When you bring home that newborn baby does anyone ever realize how mush harder it will be when they start school? I mean really?
We had parent teacher conferences this week and Lady Bug's was first.... nothing of real concern other than her chatting too much (but even that is improving).
Next we had Lefty's... nothing of real concern here either. He is doing really well and was very serious the first part of the school year but the teacher says she has recently started seeing him "let loose" a little and not be so serious.
Then it was off to Spirit's conference... well, not sure where to start. We have noticed over the last few months that his confidence is going in the toilet which is reflective of his grades now. His grades have taken a serious dip since September and aren't showing any signs of improving at this point. How can a kid who is in the 4th grade but reads at a 9th grade level have self-confidence issues? How can a kid who is in an advanced math class have self confidence issues? Is it because he is too hard on himself? possibly. I just don't know where to go. The teachers tell me that he isn't giving it effort, if he doesn't "get it" immediately then he just shuts down. I complained to the teachers, being careful not to give Spirit any excuses, that he is only in 4th grade and having him leave the classroom throughout the day for different classes doesn't appear to be working. What they do is group each of the 4th graders, regardless of your homeroom class, into a group based on the skill level. So Spirit is in the group of 4th graders that are in advanced math, and also an advanced reading group, then of course he leaves homeroom for science, music, p.e., and art as well. BUT, the catchy thing here is that he will leave homeroom for the advanced math but return to his homeroom for the last 15 minutes and is expected to the homeroom math as well. Same goes for Reading/Literacy. Which means, he gets an assignment from the group AND homeroom. Not so much for literacy assignments, but I notice with the math that he misses the instruction time on it and has to figure it out on his own (which most times he can, others he struggles). The teachers recognize this an issue, not just for Spirit but other kids as well. BUT, is that the reason his self confidence and the lack of motivation in school and the dips in grades? He got a D in science. He loves science! I am at a loss and want to cry for him. On the way out of the school he looked at his dad with tears in his eyes and said "I will do better from now on. I promise."
Parenting is so hard! I wouldn't trade it for the world, but man oh man is it painfully hard at times!
Showing posts with label School. Show all posts
Showing posts with label School. Show all posts
Thursday, March 3, 2011
Monday, February 14, 2011
Happy Valentine's Day
Each kid got a card from me and Mr. Man. Plus, my mom had sent them each a little activity book and stickers so I had all that on the table waiting for them! They were so cute when they each got up - one by one - going into the kitchen and finding their surprises. No heart-shaped pancakes, but they didn't seem to mind!
I also packed a chocolate covered heart-shaped marshmallow in their lunch as a surprise!
The kids are, of course, having parties at school today. Spirit's class decided to do a morning party and asked the families to contribute a breakfast item so we sent in bagels. Lefty's class is having a party right before the end of school and the teacher purchased everything and asked each kid to contribute $1. Lady Bug's class is having a party after lunch with the cookies and cupcakes, etc. We sent in cookies for that (you know those really yummy thick sugar cookies with frosting! mmm mmm mmm)
For dinner we are doing all red foods (well not ALL red...) We are having parmesan chicken with a side of pasta and marinara sauce, a salad topped with tomatoes, Cran-Raspberry juice to drink and a pink frosted cookie!
Tuesday, December 7, 2010
UPDATE**
Lefty's award was for "Exceptional Attitude".....
I am proud of him, he is a good boy and has great character. He can be my difficult one at home though and sometimes I wonder if the teachers get all of his good stuff! I know this isn't true, but there are times I have to wonder.
I am proud of him, he is a good boy and has great character. He can be my difficult one at home though and sometimes I wonder if the teachers get all of his good stuff! I know this isn't true, but there are times I have to wonder.
Tuesday, November 16, 2010
Conferences
We had parent teacher conferences for the kids last week.
First we went to Lady Bug's. She is doing well, she is one of two top readers in her class. The teacher tells us she has no problems with her and spends time just trying to keep her challenged.
Then we went to Lefty's. He loves to write and she had him read his "Small Moment in Time" story where they were to write about a small moment that meant a lot to them. Lefty wrote a page and a half about buying our new car. She commented on how he had remembered a lot of details - she joked the only detail he left out was what our interest rate was! Not really a "small moment" but he really did have a lot of details and it was well written. He is excelling in all areas. The school does a thing where they group kids by ability and each teacher takes a group. So Lefty is only in his "homeroom" class for a short bit each day. I think the grouping thing is good because then each kid is able to work at their level, whether that be high, low or average.
Then it was off to Spirit's. Spirit's teacher had him conduct the conference, calling it "Student-Led Conferences". I am not sure the purpose of this, but it seemed to work ok. So Spirit had a file of papers and gave us a report of things he is learning and showed us some of his favorite papers. Then we asked the teacher to join us so we could ask a few things. I have been concerned with Spirit because he is extra hard on himself. If he doesn't get a 100%, but gets a 99% then he gets depressed and down on himself. So the teacher talked with him about that and we are hoping to improve his self confidence somehow.
First we went to Lady Bug's. She is doing well, she is one of two top readers in her class. The teacher tells us she has no problems with her and spends time just trying to keep her challenged.
Then we went to Lefty's. He loves to write and she had him read his "Small Moment in Time" story where they were to write about a small moment that meant a lot to them. Lefty wrote a page and a half about buying our new car. She commented on how he had remembered a lot of details - she joked the only detail he left out was what our interest rate was! Not really a "small moment" but he really did have a lot of details and it was well written. He is excelling in all areas. The school does a thing where they group kids by ability and each teacher takes a group. So Lefty is only in his "homeroom" class for a short bit each day. I think the grouping thing is good because then each kid is able to work at their level, whether that be high, low or average.
Then it was off to Spirit's. Spirit's teacher had him conduct the conference, calling it "Student-Led Conferences". I am not sure the purpose of this, but it seemed to work ok. So Spirit had a file of papers and gave us a report of things he is learning and showed us some of his favorite papers. Then we asked the teacher to join us so we could ask a few things. I have been concerned with Spirit because he is extra hard on himself. If he doesn't get a 100%, but gets a 99% then he gets depressed and down on himself. So the teacher talked with him about that and we are hoping to improve his self confidence somehow.
Monday, October 18, 2010
Crazy Hair Day
The kids had crazy hair day at school. Both the boys have buzz hair cuts so it is hard to do anything crazy with it other than to color it! So that is what we did!
Lady Bug colored hers plus she wore a headband that has some green "hair". Spirit colored his black and then also wore a pom-pom in a hat and Lefty just colored his red.
Sorry the pictures are so small. I took them with a camera phone and if I make them any bigger they get fuzzy.
Lady Bug colored hers plus she wore a headband that has some green "hair". Spirit colored his black and then also wore a pom-pom in a hat and Lefty just colored his red.
Sorry the pictures are so small. I took them with a camera phone and if I make them any bigger they get fuzzy.
Monday, October 4, 2010
Fall finally arrived!
Our weekend weather was finally fall-like. We have been running in the 90's through last Friday! Insane I tell you, insane! But this weekend was sunny and warm, not hot though! It was perfect!
~~~~~~~~~~
The kids raked some leaves this weekend - they were hoping to get enough to jump in, but that didn't happen!
~~~~~~~~~~
I made vegetable soup and served it with crusty bread. YUM!
~~~~~~~~~~
I decided to take a month-long challenge to make my home a haven. I know I need to work on ME and I am hoping this challenge will help bring peace to our home. There are a lot of things that brought me to this decision. The issues with Spirit lately got me thinking. I also got to thinking about a friend of mine who is having some issues with her two boys, and I wondered if it is the parenting or is it the child? I then read on my sister's blog about a boy who who pulled the fire alarm and felt so terrible after ward that he writes letters to the fire department apologizing. It got me thinking - did his parents do something differently in raising him? Maybe, maybe not. But either way, I know I need to work on who I am and how I react and think in order to be a better example for my kids. {note: I also am premenstrual this week which doesn't help a thing!}
~~~~~~~~~~
I was speaking with a friend of mine last night about some family relationships that are sour right now. She told me to just keep trying to reconcile and if it doesn't work out then I know I did all I could to make it right and then I let it go. Sometimes I feel like I try and try and this person just doesn't want to reconcile and continues to find things to be upset with me about. When do I say enough is enough? Maybe right now. Enough!
~~~~~~~~~~
Lady Bug and I cleaned her closet and dresser to get rid of summer and bring in the fall stuff! she was so thrilled! I had been given some clothes from a friend and there are some super cute things in there! Lady Bug tried everything on and couldn't wait to wear a "new" outfit today to school!
~~~~~~~~~~
I was asked by Lady Bug's teacher today how she is doing with her reading. After we talked a bit, she said that Lady Bug failed an assessment test - she said she is surprised because she knows Lady Bug is reading quite well. There are only 2 kids reading at a high level in the class and one is Lady Bug. So the teacher wanted to know how I feel she is doing. I told her she is reading cereal boxes and other books (besides the ones she brings home from school) so I know she can do it. She said she will talk with her today and maybe Lady Bug just wasn't focusing during the assessment and they will re-assess her.
~~~~~~~~~~
I was also asked by Lady Bug's teacher today if I would be willing to make calls to parents to encourage volunteering in the classroom. She said she has asked but hasn't gotten any responses so she thinks maybe if I call and tell parents how fun it is to be in the classroom they might agree to it! We'll see. Hee!
~~~~~~~~~~
One more thing about Fall - as I walked the kids to school, it was chilly! YAY! AND we had to turn our heater on for the first time this morning! I am loving it!
~~~~~~~~~~
The kids raked some leaves this weekend - they were hoping to get enough to jump in, but that didn't happen!
~~~~~~~~~~
I made vegetable soup and served it with crusty bread. YUM!
~~~~~~~~~~
I decided to take a month-long challenge to make my home a haven. I know I need to work on ME and I am hoping this challenge will help bring peace to our home. There are a lot of things that brought me to this decision. The issues with Spirit lately got me thinking. I also got to thinking about a friend of mine who is having some issues with her two boys, and I wondered if it is the parenting or is it the child? I then read on my sister's blog about a boy who who pulled the fire alarm and felt so terrible after ward that he writes letters to the fire department apologizing. It got me thinking - did his parents do something differently in raising him? Maybe, maybe not. But either way, I know I need to work on who I am and how I react and think in order to be a better example for my kids. {note: I also am premenstrual this week which doesn't help a thing!}
~~~~~~~~~~
I was speaking with a friend of mine last night about some family relationships that are sour right now. She told me to just keep trying to reconcile and if it doesn't work out then I know I did all I could to make it right and then I let it go. Sometimes I feel like I try and try and this person just doesn't want to reconcile and continues to find things to be upset with me about. When do I say enough is enough? Maybe right now. Enough!
~~~~~~~~~~
Lady Bug and I cleaned her closet and dresser to get rid of summer and bring in the fall stuff! she was so thrilled! I had been given some clothes from a friend and there are some super cute things in there! Lady Bug tried everything on and couldn't wait to wear a "new" outfit today to school!
~~~~~~~~~~
I was asked by Lady Bug's teacher today how she is doing with her reading. After we talked a bit, she said that Lady Bug failed an assessment test - she said she is surprised because she knows Lady Bug is reading quite well. There are only 2 kids reading at a high level in the class and one is Lady Bug. So the teacher wanted to know how I feel she is doing. I told her she is reading cereal boxes and other books (besides the ones she brings home from school) so I know she can do it. She said she will talk with her today and maybe Lady Bug just wasn't focusing during the assessment and they will re-assess her.
~~~~~~~~~~
I was also asked by Lady Bug's teacher today if I would be willing to make calls to parents to encourage volunteering in the classroom. She said she has asked but hasn't gotten any responses so she thinks maybe if I call and tell parents how fun it is to be in the classroom they might agree to it! We'll see. Hee!
~~~~~~~~~~
One more thing about Fall - as I walked the kids to school, it was chilly! YAY! AND we had to turn our heater on for the first time this morning! I am loving it!
Thursday, September 30, 2010
My little criminal
Spirit got sent to the principal's office yesterday. *sigh* He claims a kid kept punching him in the lunch line so he turned around and said "If you don't stop I will bring a knife tomorrow!" A little girl behind them in line went and told a teacher.
Now this isn't the first time we have had this issue. When Spirit was in 1st grade he accidentally brought his pocket knife that his uncle gave him for Christmas and a little girl saw it and told the teacher. Mr. Man had to go to the school to pick up the knife from the principal. The principal said to Mr. Man "I need you to tell me that he didn't mean to do this." Mr. Man said "I can't say that because I have NO idea why he brought it." So the principal said "Just tell me he didn't mean to." So Mr. Man said "ok. he didn't mean to." She then said "Thank you. If you don't tell me that, by law I have to put this incident on his criminal record."
So here we are again, this time I feel it is different. The first time I don't think he meant to take it to school. This time he got so angry (which is what I can't understand) and threatened such violence. I asked him if he thought he'd really bring one and he hesitatingly said "no."
There was a teacher who saw what happened and her story doesn't make Spirit's at all. She says the kids were pushing each other and rough housing when the kid behind him fell and shoved into Spirit. She says Spirit turned around and immediately said he would bring a knife.
Mr. Man and I tried and tried to understand him last night. Has this kid bothered him before? Are other kids picking on him? Why did he get so angry? He doesn't have any answers for any of it. I don't understand.
I think there needs to be a consequence for saying that and being sent to the principal's office, but at the same time I have no idea how to punish this. He can't say things like that and get that angry. The principal made him call his dad from her office so she told Mr. Man that she felt that was enough punishment right there. But, I am not so sure.
Some days parenting really bites.
Now this isn't the first time we have had this issue. When Spirit was in 1st grade he accidentally brought his pocket knife that his uncle gave him for Christmas and a little girl saw it and told the teacher. Mr. Man had to go to the school to pick up the knife from the principal. The principal said to Mr. Man "I need you to tell me that he didn't mean to do this." Mr. Man said "I can't say that because I have NO idea why he brought it." So the principal said "Just tell me he didn't mean to." So Mr. Man said "ok. he didn't mean to." She then said "Thank you. If you don't tell me that, by law I have to put this incident on his criminal record."
So here we are again, this time I feel it is different. The first time I don't think he meant to take it to school. This time he got so angry (which is what I can't understand) and threatened such violence. I asked him if he thought he'd really bring one and he hesitatingly said "no."
There was a teacher who saw what happened and her story doesn't make Spirit's at all. She says the kids were pushing each other and rough housing when the kid behind him fell and shoved into Spirit. She says Spirit turned around and immediately said he would bring a knife.
Mr. Man and I tried and tried to understand him last night. Has this kid bothered him before? Are other kids picking on him? Why did he get so angry? He doesn't have any answers for any of it. I don't understand.
I think there needs to be a consequence for saying that and being sent to the principal's office, but at the same time I have no idea how to punish this. He can't say things like that and get that angry. The principal made him call his dad from her office so she told Mr. Man that she felt that was enough punishment right there. But, I am not so sure.
Some days parenting really bites.
Monday, September 13, 2010
Odds - n - ends
I have mentioned before that I am trying to lose weight - I am happy to announce I am 9 pounds away from my original goal which means I have lost 15 pounds so far! I am SO excited!
I say "original goal" because I really thought this goal would take me a lot longer to reach and so after I hit my original goal I plan to evaluate how I am feeling and see if I want to lose more. Based on the Body Mass Index for me I could "technically" lose another 10-15 pounds beyond my "original goal weight". So we'll see how far I take this. I can't wait to get to my original goal first though! That will be a glorious day!
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Last night as I was making dinner the kids were all outside playing. Lady Bug came running in crying. I asked what had happened and she said that the boys were teaching her bad things. "Like what?" I asked and her response . . . . . . . . .
"They want me to say please!"
{Shutter at the horror of it all!}
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Spirit is having a little bit of a struggle in school this year. The work is harder, the expectations are more intense and he has greater responsibilities in class and keeping track of assignments (I am told this is to prep for middle school in 2 years). He will make it ok, but it is a bigger adjustment than we expected.
I say "original goal" because I really thought this goal would take me a lot longer to reach and so after I hit my original goal I plan to evaluate how I am feeling and see if I want to lose more. Based on the Body Mass Index for me I could "technically" lose another 10-15 pounds beyond my "original goal weight". So we'll see how far I take this. I can't wait to get to my original goal first though! That will be a glorious day!
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Last night as I was making dinner the kids were all outside playing. Lady Bug came running in crying. I asked what had happened and she said that the boys were teaching her bad things. "Like what?" I asked and her response . . . . . . . . .
"They want me to say please!"
{Shutter at the horror of it all!}
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Spirit is having a little bit of a struggle in school this year. The work is harder, the expectations are more intense and he has greater responsibilities in class and keeping track of assignments (I am told this is to prep for middle school in 2 years). He will make it ok, but it is a bigger adjustment than we expected.
Friday, August 27, 2010
3 days in
Lady Bug has been in kindergarten since Wednesday. The first day she was a little nervous, but no tears. She came home super excited to go back the next day and carried on about how much she loves her teacher!
Thursday morning after breakfast I sent her up to get dressed. I could hear her sobbing in her room so I went in to check on her. She said she didn't want to go to school. When I probed her some more she said she just wants to be with the boys. I said that I knew the boys were able to see her throughout the day and then she said "well, I just want to be WITH you guys." I explained I would be going to work and the boys would be at the school with her. Nope, that didn't fix it.
Then we walked over to the school and she cried the whole way, with each step she cried a little harder and clung harder to my leg. By the time we got to the place her class lines up, she was in full blown hyperventilation and crying! The teacher literally had to pull her off my leg! I felt horrible. The teacher called me at home last night and told me that Lady Bug had a great day and had stopped crying by the time they got into the classroom. When we picked her up she told me what a great day she had and told me everything they did {of course recess is a huge hit!}
This morning there wasn't one tear and she marched right up the line and waved goodbye!
Now with the weekend in the way I am hoping Monday goes smoothly!
Thursday morning after breakfast I sent her up to get dressed. I could hear her sobbing in her room so I went in to check on her. She said she didn't want to go to school. When I probed her some more she said she just wants to be with the boys. I said that I knew the boys were able to see her throughout the day and then she said "well, I just want to be WITH you guys." I explained I would be going to work and the boys would be at the school with her. Nope, that didn't fix it.
Then we walked over to the school and she cried the whole way, with each step she cried a little harder and clung harder to my leg. By the time we got to the place her class lines up, she was in full blown hyperventilation and crying! The teacher literally had to pull her off my leg! I felt horrible. The teacher called me at home last night and told me that Lady Bug had a great day and had stopped crying by the time they got into the classroom. When we picked her up she told me what a great day she had and told me everything they did {of course recess is a huge hit!}
This morning there wasn't one tear and she marched right up the line and waved goodbye!
Now with the weekend in the way I am hoping Monday goes smoothly!
Wednesday, August 25, 2010
My baby is in Kindergarten
I dropped off little Lady Bug at school for her first day of Kindergarten. She was SO ready! She marched in with her back pack and as we stood outside she kept asking me when she could go to her classroom. As we walked closer towards the classroom after the school bell rang, she looked a little nervous, but she never cried or anything.
The teacher had all the kids sit on the carpet square. Then she talked a little bit about attendance and calling a student in absent and a few of her classroom rules. Then she asked all of us parents to go to the cafeteria for "Kleenex & Coffee". {which is funny because I started this event last year and also coordinated it again this year}.
Kleenex & Coffee is a nice event because parents can go have a cup of coffee (Thanks to Starbucks for their help with that donation!) and grab a donut (thanks to our local grocery store for help with the 6 dozen donuts!). We have some of the district "mental health" staff available to talk to parents and help them with this momentous time in their lives. I noticed lots of mommas crying (and even a couple dads too). The parents can ask general questions (so many of them don't understand where to pick up their child, or even what time school lets out, some had questions about lunch time and the before/after school program) so there are a few staff members available. It is a really nice event and I am pleased to be coordinating and hosting it each year. I plan to do it again next year as well, and the year after that and the next year too!
Because I was hosting this event I didn't really cry that much until after I was driving away from the school, then I had a melt down! I also got weepy over my lunch hour talking with some friends about it. Lady Bug just doesn't seem big enough to be heading off to kindergarten, but I guess she is!
This momma is watching the clock for when I get to go get the kids from school, and especially can't wait to hear about Lady Bug's first day!
The teacher had all the kids sit on the carpet square. Then she talked a little bit about attendance and calling a student in absent and a few of her classroom rules. Then she asked all of us parents to go to the cafeteria for "Kleenex & Coffee". {which is funny because I started this event last year and also coordinated it again this year}.
Kleenex & Coffee is a nice event because parents can go have a cup of coffee (Thanks to Starbucks for their help with that donation!) and grab a donut (thanks to our local grocery store for help with the 6 dozen donuts!). We have some of the district "mental health" staff available to talk to parents and help them with this momentous time in their lives. I noticed lots of mommas crying (and even a couple dads too). The parents can ask general questions (so many of them don't understand where to pick up their child, or even what time school lets out, some had questions about lunch time and the before/after school program) so there are a few staff members available. It is a really nice event and I am pleased to be coordinating and hosting it each year. I plan to do it again next year as well, and the year after that and the next year too!
Because I was hosting this event I didn't really cry that much until after I was driving away from the school, then I had a melt down! I also got weepy over my lunch hour talking with some friends about it. Lady Bug just doesn't seem big enough to be heading off to kindergarten, but I guess she is!
This momma is watching the clock for when I get to go get the kids from school, and especially can't wait to hear about Lady Bug's first day!
Monday, August 23, 2010
Back To School
Well, summer is over (it went by just a tad bit too fast if you ask me!) and the kids head back to school today - well, the boys do and Lady Bug starts on Wednesday.
The school hours changed this year so instead of starting at 8:00 and going until 2:30, they will start at 8:45 and go until 3:15. The boys are excited that they get to sleep in a little this year and I am excited that they get out a little later. 2:30 seems to come so quickly after 8:00! :-)
Spirit is going into FOURTH grade....eek - where did all the time go? Didn't he just start kindergarten? Wow. Lefty is starting THIRD grade - I will say it again, time moves way too quickly! Then there is Lady Bug, who is excited and a tad scared all at the same time to be starting kindergarten!
We had back to school night on Friday and got to meet the teachers and see the classrooms. It was neat to have a little one-on-one with each teacher and see where the kids will sit, etc.
In 1st grade Lefty had a best bud, but they got separated in 2nd grade and we discovered that they are in the same class again this year so Lefty is very excited about that!
Here's hoping for another GREAT school year!
P.S. - I will probably be shedding a lot of tears on Wednesday as my baby starts kindergarten - I am trying not to think of that right now.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
In Other News:
My boss has an interview today for ONE of the judge positions he applied for (he applied for 3 total). So I may or may not know more about my job in the next couple of weeks -- I will keep you posted.
The school hours changed this year so instead of starting at 8:00 and going until 2:30, they will start at 8:45 and go until 3:15. The boys are excited that they get to sleep in a little this year and I am excited that they get out a little later. 2:30 seems to come so quickly after 8:00! :-)
Spirit is going into FOURTH grade....eek - where did all the time go? Didn't he just start kindergarten? Wow. Lefty is starting THIRD grade - I will say it again, time moves way too quickly! Then there is Lady Bug, who is excited and a tad scared all at the same time to be starting kindergarten!
We had back to school night on Friday and got to meet the teachers and see the classrooms. It was neat to have a little one-on-one with each teacher and see where the kids will sit, etc.
In 1st grade Lefty had a best bud, but they got separated in 2nd grade and we discovered that they are in the same class again this year so Lefty is very excited about that!
Here's hoping for another GREAT school year!
P.S. - I will probably be shedding a lot of tears on Wednesday as my baby starts kindergarten - I am trying not to think of that right now.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
In Other News:
My boss has an interview today for ONE of the judge positions he applied for (he applied for 3 total). So I may or may not know more about my job in the next couple of weeks -- I will keep you posted.
Wednesday, July 28, 2010
Lunch Box Ideas
This August Lady Bug will start kindergarten. She will go all day (8:45 am until 3:15 pm) and will be eating lunch at the school. So as the first day of school gets closer and closer, I decided now would be a good time to put together this little lunch box idea list!
The boys often help me decide what goes in their lunches each day and some days they even pack their own. They sit down with me when I am doing the meal plan to help me decide what will be in their lunch boxes each day. I created a little check off list that has a columns for the main dish, side items, fruits and veggies for them to check off what they want for lunches each day. They don't particularly like school lunches so we only do school lunch in a pinch.
Here are some ideas we use often in our house. Our basic lunch box has one main meal or sandwich, one fruit, two additional side items (one of which is considered "dessert" but may be just a graham cracker or a cookie) and one veggie.
MAIN DISH:
*Bean & Cheese Burrito - Warm up tortilla just a little so that it doesn't split when you roll it. Add warm beans and sprinkle with some cheese. Roll up. Wrap tightly in foil. Place foil wrapped burrito in a 300 degree oven for about 15 minutes or so to make sure it is thoroughly warmed. I then wrap this in a paper towel and place it in the kids insulated lunch box.
*Pizza Rolls - Using store bought Pizza Rolls, I warm up 4-5 per roll (per kid) on a plate in the microwave. Wrap these tightly in foil and place in lunch box.
*Pizza Bagel Bites - Bake according to directions. Wrap tightly in foil and place in lunch box.
*Meat Roll-ups - Take a slice of deli meat and place a thin slice of cheese on top and then roll up. Place in the reusable sandwich keeper. I make 2-3 roll up per child. {I like to take a slice of turkey, then a slice of ham, then a slice of large pepperoni or salami and then the cheese}
*Spaghetti - I use a thermos and left over spaghetti noodles for this meal. I bring water to a boil (either on the stove or in a bowl in the microwave) then add the noodles for a few minutes to warm them up (since they are already cooked). You can either stir in sauce at this point OR my kids also like just butter and freshly grated parmesan cheese sometimes too. Place some in the thermos (remember to let some warm water sit inside the thermos while you are making the noodles, this will help keep the noodles warm until lunch time) and be sure to pack a fork too or your child might be a buttery mess later!
*Almost any left over will work if you use a thermos to keep it hot/cold. Remember to let some warm water sit inside the thermos while you are making the food, dump out the water just before adding in the warm food, this will help keep the food warm until lunch time.
*Soup - In the colder months we eat a lot of homemade soups and I send the left overs in a thermos for the kids. Remember to let some warm water sit inside the thermos while you are warming up the soup, this will help keep the soup warm until lunch time.
*Taco Salad - for a quick dinner I often make this simple taco salad. It packs up well for the kids to take left overs for lunch. I pack the chips in a baggie and they can crush them at school and add the toppings at school. I pack the lettuce and tomato in a separate container as well. But the limited amount of assembly works well for school. Warm up the beans/meat mixture and store in a thermos. {One mom told me she does a similar thing but sends a small individual sized bag of Nacho Doritos and the kids add in the other ingredients right into the bag to eat. I have not tried this yet, but sounds pretty good!}
SANDWICHES:
Lefty has told me he prefers a sandwich without the bread because the bread gets too soggy, so I have tried a couple tricks over time that seem to help this matter (he will now eat a sandwich with bread, but still prefers it without bread). Trick #1 - I put the "soggy" stuff on the inside. For instance, put a little peanut butter on each side of the bread then put jelly on, this way the jelly never touches the bread, or with deli meat sandwich, put the meat up against the bread the condiments on the meat so that the condiments never touch the bread. Trick #2 - Whole grain breads tend to stay sturdy longer. Trick #3 - Wrap the sandwich in wax paper instead of a sandwich baggie, I read this somewhere before and I have no idea why it works, but it does.
*Peanut Butter and Jelly
*Deli meat and cheese
*Bagel sandwiches - use a bagel and top with your child's favorite sandwich toppings
Wrap sandwiches: - use a tortilla (for these sandwiches my favorites are wheat tortillas or spinach tortillas). Be sure to warm up the tortilla just a bit so it doesn't split when you roll it up. There are plenty of ways to make these, but here are a couple ways I make them. **Note: I stay away from too many tomatoes or cucumbers in a wrap sandwich, only because they tend to make the wrap the mushy sometimes.
1. Meat Wrap with Avocado - Take an avocado and mash it. Spread this on the tortilla. Top with some lettuce leaves (I prefer Romaine, but any kind would work), sliced deli meat, cucumber slices and colby jack cheese sprinkled on top. Roll up. Cut in half (my kids only eat a half at a time because the tortillas are so large)
2. Meat Wrap with Dressing - Spread a small amount of ranch or italian dressing on the tortilla. Top with some lettuce leaves (I prefer Romaine, but any kind would work), sliced deli meat, cucumber slices and colby jack cheese sprinkled on top. Roll up. Cut in half (my kids only eat a half at a time because the tortillas are so large)
3. Turkey and Bacon Wrap - Cook 4 slices of bacon and drain off grease. Lay sliced turkey and a slice of your favorite cheese (I use colby jack or pepperjack) on a tortilla. Place bacon strips on top. Roll up tortilla and fold up bottom to secure. Heat up a tsp of olive oil in a pan. When oil is hot, lay turkey wrap, seam side down in the skillet. Cook 1-2 minutes or until golden brown. Flip and cook another 1-3 minutes until the cheese is melted and the tortilla is browned. Wrap tightly in foil and place in insulated lunch box.
4. BLT Wrap - Mix together a little cream cheese and mayonnaise (about 1-2 oz of cream cheese and about 1 Tbls mayo). Spread this mixture on the tortilla. In another bowl, stir together 1-2 tomatoes (that have been seeded and chopped), 1 avocado, chopped (optional), lettuce, chopped (sometimes I use left over salad greens), 5-6 slices of cooked and crumbled bacon, and a little bit of ranch dressing. Mix this together well and place on the center of the tortilla. Roll up, cut in half and wrap tightly (for this I use plastic wrap) and place in the insulated lunch box.
5. Quick Veggie Wrap - Take a bag of mixed salad greens and mix together with your favorite dressing (my kids like ranch) place in the center of the tortilla. Roll up, cut in half and wrap tightly.
6. Cheesy Veggie Wrap - Another thing I like to do is spread a thin layer of Garden Vegetable Cream Cheese on a wrap tortilla or a wheat tortilla and then put some deli meat and cheese and even some sprouts and lettuce, then roll up, cut in half and wrap tightly.
7. Peanut Butter & Jelly Wrap - Take your tortilla and spread creamy peanut butter on it, then a layer of jelly. Roll up. You can serve it just like this or you can cut it into bite-sized pieces if desired.
Pita Bread Sandwiches: - you can use pita pocket bread for any type of sandwich. My favorite pita is wheat. Use your favorite sandwich toppings, or some listed above or some of these listed below:
1. Tuna Salad Pita - I make mine using canned (and drained of course) tuna, stir in a little bit of mayonnaise and some pickle relish. Quick, easy and not fancy at all.
2. Chicken Salad Pita - I use shredded left over chicken breast or rotisserie chicken. Mix together with some mayonnaise, a tsp or so of lemon juice, dash of pepper, handful of slivered almonds, 1 celery stalked diced. Place a little bit of lettuce inside pita pocket and sliced tomatoes if desired. Add in chicken salad. Wrap tightly in plastic wrap.
3. Taco Pitas - Using left over taco meat this is a great sandwich! I spread some sour cream (and sometimes a little guacamole too) on the inside of the pita. Fill with shredded lettuce, diced tomatoes, then the warmed taco meat. Sprinkle with cheese. Wrap tightly in foil.
4. Turkey and Hummus Pita - Spread hummus (we like the spicy red pepper hummus on this sandwich) on the inside of the pita pocket. Add in some cucumber, peeled and sliced, a tomato or two peeled and sliced, some deli sliced turkey and a little shredded lettuce. Top off with shredded colby jack or cheddar cheese (you can use swiss slices instead if you want).
SIDE ITEMS:
*Fruit - I always include a piece of fruit. Apples, orange, grapes, kiwi slices (be sure to place these in a small reusable container to keep them from becoming too mushy), banana. Bananas can get mushed up inside a lunch box sometimes so I don't do these very often. If you have some small reusable containers you can make a small fruit salad to put in the lunch box. Since my kids lunch time is only about 15-20 minutes of eating time I like to peel and/or cut the fruits to save them the time and hassle at lunch.
*Chips, crackers or pretzels - when serving a sandwich I always include a small bag of chips. I don't like to use the pre-packaged bags because they are always too many chips for my kids. I prefer to buy a large bag and divide up into our own small bags. My kids like animal crackers, graham crackers, pretzels, chips, goldfish crackers, ritz crackers (I serve these especially with meat roll ups), wheat thins... the list goes on.
*Granola bars - homemade or store bought are great in lunches.
*Fruit snacks - I have these on hand and throw them in for a little treat now and again.
*Trail mix (also known as Gorp) - homemade or store bought, this is a great perk-me-up item to put in lunches.
A favorite of ours is 1 cup of each of the following: Rice Chex, Corn Chex, mini pretzels, oyster crackers, cheese puff balls, M&M's. Mix all together and put into little baggies.
Since my kids love popcorn too, I will make some airpopped popcorn, add to it a little cinnamon/sugar, a few thin pretzel sticks, some M&M's and some Teddy Grahams. Mix it all together and put into little baggies.
This is another good recipe for Gorp with Cheerios, raisins, and a little chocolate in there too!
*Cookie or other dessert - I will throw in one cookie or one small dessert item in the kids lunches almost every day. A dessert item might be a cookie or it might be a graham cracker or it might be a piece of small candy. I want them to have a mostly healthy lunch, but don't mind throwing in the special item too. I am fortunate enough to have good eaters so it doesn't bother me to give a small treat.
*Dried fruit pieces
*Homemade fruit cups
* Popcorn
* Cheese Stick
* Make your own jello and pudding cups. They are sometimes hard to find these days, but if you can find the yogurt cups with replaceable lids, wash them out (after eating the yogurt of course!) and make jello or pudding to fill them. I only fill them about half way or so because my kids won't eat more than that. Replace the lid and set in the fridge until ready to serve. If you can't find the yogurt cups with lids, you can purchase the Glad containers with lids in the small size for this, they work just as well.
DRINK:
I usually pack a water bottle or a juice box. I know there are complaints about some of the juice boxes being too full of sugar and I am careful of which ones I buy, but I am so lucky that my kids love milk and water that I don't worry too much about a sugary drink here and there. We are also lucky in that the school has a rack of free milk. These milk cartons are from kids who bought hot lunch but didn't open their milk, instead of throwing the milk away they are encouraged to put it on this rack and then other kids can drink it so my kids will often come home with an unopened drink because they chose milk instead.
If you freeze the juice boxes or water bottles slightly they will act as an "ice pack" in the lunch box and be thawed out perfectly in time for lunch OR try these, I haven't made any but they look easy and cheap enough to make several to have on hand.
I am linking up to Works For Me Wednesday - click here for lots of tips and ideas!
The boys often help me decide what goes in their lunches each day and some days they even pack their own. They sit down with me when I am doing the meal plan to help me decide what will be in their lunch boxes each day. I created a little check off list that has a columns for the main dish, side items, fruits and veggies for them to check off what they want for lunches each day. They don't particularly like school lunches so we only do school lunch in a pinch.
Here are some ideas we use often in our house. Our basic lunch box has one main meal or sandwich, one fruit, two additional side items (one of which is considered "dessert" but may be just a graham cracker or a cookie) and one veggie.
MAIN DISH:
*Bean & Cheese Burrito - Warm up tortilla just a little so that it doesn't split when you roll it. Add warm beans and sprinkle with some cheese. Roll up. Wrap tightly in foil. Place foil wrapped burrito in a 300 degree oven for about 15 minutes or so to make sure it is thoroughly warmed. I then wrap this in a paper towel and place it in the kids insulated lunch box.
*Pizza Rolls - Using store bought Pizza Rolls, I warm up 4-5 per roll (per kid) on a plate in the microwave. Wrap these tightly in foil and place in lunch box.
*Pizza Bagel Bites - Bake according to directions. Wrap tightly in foil and place in lunch box.
*Meat Roll-ups - Take a slice of deli meat and place a thin slice of cheese on top and then roll up. Place in the reusable sandwich keeper. I make 2-3 roll up per child. {I like to take a slice of turkey, then a slice of ham, then a slice of large pepperoni or salami and then the cheese}
*Spaghetti - I use a thermos and left over spaghetti noodles for this meal. I bring water to a boil (either on the stove or in a bowl in the microwave) then add the noodles for a few minutes to warm them up (since they are already cooked). You can either stir in sauce at this point OR my kids also like just butter and freshly grated parmesan cheese sometimes too. Place some in the thermos (remember to let some warm water sit inside the thermos while you are making the noodles, this will help keep the noodles warm until lunch time) and be sure to pack a fork too or your child might be a buttery mess later!
*Almost any left over will work if you use a thermos to keep it hot/cold. Remember to let some warm water sit inside the thermos while you are making the food, dump out the water just before adding in the warm food, this will help keep the food warm until lunch time.
*Soup - In the colder months we eat a lot of homemade soups and I send the left overs in a thermos for the kids. Remember to let some warm water sit inside the thermos while you are warming up the soup, this will help keep the soup warm until lunch time.
*Taco Salad - for a quick dinner I often make this simple taco salad. It packs up well for the kids to take left overs for lunch. I pack the chips in a baggie and they can crush them at school and add the toppings at school. I pack the lettuce and tomato in a separate container as well. But the limited amount of assembly works well for school. Warm up the beans/meat mixture and store in a thermos. {One mom told me she does a similar thing but sends a small individual sized bag of Nacho Doritos and the kids add in the other ingredients right into the bag to eat. I have not tried this yet, but sounds pretty good!}
SANDWICHES:
Lefty has told me he prefers a sandwich without the bread because the bread gets too soggy, so I have tried a couple tricks over time that seem to help this matter (he will now eat a sandwich with bread, but still prefers it without bread). Trick #1 - I put the "soggy" stuff on the inside. For instance, put a little peanut butter on each side of the bread then put jelly on, this way the jelly never touches the bread, or with deli meat sandwich, put the meat up against the bread the condiments on the meat so that the condiments never touch the bread. Trick #2 - Whole grain breads tend to stay sturdy longer. Trick #3 - Wrap the sandwich in wax paper instead of a sandwich baggie, I read this somewhere before and I have no idea why it works, but it does.
*Peanut Butter and Jelly
*Deli meat and cheese
*Bagel sandwiches - use a bagel and top with your child's favorite sandwich toppings
Wrap sandwiches: - use a tortilla (for these sandwiches my favorites are wheat tortillas or spinach tortillas). Be sure to warm up the tortilla just a bit so it doesn't split when you roll it up. There are plenty of ways to make these, but here are a couple ways I make them. **Note: I stay away from too many tomatoes or cucumbers in a wrap sandwich, only because they tend to make the wrap the mushy sometimes.
1. Meat Wrap with Avocado - Take an avocado and mash it. Spread this on the tortilla. Top with some lettuce leaves (I prefer Romaine, but any kind would work), sliced deli meat, cucumber slices and colby jack cheese sprinkled on top. Roll up. Cut in half (my kids only eat a half at a time because the tortillas are so large)
2. Meat Wrap with Dressing - Spread a small amount of ranch or italian dressing on the tortilla. Top with some lettuce leaves (I prefer Romaine, but any kind would work), sliced deli meat, cucumber slices and colby jack cheese sprinkled on top. Roll up. Cut in half (my kids only eat a half at a time because the tortillas are so large)
3. Turkey and Bacon Wrap - Cook 4 slices of bacon and drain off grease. Lay sliced turkey and a slice of your favorite cheese (I use colby jack or pepperjack) on a tortilla. Place bacon strips on top. Roll up tortilla and fold up bottom to secure. Heat up a tsp of olive oil in a pan. When oil is hot, lay turkey wrap, seam side down in the skillet. Cook 1-2 minutes or until golden brown. Flip and cook another 1-3 minutes until the cheese is melted and the tortilla is browned. Wrap tightly in foil and place in insulated lunch box.
4. BLT Wrap - Mix together a little cream cheese and mayonnaise (about 1-2 oz of cream cheese and about 1 Tbls mayo). Spread this mixture on the tortilla. In another bowl, stir together 1-2 tomatoes (that have been seeded and chopped), 1 avocado, chopped (optional), lettuce, chopped (sometimes I use left over salad greens), 5-6 slices of cooked and crumbled bacon, and a little bit of ranch dressing. Mix this together well and place on the center of the tortilla. Roll up, cut in half and wrap tightly (for this I use plastic wrap) and place in the insulated lunch box.
5. Quick Veggie Wrap - Take a bag of mixed salad greens and mix together with your favorite dressing (my kids like ranch) place in the center of the tortilla. Roll up, cut in half and wrap tightly.
6. Cheesy Veggie Wrap - Another thing I like to do is spread a thin layer of Garden Vegetable Cream Cheese on a wrap tortilla or a wheat tortilla and then put some deli meat and cheese and even some sprouts and lettuce, then roll up, cut in half and wrap tightly.
7. Peanut Butter & Jelly Wrap - Take your tortilla and spread creamy peanut butter on it, then a layer of jelly. Roll up. You can serve it just like this or you can cut it into bite-sized pieces if desired.
Pita Bread Sandwiches: - you can use pita pocket bread for any type of sandwich. My favorite pita is wheat. Use your favorite sandwich toppings, or some listed above or some of these listed below:
1. Tuna Salad Pita - I make mine using canned (and drained of course) tuna, stir in a little bit of mayonnaise and some pickle relish. Quick, easy and not fancy at all.
2. Chicken Salad Pita - I use shredded left over chicken breast or rotisserie chicken. Mix together with some mayonnaise, a tsp or so of lemon juice, dash of pepper, handful of slivered almonds, 1 celery stalked diced. Place a little bit of lettuce inside pita pocket and sliced tomatoes if desired. Add in chicken salad. Wrap tightly in plastic wrap.
3. Taco Pitas - Using left over taco meat this is a great sandwich! I spread some sour cream (and sometimes a little guacamole too) on the inside of the pita. Fill with shredded lettuce, diced tomatoes, then the warmed taco meat. Sprinkle with cheese. Wrap tightly in foil.
4. Turkey and Hummus Pita - Spread hummus (we like the spicy red pepper hummus on this sandwich) on the inside of the pita pocket. Add in some cucumber, peeled and sliced, a tomato or two peeled and sliced, some deli sliced turkey and a little shredded lettuce. Top off with shredded colby jack or cheddar cheese (you can use swiss slices instead if you want).
SIDE ITEMS:
*Fruit - I always include a piece of fruit. Apples, orange, grapes, kiwi slices (be sure to place these in a small reusable container to keep them from becoming too mushy), banana. Bananas can get mushed up inside a lunch box sometimes so I don't do these very often. If you have some small reusable containers you can make a small fruit salad to put in the lunch box. Since my kids lunch time is only about 15-20 minutes of eating time I like to peel and/or cut the fruits to save them the time and hassle at lunch.
*Chips, crackers or pretzels - when serving a sandwich I always include a small bag of chips. I don't like to use the pre-packaged bags because they are always too many chips for my kids. I prefer to buy a large bag and divide up into our own small bags. My kids like animal crackers, graham crackers, pretzels, chips, goldfish crackers, ritz crackers (I serve these especially with meat roll ups), wheat thins... the list goes on.
*Granola bars - homemade or store bought are great in lunches.
*Fruit snacks - I have these on hand and throw them in for a little treat now and again.
*Trail mix (also known as Gorp) - homemade or store bought, this is a great perk-me-up item to put in lunches.
A favorite of ours is 1 cup of each of the following: Rice Chex, Corn Chex, mini pretzels, oyster crackers, cheese puff balls, M&M's. Mix all together and put into little baggies.
Since my kids love popcorn too, I will make some airpopped popcorn, add to it a little cinnamon/sugar, a few thin pretzel sticks, some M&M's and some Teddy Grahams. Mix it all together and put into little baggies.
*Cookie or other dessert - I will throw in one cookie or one small dessert item in the kids lunches almost every day. A dessert item might be a cookie or it might be a graham cracker or it might be a piece of small candy. I want them to have a mostly healthy lunch, but don't mind throwing in the special item too. I am fortunate enough to have good eaters so it doesn't bother me to give a small treat.
*Dried fruit pieces
*Homemade fruit cups
* Popcorn
* Cheese Stick
* Make your own jello and pudding cups. They are sometimes hard to find these days, but if you can find the yogurt cups with replaceable lids, wash them out (after eating the yogurt of course!) and make jello or pudding to fill them. I only fill them about half way or so because my kids won't eat more than that. Replace the lid and set in the fridge until ready to serve. If you can't find the yogurt cups with lids, you can purchase the Glad containers with lids in the small size for this, they work just as well.
DRINK:
I usually pack a water bottle or a juice box. I know there are complaints about some of the juice boxes being too full of sugar and I am careful of which ones I buy, but I am so lucky that my kids love milk and water that I don't worry too much about a sugary drink here and there. We are also lucky in that the school has a rack of free milk. These milk cartons are from kids who bought hot lunch but didn't open their milk, instead of throwing the milk away they are encouraged to put it on this rack and then other kids can drink it so my kids will often come home with an unopened drink because they chose milk instead.
If you freeze the juice boxes or water bottles slightly they will act as an "ice pack" in the lunch box and be thawed out perfectly in time for lunch OR try these, I haven't made any but they look easy and cheap enough to make several to have on hand.
I am linking up to Works For Me Wednesday - click here for lots of tips and ideas!
Thursday, May 27, 2010
Lady Bug Graduates
Lady Bug gradutated preschool yesterday! I was so sad and bawled like a baby through the whole thing! The preschool is actually closing down after 20 years! The director of the school started this daycare 20 years ago so that she could be with her children while bringing in some income. She has 3 kids, her oldest graduated high school a couple years ago! So yesterday at the graduation her middle child was there - as a senior in High School getting ready to graduate herself! Since this was the last graduation this preschool would be putting together they brought back 4 high seniors that were actually alumni of the daycare! The seniors wore their cap and gown and read the names of the preschool graduates. It was really cute! Each senior also gave a short speech to the preschool graduates, saying things like "just remember to be good to your friends and share your toys." or "Remember to eat your vegetables." It was really cute.
The kids sang some songs and answered quiz questions. It was a lot of fun, UNTIL they started singing a song with words "I know I leave my handprints on the wall, but just be good to me now because one day I will be grown and gone." -- What kind of cruel director plans a song like that? Just kidding.
Thursday, May 20, 2010
Field Day
I worked field day today for Lefty ... would love to post pictures but today was Spirit's field trip to downtown and he wanted to take the camera and being the good mom that I am I let him take it over me! I am also volunteering at field day tomorrow which will be for Spirit's age group and maybe I can get some pictures then.
It was fun today. Lady Bug went with me and helped me hand things to the kids. We worked the Peacock Feather Balance. It was a timed thing. They had to balance the peacock feather on their finger and we timed them. Lady Bug handed out the feathers to the kids, then lil' miss priss also took it upon herself to instruct the kids (who are all older than her) how to balance it on their finger and "be sure to watch the eye of the feather so it will balance better". She had me in stitiches all morning! At one point I even heard her say to one of the 2nd grade boys "Wait until the teacher says 'go' so that we can time you, ok buddy?" -- Buddy? really? hee hee
It was fun today. Lady Bug went with me and helped me hand things to the kids. We worked the Peacock Feather Balance. It was a timed thing. They had to balance the peacock feather on their finger and we timed them. Lady Bug handed out the feathers to the kids, then lil' miss priss also took it upon herself to instruct the kids (who are all older than her) how to balance it on their finger and "be sure to watch the eye of the feather so it will balance better". She had me in stitiches all morning! At one point I even heard her say to one of the 2nd grade boys "Wait until the teacher says 'go' so that we can time you, ok buddy?" -- Buddy? really? hee hee
Wednesday, May 5, 2010
Pink slips and undecorated folders *shutter*
We have a lot going on in our house right now. Most of it concerning Lefty and his school work. Every night the kids all sit at the table in the kitchen nook area and do homework. I make dinner and Mr. Man is available to help the kids. Neither one of us hover over the kids to be sure they are doing each item and doing it correctly, but we do glance at things and are definitely there to help. In my opinion, it is the kids responsibility to do what the teacher has assigned them, I tell them that I am not the one in class and therefore do not have any clue what the assignments are. Spirit's teacher sends home a weekly syllabus type thing so I can look at that and be sure he has completed what is expected each night. Lefty's teacher does not, so we must rely on Lefty to know what his assignments are.
Every night he sits at the table and puts a pencil to paper. Every night before bed I ask if he has any papers I need to sign (he is supposed to read 30 minutes each night and have an adult initial a reading log -- since he goes to the after-school program he usually reads there and has one of the adult helpers sign his form) and every night he tells me "No, mom."
Only the Lord knows what he has been doing at the table each night, because clearly his parents have NO idea... let me explain:
Monday he handed Mr. Man a note. A pink note labeled "NOTICE OF MISSING ASSIGNMENTS". The teacher had handwritten a lengthy note about how Lefty isn't doing his assignments and he was unable to complete a class assignment that day due to the fact that he hadn't completed something from the week before and instructed us to ask him what had happened.
We had a long talk with Lefty and he explained that the reason he couldn't complete the class assignment was because on a class assignment from the week before she didn't like the way he wrote his "e's" so she made him sit and write "e's" for 20 minutes.
Her note also told us that one homework assignment from last week was to decorate his homework folder and again, she told us to ask him why that was important. When we asked him, he said "Well, she wants us to decorate it so we know which folder is ours, but my name is written on it so I already KNOW which folder is mine."
I don't see why that was such a bad point, but I explained that it doesn't matter because it was an assignment to decorate it and he needed to decorate it.
He also told us that he doesn't know what she expects of him. He said she hands them packets and he doesn't know what he is supposed to do. My answer to that is that he needs to either get clarification from her before he leaves for the day OR ask us when he gets home to see if we can help him figure it out.
So after our long talk with him we went through the homework folder together with him and get this:
I HAD NO IDEA WHAT HE WAS SUPPOSED TO DO!!!
There was a packet of about 8-10 pages plus 2 loose pages in his undecorated homework folder. Most of the pages didn't have instructions at the top and we couldn't figure out what he was supposed to do.
For example, here is what one page looked like:
NOUNS
bread, grain, ______________
goat, cow, ________________
bus, car, _________________
There were probably 5 others like this on the page. Seriously? What was he supposed to do exactly? My guess was to find another noun similar to those words listed? But we didn't know so we skipped it and I wrote a sticky note on that page explaining that we didn't understand it. No wonder my little guy is frustrated.
I sent a letter back to the teacher explaining our talk with Lefty and things he told to us. I explained that I expect him to listen to instructions during class, but it would be helpful to us to have a syllabus or something similar so we can know what is expected of him. I put my phone number and email address.
Got home last night to another note from the teacher. She responded to my note. She said things like "I'm sorry you chose to have Lefty complete that packet because that wasn't part of the homework for last night and the one thing I needed him to complete was the Spelling Preview Test which he did not complete. This has to be frustrating for us all."
Guess what people? He most certainly DID do the Spelling Preview Test but as I told her in my first note I sent in, he wasn't sure where he was supposed to write it because she is picky about which paper they use so I had him use the back of the Spelling Preview Test. I wanted to fire another letter back to her saying, "You stupid idiot, read my note and look on the back of that sheet for the assignment." I didn't write that letter (well, actually I did but Mr. Man made me tear it up. He thinks we need to go face-to-face now)
Mr. Man happened to attend a PTA meeting last night and the principal laughed and said "So, I hear Lefty did a whole packet of homework he didn't need to do. ha ha ha haha ha ha haha" Mr. Man got ticked and said "It was NOT funny in our house last night. We take this stuff seriously."
I think the teacher knows we are upset and was "covering her butt" (so-to-speak) with the principal which is why the principal knew about the homework debacle. But guess what? I am so hacked off right now, I will have her butt in a sling faster than she can spit. I am the most reasonable parent she will come in contact with and I have high expectations of my kids. I value teachers and think my kids should respect them. I also know that my kids (especially Lefty) can have a mind of his own and sometimes doesn't like being told what to do, but this is the first time I have ever had these kinds of issues with him. School is almost done for the year and this is the first issue we are having so why not pick up the phone and say to me "gee, this is unlike him, what could be going on?" but instead she sent home a "pink slip". I mean really lady! Get a grip!
Last night after the kids were in bed, Mr. Man and I were talking and he thinks we need to come down and let things settle for a couple days before we have a conference. WHAT? I am so fired up, let's go NOW!! Ok, ok, I see his point, she might lose her head if I go in there today!
Every night he sits at the table and puts a pencil to paper. Every night before bed I ask if he has any papers I need to sign (he is supposed to read 30 minutes each night and have an adult initial a reading log -- since he goes to the after-school program he usually reads there and has one of the adult helpers sign his form) and every night he tells me "No, mom."
Only the Lord knows what he has been doing at the table each night, because clearly his parents have NO idea... let me explain:
Monday he handed Mr. Man a note. A pink note labeled "NOTICE OF MISSING ASSIGNMENTS". The teacher had handwritten a lengthy note about how Lefty isn't doing his assignments and he was unable to complete a class assignment that day due to the fact that he hadn't completed something from the week before and instructed us to ask him what had happened.
We had a long talk with Lefty and he explained that the reason he couldn't complete the class assignment was because on a class assignment from the week before she didn't like the way he wrote his "e's" so she made him sit and write "e's" for 20 minutes.
Her note also told us that one homework assignment from last week was to decorate his homework folder and again, she told us to ask him why that was important. When we asked him, he said "Well, she wants us to decorate it so we know which folder is ours, but my name is written on it so I already KNOW which folder is mine."
I don't see why that was such a bad point, but I explained that it doesn't matter because it was an assignment to decorate it and he needed to decorate it.
He also told us that he doesn't know what she expects of him. He said she hands them packets and he doesn't know what he is supposed to do. My answer to that is that he needs to either get clarification from her before he leaves for the day OR ask us when he gets home to see if we can help him figure it out.
So after our long talk with him we went through the homework folder together with him and get this:
I HAD NO IDEA WHAT HE WAS SUPPOSED TO DO!!!
There was a packet of about 8-10 pages plus 2 loose pages in his undecorated homework folder. Most of the pages didn't have instructions at the top and we couldn't figure out what he was supposed to do.
For example, here is what one page looked like:
NOUNS
bread, grain, ______________
goat, cow, ________________
bus, car, _________________
There were probably 5 others like this on the page. Seriously? What was he supposed to do exactly? My guess was to find another noun similar to those words listed? But we didn't know so we skipped it and I wrote a sticky note on that page explaining that we didn't understand it. No wonder my little guy is frustrated.
I sent a letter back to the teacher explaining our talk with Lefty and things he told to us. I explained that I expect him to listen to instructions during class, but it would be helpful to us to have a syllabus or something similar so we can know what is expected of him. I put my phone number and email address.
Got home last night to another note from the teacher. She responded to my note. She said things like "I'm sorry you chose to have Lefty complete that packet because that wasn't part of the homework for last night and the one thing I needed him to complete was the Spelling Preview Test which he did not complete. This has to be frustrating for us all."
Guess what people? He most certainly DID do the Spelling Preview Test but as I told her in my first note I sent in, he wasn't sure where he was supposed to write it because she is picky about which paper they use so I had him use the back of the Spelling Preview Test. I wanted to fire another letter back to her saying, "You stupid idiot, read my note and look on the back of that sheet for the assignment." I didn't write that letter (well, actually I did but Mr. Man made me tear it up. He thinks we need to go face-to-face now)
Mr. Man happened to attend a PTA meeting last night and the principal laughed and said "So, I hear Lefty did a whole packet of homework he didn't need to do. ha ha ha haha ha ha haha" Mr. Man got ticked and said "It was NOT funny in our house last night. We take this stuff seriously."
I think the teacher knows we are upset and was "covering her butt" (so-to-speak) with the principal which is why the principal knew about the homework debacle. But guess what? I am so hacked off right now, I will have her butt in a sling faster than she can spit. I am the most reasonable parent she will come in contact with and I have high expectations of my kids. I value teachers and think my kids should respect them. I also know that my kids (especially Lefty) can have a mind of his own and sometimes doesn't like being told what to do, but this is the first time I have ever had these kinds of issues with him. School is almost done for the year and this is the first issue we are having so why not pick up the phone and say to me "gee, this is unlike him, what could be going on?" but instead she sent home a "pink slip". I mean really lady! Get a grip!
Last night after the kids were in bed, Mr. Man and I were talking and he thinks we need to come down and let things settle for a couple days before we have a conference. WHAT? I am so fired up, let's go NOW!! Ok, ok, I see his point, she might lose her head if I go in there today!
Thursday, March 4, 2010
Who is in control?
I was talking with a friend the other day and she was telling me how frustrated she is with her son. She told me all he wants to do is play video games and watch tv instead of doing homework and his grades are suffering for it.
I tried telling her that maybe she needs to tell him he can't do those things until the homework is complete. Her response?
"Oh ya, right. Then he just whines and throws a fit. It just isn't worth it to me."
So, even though I was shocked beyond belief at "It isn't worth it to me" I decided to try again and I told her find something that makes him tick and have a reward of some kind for improved grades. I told her about the reading Bingo we did in our house and suggested she could maybe come up with some kind of "Homework Bingo" and have different things on there for math, and reading or whatever he is struggling with and when he fills it up he could get a reward. I even offered to help come up with something. Her response?
Oh ya, right. He would want me to buy him something HUGE."
I told her that she could define the reward, not him. Her response?
"Like that would work."
I decided not to give up quite yet, I feel so strongly in helping kids succeed in school, so I tried telling her to set up a homework spot so he is completely comfortable and the space is quiet. Her response?
"Where do I do that? He will just want to be where I am and I am usually cooking dinner at homework time."
See the pattern there? I don't know who has the bigger problem, mom or student. But I do know that student definitely rules the roost and calls the shots.
After more talking it appears she doesn't force him to sit down and do homework until well after dinner and by that time he is tired. She also told me that he isn't completing assignments and she doesn't know why. Doesn't it seem logical that if you know your child is "too tired" then you up the homework time to get done before dinner? Doesn't it also seem logical that if he isn't completing assignments that she needs to sit him down and find out why?
I had more suggestions for her but when I hit the brick wall each time before, I decided she didn't want my help so I would just let her talk. I am praying for her and her son each morning before school, right along with my prayers for my own children.
I know we aren't perfect parents and certainly don't have perfect kids, but homework is homework and it gets done before dinner in our house. Now we both work full time and so the kids have to go to the afterschool program so I have encouraged them to work on homework there. They don't always get it all done in the afterschool program, but it sure helps to get a jump start on it. They are required to read for 30 minutes each night, so we have a routine that they get ready for bed and can read in bed for 30 minutes. That works for us and might not work for everyone, I realize that, but seems like this mom should be trying things instead of just letting it go.
For the record, if my kids have homework, there is no TV, no video games, no playing outside, no internet until the homework is complete. On those days when they don't have to go to the afterschool program then they are allowed to have a snack and play until about an hour before dinner and that is when they start homework. Our designated "homework spot" happens to be the nook in the kitchen. That way Mr. Man or I can be available to help if necessary. All the kids have desks in their room and occasionally the boys will choose to do homework in their room, but not very often.
I'm just sayin' I know who is in control in MY house! :-)
I tried telling her that maybe she needs to tell him he can't do those things until the homework is complete. Her response?
"Oh ya, right. Then he just whines and throws a fit. It just isn't worth it to me."
So, even though I was shocked beyond belief at "It isn't worth it to me" I decided to try again and I told her find something that makes him tick and have a reward of some kind for improved grades. I told her about the reading Bingo we did in our house and suggested she could maybe come up with some kind of "Homework Bingo" and have different things on there for math, and reading or whatever he is struggling with and when he fills it up he could get a reward. I even offered to help come up with something. Her response?
Oh ya, right. He would want me to buy him something HUGE."
I told her that she could define the reward, not him. Her response?
"Like that would work."
I decided not to give up quite yet, I feel so strongly in helping kids succeed in school, so I tried telling her to set up a homework spot so he is completely comfortable and the space is quiet. Her response?
"Where do I do that? He will just want to be where I am and I am usually cooking dinner at homework time."
See the pattern there? I don't know who has the bigger problem, mom or student. But I do know that student definitely rules the roost and calls the shots.
After more talking it appears she doesn't force him to sit down and do homework until well after dinner and by that time he is tired. She also told me that he isn't completing assignments and she doesn't know why. Doesn't it seem logical that if you know your child is "too tired" then you up the homework time to get done before dinner? Doesn't it also seem logical that if he isn't completing assignments that she needs to sit him down and find out why?
I had more suggestions for her but when I hit the brick wall each time before, I decided she didn't want my help so I would just let her talk. I am praying for her and her son each morning before school, right along with my prayers for my own children.
I know we aren't perfect parents and certainly don't have perfect kids, but homework is homework and it gets done before dinner in our house. Now we both work full time and so the kids have to go to the afterschool program so I have encouraged them to work on homework there. They don't always get it all done in the afterschool program, but it sure helps to get a jump start on it. They are required to read for 30 minutes each night, so we have a routine that they get ready for bed and can read in bed for 30 minutes. That works for us and might not work for everyone, I realize that, but seems like this mom should be trying things instead of just letting it go.
For the record, if my kids have homework, there is no TV, no video games, no playing outside, no internet until the homework is complete. On those days when they don't have to go to the afterschool program then they are allowed to have a snack and play until about an hour before dinner and that is when they start homework. Our designated "homework spot" happens to be the nook in the kitchen. That way Mr. Man or I can be available to help if necessary. All the kids have desks in their room and occasionally the boys will choose to do homework in their room, but not very often.
I'm just sayin' I know who is in control in MY house! :-)
Tuesday, November 17, 2009
Thoughts...
Spirit has a girl in his class that has seizures. She wears a helmet for protection and she also has an aide that is with her at all times in case she has a seizure.
The first time it happened Spirit came home very concerned for her. Asking us why she would have those, what does it feel like to her and what does it do to her. He also admitted to being a little scared, not OF her but scared FOR her. I could see it in his eyes that first time that he was genuinely concerned for her.
Since that first time, the girl has had seizures in class probably 4 or 5 more times. Every time, Spirit comes home concerned. He wants to know if there is anything we can do for her, etc, etc etc.
The teacher has done some explaining to the class, which has eased Spirit's mind on it, but he still tells us every time she has a seizure. He knows now she has a medical condition that causes this, he knows they should turn her on her side so she doesn't choke, and he thinks it is really nice that two girls in his class hold the girls hand after the seizure to make her feel better.
For some reason last night he was really thinking about her (and wouldn't be because he wants to marry her... click here to see why!). He wanted to get online to find out more about seizures and what causes them. He also described to me what it looks when she has one. He told me how the teachers are always calm about it so he realizes he should be calm too, but he told me that he just wants to help her.
It occured to me, at that very moment, as I was looking into those big brown eyes that I might be looking at the next great doctor. Maybe that is what he will aspire to be when he goes off to college.
Have you ever read the below poem, which is for teachers, but totally applies to being a parent in so many ways as well.... I just love the poem and actually have a copy in my house that I look at often!
The first time it happened Spirit came home very concerned for her. Asking us why she would have those, what does it feel like to her and what does it do to her. He also admitted to being a little scared, not OF her but scared FOR her. I could see it in his eyes that first time that he was genuinely concerned for her.
Since that first time, the girl has had seizures in class probably 4 or 5 more times. Every time, Spirit comes home concerned. He wants to know if there is anything we can do for her, etc, etc etc.
The teacher has done some explaining to the class, which has eased Spirit's mind on it, but he still tells us every time she has a seizure. He knows now she has a medical condition that causes this, he knows they should turn her on her side so she doesn't choke, and he thinks it is really nice that two girls in his class hold the girls hand after the seizure to make her feel better.
For some reason last night he was really thinking about her (and wouldn't be because he wants to marry her... click here to see why!). He wanted to get online to find out more about seizures and what causes them. He also described to me what it looks when she has one. He told me how the teachers are always calm about it so he realizes he should be calm too, but he told me that he just wants to help her.
It occured to me, at that very moment, as I was looking into those big brown eyes that I might be looking at the next great doctor. Maybe that is what he will aspire to be when he goes off to college.
Have you ever read the below poem, which is for teachers, but totally applies to being a parent in so many ways as well.... I just love the poem and actually have a copy in my house that I look at often!
WITH APOLOGIES TO NONE
~Author unknown~
When I am introduced as a teacher, I am usually asked what I teach.
I reply, "I teach the little ones." So often the response is a flat "oh."
I have never been certain whether it is an expression of
sympathy or disinterest. I wish I had the time to say something like this:
Where else would life look as bright to me as it does having an
energetic group to whom nothing is impossible?
Where else could I walk into a room and see so many
eager faces turn to greet me?
Where else could I wear the same thing day after day and
still be told I look pretty?
Where else could I guide the first letter formations of a chubby little hand
and think that someday it might write a book or sign
an important document?
Where else could I so quickly forget my own aches and pains because of
skinned knees, bumped heads, and broken hearts that need my consolation?
Where else could I feel so close to my Maker as I do each day,
when because of something I've done, little children learn and grow?
Yes, I teach the little ones and I love it!
~Author unknown~
When I am introduced as a teacher, I am usually asked what I teach.
I reply, "I teach the little ones." So often the response is a flat "oh."
I have never been certain whether it is an expression of
sympathy or disinterest. I wish I had the time to say something like this:
Where else would life look as bright to me as it does having an
energetic group to whom nothing is impossible?
Where else could I walk into a room and see so many
eager faces turn to greet me?
Where else could I wear the same thing day after day and
still be told I look pretty?
Where else could I guide the first letter formations of a chubby little hand
and think that someday it might write a book or sign
an important document?
Where else could I so quickly forget my own aches and pains because of
skinned knees, bumped heads, and broken hearts that need my consolation?
Where else could I feel so close to my Maker as I do each day,
when because of something I've done, little children learn and grow?
Yes, I teach the little ones and I love it!
Tuesday, November 10, 2009
Helping a hard working teacher out - WFMW tip
I am not a teacher, nor have I ever been , but I am close to some people whose occupation is teaching in the public schools. So I know from talking to them that they work hard and put in lots of hours that we (as parents) don't know about, especially during parent/teacher conference times. They sometimes are pulled away from their families during conferences and sometimes until late into the evenings for these conferences.
So this year I decided to make each teacher a little "Dinner in a basket" gift. I picked up a few baskets at the thrift store. Then I prepared some homemade chili, stuck in some crackers, a couple apples, a few biscuits (just from a can), Mr. Man made some salsa that we packaged up and I stuck in a jar of homemade pumpkin butter. I attached a note that said "With the stress of parent/teacher conferences, please enjoy dinner on us tonight! Thank you for all your hard work!"
The kids and I enjoyed packing these up and then Mr. Man helped the boys deliver them to the school Monday morning when he dropped the kids off. The boys were so excited to give them to the teachers. I immediately got a note back from Lefty's teacher saying "Thank you! Dinner is just what I needed this week! Things are going to be so crazy with conferences. Thanks again!"
Click here for more Works for Me Wednesday tips and ideas.
Please don't forget my Rachel Ray cookware giveaway - click here to enter.
So this year I decided to make each teacher a little "Dinner in a basket" gift. I picked up a few baskets at the thrift store. Then I prepared some homemade chili, stuck in some crackers, a couple apples, a few biscuits (just from a can), Mr. Man made some salsa that we packaged up and I stuck in a jar of homemade pumpkin butter. I attached a note that said "With the stress of parent/teacher conferences, please enjoy dinner on us tonight! Thank you for all your hard work!"
The kids and I enjoyed packing these up and then Mr. Man helped the boys deliver them to the school Monday morning when he dropped the kids off. The boys were so excited to give them to the teachers. I immediately got a note back from Lefty's teacher saying "Thank you! Dinner is just what I needed this week! Things are going to be so crazy with conferences. Thanks again!"
Click here for more Works for Me Wednesday tips and ideas.
Please don't forget my Rachel Ray cookware giveaway - click here to enter.
Sunday, October 11, 2009
Resignation
No, not mine! Lady Bug's. She resigned from preschool on Friday!
I showed up at the school to pick her up and the teacher came over with a very concerned look on her face and asked to speak with me. She ushered me aside from the hustle and bustle of the classroom. She informed me that Lady Bug had told her she would not be coming back to school. I looked somewhat confused. She went on to say that Lady Bug told her that this was her last week and that after this weekend she would not be back to school there.
I couldn't think what Lady Bug would have been talking about, but assured the teacher that she was in fact returning to school on Monday. About this time, Lady Bug came pouncing over from where she was and said "I am going to kindergarten at the boys' school."
I leaned down to her and said that would be NEXT year. She piped up "Noooooo, that's next weekend." So I told her again that she would have to wait until next year to go to kindergarten at the boys' school.
I then looked back at the teacher and assured her that Lady Bug would be returning to school and would not be leaving until next year when she starts kindergarten!
The teacher was relieved and said "She was so serious when she told me that I really believed her, but knew I should double check with you first."
I showed up at the school to pick her up and the teacher came over with a very concerned look on her face and asked to speak with me. She ushered me aside from the hustle and bustle of the classroom. She informed me that Lady Bug had told her she would not be coming back to school. I looked somewhat confused. She went on to say that Lady Bug told her that this was her last week and that after this weekend she would not be back to school there.
I couldn't think what Lady Bug would have been talking about, but assured the teacher that she was in fact returning to school on Monday. About this time, Lady Bug came pouncing over from where she was and said "I am going to kindergarten at the boys' school."
I leaned down to her and said that would be NEXT year. She piped up "Noooooo, that's next weekend." So I told her again that she would have to wait until next year to go to kindergarten at the boys' school.
I then looked back at the teacher and assured her that Lady Bug would be returning to school and would not be leaving until next year when she starts kindergarten!
The teacher was relieved and said "She was so serious when she told me that I really believed her, but knew I should double check with you first."
Wednesday, June 10, 2009
Random Thoughts
The kids couldn't have been more excited for school to end and summer break to begin.... yet they have played "school" non stop. What is up with that? Spirit is the teacher and Lefty and Lady Bug are students. Lady Bug spends a lot of time putting herself in timeout, while the "teacher" gets mad at her for doing so!!
This was such a boring post. If you made this far you deserve chocolate!
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
The school had a really cool summer reading program that the kids could sign up for, it wasn't mandatory and the parents had to sign an agreement accepting these books and workbooks. We agreed to participate so each boy got two large books and two workbooks to go with each book. The program encourages the kids to read part of the book and then do the workbook that follows up the stories. It is a cool workbook, it has some spelling words taken from the story, some reading comprehension questions, then some grammar questions ("Are these words using short vowels or long vowels?", "Are these sentences punctuated correctly?", etc.), then it also has some writing pages ("Write a letter to someone telling them about the story you just read.") The boys are so excited!This is their first full day out of school and they are home working in their workbooks. Think they will still be interested in it in a few weeks? Time will tell!~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
We are still down to one car. My van still isn't working. Yesterday we had a little scare...Mr. Man's Jeep decided not to start. He had come to have lunch with me, when we go to leave the restaurant, it won't start. It won't make any noise like it is even thinking about starting. So we get someone to jump us. The battery won't hold a charge. So the guy took Mr. Man to the auto parts store to get a new battery. Thankfully the new battery was all the Jeep needed (at $100....I had no idea car batteries were so expensive!).~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
I live very far from my family. Today is one of those days I wish I was closer. One of my sisters is being forced to make a decision that will impact her family greatly and she is torn on what to do. I can't make the decision for her, but boy do I wish I could be there to hold her hand while she makes the decision.This was such a boring post. If you made this far you deserve chocolate!
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
