Tuesday, November 30, 2010
Tuesday, November 23, 2010
Holiday Photos
Since my camera decided to break, or should I say, since the kids decided to play with my camera and cause it to become broken, I do not have any good pictures of the kids. I have to take pictures on my phone, which do not always turn out to be the best. So on my Christmas list this year is a new camera.
Anyway, to get back to why I am posting this. We had our family pictures taken about 2 weeks ago, which we do often around this time of year. I took pictures of the pictures on my phone so the ones you are getting are about as good as I can get without a new camera (hint, hint to anyone who wants to buy me something for Christmas).
I think my boys have gotten so big! I love them dearly and can't believe I was blessed with two such wonderful children! My husband is great, too, just in case anyone was wondering. :-)
Anyway, to get back to why I am posting this. We had our family pictures taken about 2 weeks ago, which we do often around this time of year. I took pictures of the pictures on my phone so the ones you are getting are about as good as I can get without a new camera (hint, hint to anyone who wants to buy me something for Christmas).
Saturday, October 30, 2010
Saturday, October 9, 2010
So Much Growth
I know it has been awhile since I have written anything. Frankly, I've been really busy with work and then homework in the evenings. I tend to spend my time with my husband and kids on the weekends, so blogging hasn't been high on the priority list.
However, after how much growth my kids have gone through recently, I thought it was time for a post. Thing 1 is doing very well in Kindergarten. He is beginning to read and knows 16 words by sight. He is really enjoying himself and has made a girlfriend (he always has a girlfriend!). About two weeks ago he also started Sunday School classes and has been a big helper to his teacher. When we picked him up from his class last week, the teacher had many positive things to say about him.
A couple weeks ago we decided to buy underpants for Thing 2 as we felt he may be getting close to potty training. He decided to pick out Mickey Mouse underpants. We kept them in the dresser in his room and would continue to prompt him to use the potty. Some days he was more receptive than others. Every once in awhile he would actually ask to go. Well, today, he asked to go and I took him, sat him down on the little potty, and read him some books. After the second book, I asked if he wanted another book or if he was ready to get up. He said he wanted to get up. When he got off of the toilet, we found that he had pooped and peed in the potty! Thing 1 and I praised him and gave him hugs. Thing 2 was excited and wanted his underpants. So Thing 1 got Thing 2 a pair of the Mickey Mouse underpants and he has been wearing them ever since. He did decide not to wear pants. I'm guessing it's because then he can't see the Mickey Mouse design on his underpants!
I am very happy with how much my two boys have grown the past few weeks. Not only are they getting taller, but they are learning so much. I so love my boys!
However, after how much growth my kids have gone through recently, I thought it was time for a post. Thing 1 is doing very well in Kindergarten. He is beginning to read and knows 16 words by sight. He is really enjoying himself and has made a girlfriend (he always has a girlfriend!). About two weeks ago he also started Sunday School classes and has been a big helper to his teacher. When we picked him up from his class last week, the teacher had many positive things to say about him.
A couple weeks ago we decided to buy underpants for Thing 2 as we felt he may be getting close to potty training. He decided to pick out Mickey Mouse underpants. We kept them in the dresser in his room and would continue to prompt him to use the potty. Some days he was more receptive than others. Every once in awhile he would actually ask to go. Well, today, he asked to go and I took him, sat him down on the little potty, and read him some books. After the second book, I asked if he wanted another book or if he was ready to get up. He said he wanted to get up. When he got off of the toilet, we found that he had pooped and peed in the potty! Thing 1 and I praised him and gave him hugs. Thing 2 was excited and wanted his underpants. So Thing 1 got Thing 2 a pair of the Mickey Mouse underpants and he has been wearing them ever since. He did decide not to wear pants. I'm guessing it's because then he can't see the Mickey Mouse design on his underpants!
I am very happy with how much my two boys have grown the past few weeks. Not only are they getting taller, but they are learning so much. I so love my boys!
Tuesday, September 21, 2010
Homework
Now that we are into the 4th week of school, Thing 1 is starting to come home with homework. Really, the homework started last week. He had homework in preschool so I was expecting this but I wasn't expecting quite this much. In preschool he would come home once a week with a paper where he had to write the upper and lowercase letter 10 times each. Toward the end of preschool, he would also be writing words 3 times each. He had 2 days to do this homework before it was due. I didn't feel much pressure as we would do it the first night that he brought it home unless there was some extenuating circumstance.
So last week on Monday, Thing 1 brought home his composition book and a poetry book. There were also multiple notes attached letting the parents know what the children had to do throughout the week. Let me start by saying part of the homework was exactly what he did in preschool - he would write each letter, upper and lowercase, 3 times (instead of 10). That part did not overwhelm me. What overwhelmed me is the fact that he not only wrote the letters but then drew a picture that started with the letter (he has 2-3 letters each week to write and 2-3 pictures to draw), has a short story where he has to highlight all of the letters in that story that he just wrote, has 2 poems to read throughout the week out of he poetry book, and has 8 sight words that he needs to know by the end of the week for his quiz. To me, this sounds like a lot of work for a 5 year old. Granted, he has all week to do all of this work but he has to practice his sight words and his poems every night in order to do well on his quiz on Fridays. I'm not sure how long each evening a 5 year old should be doing homework as he is in school for 6 1/2 hours during the day as it is. I'm thinking that he is still a kid and that he should have time to relax and do things he enjoys. I also don't like the idea that kindergarten is the new first grade!
I think my biggest problem with the whole thing is that I feel that this is really a reflection on my parenting. If my child does not get all of his sight words correct on Friday, I am afraid that may say that I am not working hard enough to help my child learn how to read. I don't really think I can handle going into a parent-teacher conference where I am told that I need to work harder to teach my child how to read. I think there is a lot of pressure on kids and this is the pressure I feel as a parent. I work over 40 hours per week to direct 2 programs and when I come home in the evening I would like to spend time with my kids relaxing and having fun, not doing homework. I didn't become a teacher for a reason - I'm no good at it and I get frustrated easily. I'm not sure what the kindergarten curriculum is, but I thought that teaching a child to read was something that would be done in school and not something where I would have to quiz my child for at least 30 minutes every night. Read a book with a my child, I will totally do. Quizzing my kid on sight words is frustrating for me, so I know he is not enjoying it. Am I the only one who feels this way about 5 year olds and homework?
So last week on Monday, Thing 1 brought home his composition book and a poetry book. There were also multiple notes attached letting the parents know what the children had to do throughout the week. Let me start by saying part of the homework was exactly what he did in preschool - he would write each letter, upper and lowercase, 3 times (instead of 10). That part did not overwhelm me. What overwhelmed me is the fact that he not only wrote the letters but then drew a picture that started with the letter (he has 2-3 letters each week to write and 2-3 pictures to draw), has a short story where he has to highlight all of the letters in that story that he just wrote, has 2 poems to read throughout the week out of he poetry book, and has 8 sight words that he needs to know by the end of the week for his quiz. To me, this sounds like a lot of work for a 5 year old. Granted, he has all week to do all of this work but he has to practice his sight words and his poems every night in order to do well on his quiz on Fridays. I'm not sure how long each evening a 5 year old should be doing homework as he is in school for 6 1/2 hours during the day as it is. I'm thinking that he is still a kid and that he should have time to relax and do things he enjoys. I also don't like the idea that kindergarten is the new first grade!
I think my biggest problem with the whole thing is that I feel that this is really a reflection on my parenting. If my child does not get all of his sight words correct on Friday, I am afraid that may say that I am not working hard enough to help my child learn how to read. I don't really think I can handle going into a parent-teacher conference where I am told that I need to work harder to teach my child how to read. I think there is a lot of pressure on kids and this is the pressure I feel as a parent. I work over 40 hours per week to direct 2 programs and when I come home in the evening I would like to spend time with my kids relaxing and having fun, not doing homework. I didn't become a teacher for a reason - I'm no good at it and I get frustrated easily. I'm not sure what the kindergarten curriculum is, but I thought that teaching a child to read was something that would be done in school and not something where I would have to quiz my child for at least 30 minutes every night. Read a book with a my child, I will totally do. Quizzing my kid on sight words is frustrating for me, so I know he is not enjoying it. Am I the only one who feels this way about 5 year olds and homework?
Saturday, September 4, 2010
Week One
The first week of Kindergarten is now over. Thing 1 did very well. He enjoyed spending time with other children his own age and was happy to go to school each day. The biggest problem I had is that at the end of the school day, around dinner time, he became very cranky! He would refuse to do things that were asked of him and was just being rude. I blame this on getting used to the routine and I am sure that within the next couple of weeks we won't have this issue so much anymore. I also found that today, he is perfectly content sitting around relaxing. I'm sure that is due to his exhaustion from his first week of school. At least he has a three day weekend to recuperate before going back to school! Although, based on our Labor Day plans, he may be tired! We have big plans to attend the Renaissance Faire on Monday. Pictures to come. Huzzah!
Monday, August 30, 2010
1st Day of Kindergarten
Thing 1 had a great first day and is excited to go back tomorrow.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
Posts
