A Good School Year

The 2017-2018 school year was sooooooo much better than last. Last year we had good teachers and a lot of fun but this year lacked things like incredibly difficult IEP meetings and open heart surgery. There were a few bumps along the way - which is life - but overall we loved 4th, 2nd, 1st, Kindergarten, and Pre-K4.

This year L loved her teacher, broke her right arm roller skating, began altar serving, and earned eight badges in American Heritage Girls.

Ben had a beloved teacher this year, made his first confession, and received his First Holy Communion. He also had a lot of fun in Boy Scouts, got braces, and impressed us with his penmanship and ability to retell Bible stories.

JF spent his mornings at our parochial school for Religion and then headed to the public school for the rest of the day. His teachers and aids were all amazing and he really made ground in speech and reading.

Resa L O V E D kindergarten. She loved her classmates, she loved her teacher, she loved learning, she loved recess. The only thing she didn't love was being hot in the air condition-less school.

Jofis got a lot out of pre-k4 but he also struggled a bit. Some of his classmates were a year older than him and the gap was obvious at times. He had a great teacher and some really good friends last year but he'll be doing pre-k4 again next year so he can really be ready for kindergarten instead of struggling and hating school.

"I am excited about learning. I want to be a Mommy and a baker when I grow up. I love to color and bake."

"My favorite part was EVERYTHING. I want to be a baker. I love all my teahcers, baking, Granma Bert and Papa, Mormor and Grandpa, reading, PBS Kids, Daddy and Mommy, Tomas, Meriam"

"I am excited about First Communion. I want to an engineer, train driver, when I grow up. I love pizza, friends, fishing, and working with Daddy."
"My favorite part was Math! I want to be a priest when I grow up! I love God, playing ball tag, and pizza."

"I am excited to play at recess. I want to be a choo choo man when I grow up. I love to play with cards, play Old 97 with Joseph, fishing and going on a walk."
"My favorite part was Math. I want to be a train engineer. I love hamburgers, sausage, inside recess, Star Wars, Grandma Bert, Mormor."

"I am excited about going to school. I want to be a Mommy and a rock star when I grow up. I love
Thomas, going to Neighbor's house, reading books, and going to Mrs. H and Bill's house."

"My favorite part was Math. I want to be a Mom. I love Jesus, strawberry pretzel salad, playing at school, Mommy and Daddy."

 

"I am excited about riding the bikes and trikes. I want to be a Dad who's not allergic when I grow up. I like to ride bikes and trikes and scooters and eat. some. bacon! And ice cream with sprinkles and oatmeal with sprinkles."

"My favorite part was playing. I want to be a train driver. I love chocolate bars, ball tag, B from school, and Jesus."

We have some fun things planned for the summer - the library reading program, a trip to a Lodge, and lots of adhering to the Summer Daily Schedule. We'll see how this goes.

Back to School for 2016

This year we've got kids at the public school, parochial school, and a little homeschool.

While my kids in the brick and mortar schools went back in August, Resa Rie didn't begin her PreK4 Homeschool until just last week.

L, Ben, and JF love their school(s). Resa was not impressed. Oh well. Here's the First Day of School pictures.

L is a third grader and still wants to be a mom when she grows up. She loves coloring, being outside, and spaghetti. Ben is in first grade and wants to be a train driver, pilot, taxi driver, and farmer when he grows up.  He'll be busy.

And yes, he's taller than L, but don't talk about it with her.

JF is in Kindergarten and is dual-enrolled at the public and parochial schools. So far it is working really well for him. As you can see he wants to be a pirate when he grows up.

Resa was excited about "all the things" associated with school, which perhaps explains her disappointment. She wants to be a mom when she grows up and she loves coloring, jumping, sliding, and writing her name. :)

Wishing all of you a happy back to school time of year, too.

A future train driver, a pirate, and a mom sum up their school year AND the Best of the Web

Summer is in full swing in these parts. Of course it's raining almost every day but there's still time for swimming lessons, playing in the sprinkler, and checking in on our small garden and pumpkin patch. 

Today we tried something new: handwriting and math worksheets for the older three while Resa and I worked on shapes, colors, and numbers. L read aloud to us all and then I sent them to play - I have some very important blogging to do!

Important blogging, like posting the last day of school pics for the sake of my adult children who will read this blog when I am dead and shed tears over how embarrassing I was.

Onward! 

Ben finished his school year first.

At the beginning of the year Ben wanted to learn how to make boats. Sadly that didn't happen for him this year but he did learn his ABCs, as in how to write, identify, sign, and say their sounds. I had at least taught him the song. He also wanted to be a farmer when he grew up and he said he likes trains.


JF's last day came next.

I didn't do the survey with JF at the beginning of the year, probably because I didn't have my act together. Sorry future JF! But how cute is it that he wants to be a pirate when he grows up? arrrrgh

L finished up third and here's what she had to say for herself:

Math was what L was excited to learn at the beginning of the year and I'm so glad she takes after her daddy and enjoys the thrill of numbers. (That actually wasn't sarcastic.) In August she wanted to be a veterinarian when she grew up, which was heavily influenced by a visit from Resa's godmother who is a vet, and she liked flowers. Now she likes playing on the slip-n-slide.

Travis finished up his school year last, spent a week working at his parents, and then started an intensive masters' class. So here we are now. The baby is sleeping, Travis assignment for the day has been submitted, JF just got tossed on the sofa, and Ben is calling someone a Tickle Turd. 

And on that note, may I introduce you to 

This week (and it's only Wednesday!) has been a fabulous one for blog posts. Here's some of my faves.

On fairy tales and letting my children believe at Svellerella

The one thing every parent needs to stop doing at Team Whitaker

State of the blog: Going forward at House for Five

20 states + 6 weeks + 3 kids + 1 van = Our next crazy idea at Carrots for Michaelmas

Changing the world with a bonfire, and a giveaway! at Like Mother Like Daughter

What we'd like new moms to know podcast from The Visitation Project

I want the tidying up, but not KonMari's brand of "Life Changing Magic" at Ordinary Lovely

#5Faves: Things about my husband at Everything to Someone

Raising Boys to Men - 12 insightful guidebooks for parents at Sole Searching Mama

God cares about skillful design, a guest post at Look to Him and Be Radiant (be sure to check out her giveaway!)


Have a fun day, all, and thanks for stopping in!

Ben and JF's first days of school

Remember waaaaay back in late summer when all the kids went back to school? All the moms posted pictures of their kids on the first day of school.

I did that for L, except I totally messed up and marked that she was a second grader instead of a first grader. Oops.

I never did it for JF, who began school the week after L. Double oops.

Nor did I do it for Ben, who began the week after JF. Triple oops.

So here I am, trying to make up for past mistakes.

JF was so excited for his first day of school (pre-school at the local public school so he can continue his speech therapy services). His brother and sisters kept talking about the bus (the bus!) and so he was excited too. Even though it was a new district and classroom for him, he seemed really pumped.

For some reason my camera fogged up, but that didn't stop me from getting a group picture. Look at how happy they are! The bus! The bus! JF gets to ride the bus!

 And then the bus came and JF realized he had to get ON the bus and LEAVE - ALONE!

I could hear him screaming as they drove away. :(

The next day I didn't stand and wave, just walked him to the bus, said good-bye and walked away. He still cried. The next day I asked him if he wanted to take flowers to his teacher and he loved that idea. For weeks we would pick flowers from our landscaping and, clutching them tightly, he would climb the steps of the bus with a huge, proud smile on his face and not even a hint of fear.

I'm so glad we ripped out those bushes and planted flowers.


The week after JF started was Ben's first day of Pre-K4 at our parish's school. After having his brother and sister go off to school every day without him for a whole year, he was ready. He was pumped!

We did the first day of school questionnaire and I love his answers.

Poor little boy, boat building is not a part of the curriculum.

But he has learned so much. Both my boys have. They are having so much fun and they love school.
It's such a delight to see my boys thrive.


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