Tag: school

Excited about learning, a different view

rewards-for-good-gradesI never knew just how fun learning could be until I could view it through the eye’s of my children.  I was less than a stellar student.  My grades were good in high school and actually excellent in college but for many reasons grade school was really difficult for me.  Not only did I not enjoy school, I think I can honestly say I hated it.  Maybe it was the small catholic school where everyone knew everything about everything, or the comparison to my more academically inclined siblings.  Maybe it was the latch key kid thing at age 7, the divorced parents, or the…or the….

It does not matter.

“That which does not kill us makes us stronger” -Friedrich Nietzsche

I have lived by this quote my entire life.  So many live in the shadow of their own past, fall victim to things they can not control, allow it to affect how they live their lives.  Others use experiences to shape who they become.  I decided on this route.

From the time my girls were babies, I have tried to do anything and everything to make learning fun.  I never want them to experience what I did.  I have spent many hours reading to them, hours sitting at the table working on workbooks with them and many a fun afternoon performing science experiments with them.  My husband and I both welcome and encourage questions on just about anything and we do not hide current events from them.

Who knows what the future holds.  All I can do is what I feel is best for my girls at the time, what I think will help them to grow into strong, intelligent, self-sufficient young women.  Along the way I receive such joy as they grow each day.

With each day I learn, who knew just how fun learning could be!

The day after..

Madison had a wonderful day touring the elementary school yesterday.  The kids were each provided a name tag lanyard which  included their name, Kindergarten teacher, and bus number.  She wore the tag proudly through the halls of the “big kid school”. Everyone she ran into asked her the same question, “are you Megan’s sister?”  There are some children who would be annoyed by this but not my little one.  She takes it as a badge of honor, she is famous because she is Meg’s little sister.  Hey, whatever works right?

The highlight of the day was when her group was taken into a 3rd grade classroom, the very same one that holds her big sister.  She was so excited to see Megan sitting at her desk.  Meg fielded questions for the rest of the day about her little sister from both friends and teachers alike.  Both seemed to equally enjoy the attention.

I always joke that I have nothing from my childhood.  A few pictures but that’s about it.  I was the third child for one and with my parents being divorced and my mother not being the warmest person in the world she was not a big saver of things.  I have gone to the other extreme.  I have funny papers that my girls have written over the years, pictures drawn and special items that mean something from the time each was born.  They are kept in what the girls have termed my “keeper boxes”.  When Megan was in Kindergarten, her teacher put together a booklet of things showing the growth the kids had from the time they started school.  She asked that we write a note to include.  Frank wrote the note and we included a picture from the first day of school.

Before Madison left for school yesterday, she was greeted to breakfast by a note written by her father at her place at the table.  He actually started working on it weeks ago and asked me for a picture from the fist week of school. She read it while chopping on a banana.   I feel that you can never express enough the love we feel for our kids. From someone who grew up rarely hearing the words “I love you”, I have come to learn, you can never say them enough!

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School day blues

I spent the day in Madison’s Kindergarten class today.  I only have one more left before the end of the year.  That thought made me very sad.  Adding to my “blues” was the permission slip to go on the elementary bus trip which I was presented with yesterday.

Our district is rather large.  Our Kindergarten is half day split sessions in its own building.  They then split up into 6 elementary school followed by 3 middle school and finally a high school that is over 1/4 of a mile long.  Moving from one phase of school to another can be a bit overwhelming for the kids.  Our district does a nice job in making that transition as easy as possible.  Heading into Kindergarten, Madison and I took a bus trip and tour of the school.  Now, heading to elementary school the kids will all go to school in two weeks and then board busses for the elementary they will attend next year.  They will tour the school, meet some teachers and have snack in the cafeteria.

Madison is so excited, I am excited for her, proud of her and so sad all at the same time.  With Megan heading into fourth grade, and Madi  to first, it is more clear than ever that my babies are growing up.  I think about my miscarriage and about the mastectomy, I envisioned us with a third little Bailey but that was not to be.

I have two beautiful, smart wonderful girls and I know that I am blessed!  My blues will pass but tonight I am allowed to mope a bit. Tomorrow is another day.