I’m not sure how we’ve already arrived at the 100th day of school but today is the day. Briggs was collecting 100 legos last night to put in a bag and take to school today. He had some funny ideas before he landed on legos. 100 blades of grass? It may be little tough to do projects with blades of grass. Fine I’ll do legos. 🙂
Hitting the 100 day mark means we are over half way through the school year. We just had parent teacher conferences where I could tell Bennett’s and Cannon’s classes are soaring and Briggs’ class is limping along. My four oldest who attended the same school had such great teachers in kindergarten that I took for granted just how good we had it. Now, I am in the classroom trying to help more than I ever have been and it’s leaving me more frustrated than anything.
But I was reminded last week while talking to a friend that even a classroom that is limping along is better than being forced into remote learning. It’s not as bad as it could be – and the reality is, the previous kindergarten teachers set such a high bar that I’m selfishly wanting that same experience for my youngest and it just isn’t happening. And that’s okay. At least my kids are at school having a very normal school experience this year – not every one can say that. And I’m grateful that it’s the kindergarten class limping and not Bennett’s 5th grade class – much easier to recover from that!
I love when I get to repurpose something. We have lego costumes sitting in the attic collecting dust and I finally got to pull them out and use them again for Cannon’s Lego Birthday party. I’ve thrown a lego party before (for Hunter’s 6th birthday) and although the theme was the same, this group was older and we had different activities.
We had kids decorate their own lego people.
We had a building contest to see who could build the tallest tower in 10 minutes with the legos available. The tower had to be able to stand on its own for judging – the kids were very creative
We used m&ms and straws to see who could move their stack of candy the fastest. (They wanted to do this over and over again!) We also had relay races with legos and spoons outside. I got all the candy for the “candy bar game” and Hunter made every box look like a lego – and then we ran out of time and didn’t even play it. I’m realizing the older kids get, the less structure they want at a party and instead want free time to play. So the kids played. The played with legos, they played outside. They stayed busy!
All good things must come to an end – and that includes preschool. I have paid our final preschool dues and I couldn’t be happier about the situation. Briggs had his final preschool program and even though I have attended this program 8 different times (two years for each kid) it never gets old. Each kid is so different and their performance is unique to them. Bennett is our most animated kid, but put him on a stage and he goes serious. For some reason, Briggs was trying so hard not to show his teeth and that in itself made me chuckle.
Seeing as though the teacher was retiring on the very last year we needed preschool was no doubt a tender mercy. All my boys went to her and there is one particular song where she invites previous students to the stage to sing along. I was hoping to have all four boys there to celebrate our teacher’s final performance, but Hunter knows his recess days are short and he wasn’t about to get pulled from school and miss recess.
But Bennett and Cannon were more than willing and they were happy to join Briggs on the stage to sing.
As you can tell, the theme for preschool this year was trolls and they’ve known all year long they were working for trolls trophies. And they did not disappoint! Briggs is now the proud owner of two vintage trolls which I know were hard to come by for the teacher to find.
This sweet lady has my heart. She has taken my kids in to her home and loved them like her own. Even when I know they were difficult. Side note: Hunter just reminded me of a time he got in trouble at preschool. He was always a mischievous kid and I often wondered how he handled being in her class. Anyway, some girl was using the drinking fountain and in Hunter’s eyes, she was taking her sweet time. Every once in a while she would stop sipping and look back at Hunter standing behind her waiting not so patiently I’m sure. After she would grin at him, she would slowly turn to the fountain and resume drinking. She did this a couple times before Hunter was done waiting and he pushed her head into the drinking fountain.
He has many stories just like that – but this teacher loved him anyway. She trained my boys to be obedient in the classroom and she was strict with them – and I know a few of them probably pushed her buttons. She taught them to read and she praised them and gave them confidence. She loved them. I see it in her eyes and my kids adore her as well. I can’t count how many times Briggs has created a picture that we had to drop off in her mailbox.
I find it a privilege to know we were with her when it ended – a teaching career that lasted over thirty years. And I feel blessed to have been associated with her. In a way, she’s made it so easy for us to move on without sadness because my kids are so ready. I don’t worry about them moving on. They’re ready. I’m ready. We’re all ready and it feels good. We’ve had such a fun preschool run and we have officially closed that chapter. I wouldn’t want it any other way.
We have just a few days left before all the kids are out of school and I’m enjoying these last moments of our one-on-one time. In all reality, he just wishes the play place at McDonalds would open back up – that would be his preference every day if given the choice. He doesn’t recognize the large changes that are coming so for him it’s business as usual. But I see them. I know change is just around the corner so we’re just going to soak in a few more moments.
Kindergarten writing is my favorite because they have so much to say, but limited experience with writing the words. So they do their very best to phonetically sound it out how they hear it in their head. Sometimes it’s easy to make out the words, other times I have to ask for help while reading it. Cannon spent the last couple months writing each day (accompanied by some amazing illustrations) and these are a few of my favorites.
I once had a pediatrician tell me to record my kid’s voices when they were 3 and 4 because as much as you think you’ll remember that sound, memory fades. I think keeping kid’s writing at this stage is the same thing – just don’t want to forget!
I’m not sure how it started, but for as long as I can remember Briggs has requested “launchos” when making meal requests. What is launchos you might ask? Well, it’s nachos for lunch of course. It has to be one of my favorite things he mispronounces – next to ESU (otherwise known as the ASU Sun Devils).
I’m sure when he was just forming words he heard his siblings asking for nachos for lunch and his interpretation became launchos. It stuck with him and it’s became a household name.
But we all know kids only stay cute for so long and before you know it they start pronouncing things correctly. Today was that day.
He asked for nachos – with a clear pronunciation on the N. I repeated, “Launchos?” and he said it again correcting me, “NNNNachos”. He did it – he went and grew up on me and he’ll probably never again utter the phrase launchos – which is unfortunate because I thought it was a great blending of words.
I was telling Hallie when she got home from school that he finally figured it out – she corrected me – Cannon has been working with him to say it correctly. Before you know it, he’ll realize I don’t have super powers. It’s a slippery slope!
I’m not one to reinvent the wheel so when I throw a successful kid’s birthday party, I mentally file it away and save it for another kid.
Hallie’s 6-year-old bubble party was a smashing success and I knew it would be the just right party for Cannon’s 6-year-old party.
I may have been wrong.
Despite what social media tells us, parties don’t always go as planned and it’s not always rainbows and butterflies and bubbles!
For the record, Cannon loved his party and had no clue that we were putting out fires left and right. It was almost comical. The kids loved all the activities but for whatever reason there was one problem or another and this kid was crying and then another was and so-and-so kept popping their bubbles, and this person isn’t sharing the wands…and that’s how it went.
I’m a photographer and I never have a problem hosting a party and shooting the photos, ever. But after this party, I had very few photos. We were just holding on until the end of the party!
Like I said before, Cannon was clueless and the kids walked away happy but Steve and I were both scratching our heads saying, “We’ve thrown this party before – but with much different results!” That’s just how it goes sometimes. At least we sent them home so fresh and so clean, clean!
