Tag Archives: kindergarten

School Jitters

Posted by When the Kids Go To Bed in motherhood and tagged with , , , , , ,

Deacon has been so excited to start kindergarten. “How many more sleeps?” The question I have been hearing on a daily basis. Then there is Logan, who is starting 1st grade. He’s not too thrilled. “I thought you said we had a long vacation!?” Yeah kid, two and half months is a long vacation. They started school today. A bittersweet moment for me. Time to get back to packing lunches, homework battles, and fundraisers. Logan started with a cough yesterday. A fake cough that is. Already! It’s going to be a very long year.

Now most get sad, anxious, and shed tears when they send their kids to kindergarten…not me. I was more nervous about sending Logan to 1st grade because he just doesn’t want to be there. His best buddies are not in his class, he is lazy when it comes to reading, and his favorites parts of school are recess, lunch, and art class. Deacon was a champ. He got in line with his class, gave me the two thumbs-up, and was off for a “better than awesome” day. I worried about Logan all day today. I want so badly for him to love school, it kills me. When my husband sent me the message today that he said his day was “great” I let out a sigh of relief. So maybe he’s not going to be a kid that LOVES school or thinks it’s “better than awesome,” but I’ll take “great” any day.

The baby starts preschool next week. Now THAT is going to be a scary one.

A Vocabulary Parade – 1st Big School Project

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When I get home from work one of the first things that I do is take Logan’s folder out of his backpack and see what he has for homework. There are ALWAYS other papers/flyers crammed into his folder. You know the stuff; PTO events, school announcements, monthly newsletters, etc. I try to make a point to go through each one. Well last week was a busy week and I just tossed them in a pile to go through later. “Later” never really happened.

When my niece was over this weekend she asked me what Logan was going to be in the Vocabulary Parade at school. What!? First thought, Vocabulary Parade, sounds stupid. Next thought, where did I put that purple piece of paper!? Third thought, I’m a bad mommy, this form was due last week!

Caislin and Logan quickly decided what he was going to be: Scales. Yes, Scales. Scales as in the flat, bony, disc type covering on certain animals such as reptiles and lizards. OF COURSE. That’s my boy! I was a little surprised that he didn’t decides on the word “fossil.”

Not only did we have to fill out the form with the word and definition, we had to make a costume for the Vocabulary Parade. This was his first big project for school. Momma had to try to get a little excited about it. Off to the store I went for supplies while Logan and my husband made the perfect “scale” to trace, over and over and over again.

Seeing both Logan and my husband get excited over the project thrilled me. We started making a ton of scales and glued them to a poster board and hoped that it would come out how we envisioned it.

Logan took his time placing the scales in the perfect spot, making a pattern. He was so happy with the final results.

For once this morning I didn’t need to tell him to get his shoes and coat on. I didn’t have to remind him to get his backpack and lunch. I didn’t have to repeat myself 30 times. He was ready and at the door 15 minutes before departure. “It starts FIRST thing in the morning Mom.” ”We can’t be late like when Dad takes me to school.”

Working For It

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For months, wait no it’s been years, Logan has been pestering me for a reptile. He aimed BIG at first with the request of an alligator. “But they’re so cute mom.” It took some explaining…they’re ginormous reptiles that do not belong in our home. They might eat your little brother. We have no room for an alligator, nor the means to take care of one. Mommy is petrified of alligators, sharks, and birds! So he brought it down a notch and asked for the $600.00 parrot that “took a liking” to him at the pet store is how he put it. Again, Mommy + Birds…NO! Watching Hitchcock’s The Birds while on Nantucket island…not such a good idea.

I’ve been contemplating what to do. Snake? No. I have horrifying dreams of snakes. I used to be okay with them until my friend’s boyfriend’s boa nearly took his arm off. It didn’t help that I entered their apartment during feeding time. Poor Mr. Rabbit. I’ve never been the same. During high school we had a Water Dragon…all I can say is “damn crickets!” We’re definitely not getting anything that requires live crickets. Iguana…live too long, not ready for that type of commitment.

I really pushed for a California Firebelly Newt because I’m partial to newts. My friend got me one for my 11th birthday and I had it until my senior year of high school. Easy to take care of. I couldn’t make the sale. He doesn’t want a newt. I kept researching and I think we might just settle for a little anole. We discussed, we agreed, but there needed to be a catch. He’s 6 now and he needs to be responsible for this little creature. The deal…he feeds it, cleans its tank, uses his money to buy meal worms, AND we don’t get it until after kindergarten graduation. He’s set. Thrilled with the deal. So what is the first thing I told him he needed to do? Clean the tank.

I don’t think I have ever seen him so happy doing a chore. He even made sure to tell me how much fun it was. He also did quite a good job, meticulous like his mom. He is over-the-moon excited. I just hope he can keep on his good behavior, keep up with his chores, and do great in school so we can go get the darn little green thing.