Christmas 2008

Another fabulous Christmas down. We were able to spend it at Grandma and Grandpa's and they sure know how to put on a great Christmas. Thanks Grandma & Grandpa for all the special memories.


The roads, however, were anything but fabulous. It took us almost 6 hours to get there (usually a 3 1/2 hour trip). There was mass amounts of snow and it was still snowing.

The roads home were better, but it still took an additional hour. It also started to rain on top of the snow packed roads. Rain in December is just wrong and ugly.

Merry Christmas

We Wish You A Merry Christmas!

Snow Play

This weekend brought more snow. Now this is a white Christmas!Yesterday, we did some sledding at a birthday party. Big Bro thought this was the a blast and had to be drug inside. Little Sis didn't enjoy it quite as much. In fact, she was crying at the end of the first run and insisted that I go with her on a second try, which she also was less than thrilled about.
Last night, it dumped snow, but the temperature was a little warmer. So we bundled up and played in the yard. We had a great snow fight, even though the snow was to dry to form balls! The kids also made snow angels and I gave them rides through the yard on the snow shovel. I love the first few weeks of snowy weather!

'Tis The Season

Here's the photos from last weekends Holiday fun. I'm late getting these up but I've fallen in the holiday bustle myself.

We hit the luminary exhibit at the arboretum Friday night. The kids had a great time running through luminaries and we enjoyed fresh hot apple cider after.
Then Saturday morning we took the kids to see a Musical Nativity production. It was great. The kids enjoyed seeing the story of Jesus' birth played out. It turned out to be a fantastic moment to stress what Christmas is really about, as I have been feeling that it gets lost in all the materialism.Saturday afternoon brought some heavy snow, which was exciting. This was the first snow this season that stuck. The only problem is that the temperatures were so low (single digits) that snow play was not much fun.
And what is Christmas without a trip to visit Santa? We took the kids on a trolley ride to see Santa. It was FREEZING! Little Sis would only sit on Santa's lap if Big Bro sat with her.

WHAT A LOAD!!!

Our staff is excited to announce that your child is invited to participate in an Extended Learning Opportunity. The extended day program is designated for students who are in need of some additional instruction needed to help him/her reach their grade level goals. Instruction will occur in small groups with emphasize in reading and/or math.
Your child is invited to receive extra academic help every Tuesday and Wednesday beginning January 6th, 2009 and continuing until March 25th. The sessions are after school from 3:15-4:15 pm...

This is the letter I found in my mailbox after picking Big Bro up from school on Friday. I thought about it for less than a minute and then loaded the kids back up and headed back to school where I confronted his teacher. First I asked if every child received one of these letters, to which she replied "no". Then I asked how it was possible that I spend time in his classroom each week and don't know that he is falling behind. (Here's where my tears began.)

Instantly the teacher said that he wasn't behind. "He is a very smart child," she said. "These letters went out to 14 students in my class (a class of 25). They were sent to all the children who were in the mid-range for their reading," she explained. She assured me that this had nothing to do with how my son was performing in class or how I was parenting. She told me not to let this question my parenting skills or my sons brightness. And she let me know that it was fine not to sign him up for this "Extended Learning Opportunity".

She was trying to head out of town for her niece's graduation but took the time to ease my fears. Then last night at 8 pm I received a call from her. She had just gotten back in to town and went straight to the school to go over Big Bro's scores. She said that she had been thinking of us since Friday afternoon.

She told me that this was an event the school district put on for the children at an average reading level to give them the boost they need to score well on the reading test. She explained to me that the students who are reading at a below-average level aren't invited, this includes 4 children in Big Bro's class. Seems a little backwards, doesn't it? I am assuming that they want to boost the scores of the average children to counter the scores of the children that have little hope of passing the test.

So what is average? These scores are based on the Dibels test. They tested the children at the beginning of Oct and will be testing again at the end of Jan. Big Bro is already at the level he needs to be at in Jan in all aspects of this test except nonsense words (boj, fek, nef, kej). The goal set by the school district is 54 of these words read correctly in one minute. Big Bro has been testing between 49 and 51 in these past few weeks. This test does NOT take into account that many children in Big Bro's age range (including Big Bro) still have trouble correctly pronouncing certain sounds, such as the sounds for "th" and "r" and "w". This is not something that can be "fixed". It just comes as the child develops.

So how will 2 extra hours a week at school help Big Bro's reading? I work with him at home each night. We try to make it fun..."you get to read the bedtime story tonight" or "try reading this book to your sister". He loves to read but after a long day at school, he is done by the time he arrives home. So I give him time to be a 6-year-old kid and we read at night. I believe another hour at school will push him over the top. And is it really necessary? Will this make him a more well-rounded person?

So my next question was "What happens if he doesn't reach the 54 word goal?". To which I was told that he will then be pulled from class 25 minutes several days a week to give him extra practice. But what if I don't want him missing science or math or whatever. I guess the teachers and parents have a little say on this, so it's possible that he won't have to be pulled. However, his teacher thinks that he will most likely hit the goal in a month. He was at 33 words in October, so he has learned an amazing amount already.

Is it just me or does this whole thing seem like a load of B.S.? At what expense are we pushing these children to reach pre-set test scores? And how is it fair that we help the children who are in the middle but push those that are really in need of some extra instruction to the side? How is this not leaving children behind? Are we producing good, well-rounded children with this method of teaching or just children who can test well on nonsense words? (And how often in real life do you use nonsense words?)

As for me and my son, I think we will take our chances. We will continue to do what we are doing at home and hope that he passes the test come January. If he doesn't it, believe me I will not stand by quietly while he is pulled from class for additional help. I want him to love reading but that's not going to happen if we make it too much work for him. I am angry that I let this letter and the school district's testing make me question my child's reading abilities and my own abilities as a parent.

On the positive side, I really love Big Bro's teacher and am so grateful that she cares as much as she does. I know she is on my side and just wants what is best for my son. For that I am utterly grateful.

Limo to Lunch

Big Bro got his Limo ride to lunch on Friday. The kids were so excited. And while we were cruising in the Limo (I got to go as a chaperon) it started to snow, our first snow this year!

Fun from our trip

We had a great time on our trip but instead of going into details, I'll just leave you with this little slide show.

To Uncle Brad

Uncle Brad asked for a retraction to Big Bro's statement about him being too old to drive. So I asked Big Bro what he thought of Uncle Brad and he had this to say..."He's not THAT old. He can even still drive but he is still kind-of old. And he is a little crazy."
There you have it. His words, not mine!

My Little Pilgrim

Big Bro has his First Grade Feast yesterday, where the first grade classes dress as Pilgrims and Indians and have lunch in the hall with their families. I was so sad to miss this but hubby was able to go. Big Bro looked so cute in his little costume!

And we are off to see my family for Thanksgiving! I am so excited, as it seems like forever since we've been to Granny and Papa's. Big Bro keeps telling me that he can't even remember their house, which I know is just a guilt trip because in the next breath he will tell me all the things he wants to play with when he gets there! Little Sis is very excited as well. For the last 3 days she has been asking if it was time to go yet! So we have a long day of driving ahead filled with "are we there yet?".

Christmas Lights (& Heights)

It's starting to look a lot like Christmas...not really but we wanted to get our lights up while it was still nice out. The lights are nothing fantastic but I figured this photo would quicken Granny's pulse!

Weekend Blast

We took Big Bro's rocket out last weekend, figuring it would be the last time until spring. The kids love this thing!

WOW!

Big Bro had an assignment to come up with some original artwork to the theme "WOW". So he took the camera out into the yard and snapped some photos by himself. He actually got quite a few good shots. We decided to use this one. His artist statement read "Wow, those are some pretty sharp thorns".

I Dressed Myself

Here's one of Little Sis's Fashion Creations...a present day late eighties-early nineties look?
I really need some of those stickers, "I Dressed Myself", to slap on this kid!

Angerize?

Big Bro's favorite new game is to tease sis until she screams. All week we have been telling him to "Stop antagonizing your sister". So I just had to laugh tonight when I heard him start to tease and little sis piped up "Brother stop angerizing me. I am really getting mad."!!

Fall Changes

Like the weather, I seem to notice the biggest changes in my children during the fall and spring.

Big Bro has gotten amazing at spelling. During dinner the other night I asked hubby if he wanted to make a f-i-r-e (not wanting to get the kids excited if the answer was no) and Big Bro knew exactly what we were talking about. I guess that means this year we won't be talking about the t-o-y-s from s-a-n-t-a while they are around!

Little Sis has grown considerably too. She now dresses herself each morning, everything from taking off her jammies to putting on her shoes. It makes for some interesting outfits! I am so amazed that she can button and unbutton her clothing already! She has also grown into quite the little helper. Here is some video of her helping one of the little guys I care for put on his shoes.

Fall Colors

I love all the colors of fall. I try to capture the kids playing in the leaves every year. We were a little late this year due to the unusually wet weather we have had and our hectic schedule. Here are a few we managed to get anyway.

Halloween Photos

Little Sis was feeling a bit better by Halloween night so we took them out trick-or-treating just around the block. I wanted to post these photos even though I am late getting it done.

Quit Pushing Our Kids So Hard!

So I just spent another morning in Caleb's school and feel the need now to VENT!

I spend Thursday mornings reading with the kids individually. There is a massive list of words that the kids are expected to know and certain dates throughout the year they must know them by. We are approaching one of those magical dates and so have been having to focus extra hard helping kids learn these words. Not only do they have to know these words, they must read an incredible amount of them in 60 seconds!

On top of that, several different subjects have had to be introduced this week, (i.e. the possessive "s", the "ing", the "ed" and the "er"). And they had to know sentence structure (noun, verb, etc). This has to be done in a specific time frame as well because of the WASL. It seems that all the teachers are now required to structure their teaching around this standardize test. UGH!

As I was working with the kids this morning I noticed great amounts of frustration from many of the students. Some were giving up, some couldn't stop fidgeting, and most were exhausted. When the bell for recess rang there were many still at their desks attempting to complete their morning assignments, including Big Bro. I went over to help him and he said he was having trouble focusing. Yeah, who wouldn't with the amount of crap shoved at him during the first hour and half of class? His teacher let these students work for another 10 minutes and then told them to go outside and get some fresh air. Big Bro broke into tears. When I asked him what was wrong he said that he didn't want to have to finish the assignment later, he just wanted it done now. I think he was just tired of looking at it. Poor Guy.

I stayed and talked with the teacher as Big Bro went to recess. It seems that all the first grade students are having this problem, yet no one will listen to the teachers. These teachers are instructed to mold our children to fit some politicians grand idea of the perfect first-grader. Yet they are not accounting for the differences in our children. Individuality is being striped just for the sake of passing the WASL. Our children are being pushed to the breaking point.

But what can I do about it? Move to a different state? Or are all states focusing on standardize testing these days? Home school? But what about the social repercussions?

Why do we push our children so hard? Why do we need them to grow up so fast? Why should first graders do third grade work? Why does passing a standardize test matter so much? And why does the test need to be so difficult? Who is benefiting from all of this? Not our children!

No Child Left Behind? What a joke! Maybe that should be renamed Leave Childhood Behind!

Hmmm...I wonder if the politicains could pass the WASL. Probably not!

Happy Halloween?

Happy Halloween!

A creative, crafty friend left this on my doorstep a couple of days ago. I sure got a kick out of it. Somehow this puking pumpkin really brightened my day.

Not So Happy Halloween!

This morning my own pumpkin (Little Sis) starting puking. Poor thing and it's Halloween. UGH! She's taking it easy on the couch and says that she does not want to trick-or-treat because candy does not sound good. She must be really sick to not even want chocolate.

Fall Fun

We filled this weekend with seasonal fun!
First a Halloween party. I made Big Bro's spider costume from a friend's old formal skirt. The legs are tied together with fishing line and move up and down with his arms! While shopping at the fabric store and attempting to come up with a design for Little Sis's costume, I came across this pre-made one. It's really cute on her. Hopefully we will have some better photos after Friday.


Then we met up with Aunt Heidi and went to a pumpkin patch. The kids (and Aunt Heidi) really enjoyed the hay slide and the hay maze.


Then, of course, we had to carve the pumpkins! Big Bro's is the smiley face and Little Sis has the kitty!
Check out the Hay Slide! Big Bro said he "caught some air" on it and Little Sis convinced Aunt Heidi to give it a run with a sweet smile and "try it, you might like it"!

Mighty Knights

Last night we took the kids to "Backyardigans Live! Tale of the Mighty Knights". They LOVED the show. Little Sis was extremely upset when it was over. She thought we could just stay there all night!
Both of them have been pretending to be Mighty Knights all day and singing all the songs from the show. Although it has started to get rather annoying, I must admit that it has also had it's advantages. Seems Mighty Knights are always polite, as their secret code is "Pretty Please". They will also feast on whatever is set before them without complaint, as Mighty Knights tend to be very hungry. Tonight the Mighty Knights went to battle with the Monster Mess, and I am happy to report that the Knights won! Now it's off the put two tired Knights to bed. Hmmm, wonder the best way to get Mighty Knights to sleep?
Sorry about the photo quality but you get the point.

A New Smile for Little Sis

Little Sis had her first visit to the ER yesterday. She was playing with a toy when our older dog bumped her, knocking her face first into the slate coffee table. Hubby scolded the dog and ran with sis into the kitchen where he looked into her mouth and stated that her teeth were "all bashed up". I looked in and saw mass amounts of blood and a tooth dangling. We then rushed to the ER, where the doc attempted to push the tooth back into the socket. He then called around for an orthodontist, but it seems that neither of the hospitals here have an on-call one. He ended up placing a call to Harborview's on-call orthodontist, who told him that there was really nothing more that could be done tonight but that we should see our dentist first thing in the morning.
I took Little Sis into our regular dentist this morning and he said that the tooth would have to be removed, as it would most likely abscess if left in. So he yanked it. Little Sis was very brave, no tears until the last part of the numbing. She did freak out a little about the numbness in her face though, yet allowed the dentist to get in there to pull the tooth. The staff was amazed at how well it went and awarded her with many stickers.
Little Sis thought perhaps the tooth fairy would bring a real kitty. I told her that the tooth fairy couldn't carry live animals, but would bring special toy or money instead. She has decided that she isn't quite ready to trade her tooth in, so it will remain in it's special box for a few days.
Anyway, she is doing great tonight... no complaints of pain, back to her daredevil self, although her speech has a new sound to it. Big Bro is slightly miffed that his sister has lost a tooth before him, especially when all the kids in his class are loosing teeth left and right! And my heart hurts a little for the lost tooth, the new smile and the resulting speech change. But hey, as I am constantly reminded, a new tooth will replace it (in 3 or 4 years!).

The ERBailey felt really bad for Sis last night and loved up on her after we returned home.All gauzed up after our visit to the dentist.The Missing ToothShe still has a beautiful smile!

Nothing Runs Like a Deere

Today we had a Moms Club field trip to the John Deere dealership. The kids had a great time. Little sis was so excited to ride on the big tractor. And she LOVED posing for all the photos. So either a future farmer or future model? Why not both!!