearly caught daydreaming* Oh! Um ... She was ... yes, she was praying to God to help her be kind to the people around her and follow His plan for her life.
Me: *trying not to snort* Well, I'm sure she did pray to God to help her be kind to the people around her and follow His plan for her life. However, what I just read talked about how she learned to swim.
You: *still trying to convince me you were paying attention* Well that's what I mean! I mean, she was praying to God to help her be kind to her swimming teacher and follow the swimming path He wants her to follow.
Me: Ah yes. Makes total sense.

As fun as the first few weeks (minus the first day) has been, I've also seen how hard you are on yourself and how defeated you feel when something doesn't come easily to you. Oh my precious girl, how I wish you could see yourself as I do. If you could, you'd see yourself as someone who's sharp as a tack, immensely creative, wildly imaginative, totally capable. But I worry your mirror is foggy. Because you see yourself as only smart SOMEtimes, only SORT OF creative with a MEDIOCRE imagination, and very incapable of learning hard stuff. I see so much of me in you. All the negative feelings you have about your abilities, I had when I was your age (and still struggle with today). All your insecurities about looking dumb when you don't understand something, I had when I was your age (and again, still struggle with today).

It's a humbling thing to become a momma. Particularly because sometimes the very things you don't like about yourself or things you struggle with are mirrored in a pint-sized be-pigtailed beauty. So we'll learn together, you and me. We'll grow together, too. We'll also cry, fuss, stomp our feet, and scream into pillows. And by God's grace, it will all be okay. But at least we can do all that screamin' and fussin' in our jammies. Because homeschooling is rad.

Hugs and smooches,
Mommy & Daddy

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Headlines for September 1, 2015:

• State Department IT staff among those in the dark about Clinton's private email address
• Next Stop for Google's Self-Driving Cars: Austin
• Georgia Cop Critical, Dog Dead as Police Go to Wrong Home
• Carson Surging in Iowa, Tied with Trump at Top of New Poll
• Iranian Guard Chief Says US 'Still the Great Satan'
• Obama to Chat with Bear (Grylls, That Is) in Alaska