Today's Card

From my deck of Today Cards:

Today, share one of your insights

-a cherished story, a colorful memory, an inspiring quote, or a new thought

with someone in your life.

Your insight is a gift no one else can give!

I am "THAT Mom"

Ellie did her first ever homework on Wednesday. She was so cute. She climbed up to the table, took her little pen and did a great job. Basically, she had to "help the baby dolphin find it's mommy" and trace the line from the mom to the baby animal.

It wasn't perfect. Some of the lines she had to follow were kind of curvy and she didn't go all the way around loops and things like that. I just praised her effort. After all, it was her first homework and, to me, the road we travel can sometimes be more important than the destination.

I put the homework in her folder to be turned in. When I picked her up, I checked the folder and the homework was re-done with a crayon. All of it. Not just the parts that were less-than-perfect. There was a note on the homework that said:

"Please do your homework with your mom. Please use a crayon."

I asked the teacher what happened and she told me they are to use crayons. Nowhere on the paper did it say that. I asked her if she told Ellie that and she said no, that it was "just how they do it" at their school. I asked if it was in the handbook and I had missed it and she said no. I guess Ellie and I are supposed to be mind readers?

So, I asked her (because I really wanted to seal my position as "THAT Mom" as early as possible in the year), "Did you really make her sit down and re-do this because she used a pen?" and she said "Yes". I asked her if she thought that was excessive and she said "If you don't want me correcting her anymore, I won't".

I tried to explain that it wasn't the correcting I had a problem with. I can totally see why they would possibly help her to re-do the ones she had trouble with. I tried to re-phrase it and she just did not get why I was raising an eyebrow at it.

I know it isn't a HUGE deal but this is one of a series of events so far this year that has led me to the conclusion that this school is not a good match for her (or me!).

It's not that it is a bad school, it's not, it's just that their philosophy is not jiving with how I would like Ellie to experience preschool. I want her to learn something....and that is to learn to love school. To learn to love learning. Not to learn that everything she does needs to be perfect. Or to learn that there is one path to a destination.

I met with Lucas' preschool director and they very much want to have her there. She spoke with me at length this morning about the issues I had.

Best of all, I don't think I would ever NEED to be "THAT mom" at this preschool.

Happy Happy Joy Joy, back to school all over again :/

Rascal Flatts

The new CD "Still Feels Good" came out on Tuesday. It is really, REALLY good! If anyone wants to borrow it, let me know :)

Big Day

Lucas got his orange with white stripe belt today in Aikido! Here are some shots from the test:


Finishing the test:

Taking off the old belt:

Putting on the new one and having a serious talk about the responsibility of having an orange belt:

Congratulations, big guy!

We have a winner

Lynette won the contest! It was line 3 and 7.

Anyone who has met Lucas knows that line 3 was his. But what some may not know is how much he loves to make new friends. He is still talking about "Skyler" who we met at the park a couple of weeks ago.

The 2 lines in the story really captured my wonderful boy.

Gift Boxes

I have been having fun with making the gift boxes I send my pendants in. This one is for someone special and I hope she likes it and what is inside.

Contest

I am adding a contest to my blog today.

The prize is a lovely and cute assortment of scrapbooking embellishments. **Oooo! Aaaaahhh!**

And since some of you do not scrap, I will think of an alternative if a boring, non-scrapping person happens to win ;)

So here is the deal. In Lucas' backpack today, there was a story that was written and acted out by Lucas and 3 of his classmates. The first person to comment in the comments section of this entry as to which 2 lines were Lucas' contribution wins!

And now.....the story:

The Bats Run Away From Their Home Because There are Bugs in There.
by Lucas, Macy, Seth and Grace
September 07

The Bugs followed them

And they went far away.

They were surrounded by police officers because the police thought they destroyed the bugs.

And the bats runned away from their mom.

The bats got lost.

They couldn't find their way home.

They make new friends.

The kids finally find their way home.

The End.