Reading Night

AJ's school had a reading night, where all the kids come in pajamas and bring pillows and blankets and crash in the gym and listen to some teachers read stories. AJ liked it, Andrew got bored and ran around out in the halls for awhile while Corey chased him.

School update on AJ

AJ is loving kindergarten. And we've gotten a few bits of praise that I want to post here so I don't forget them.

First was at the grocery store a couple weeks ago, it was raining and the carts were all wet. There were paper towels near the cart bay to use to dry them off, so I handed each boy one and showed them which sections to dry. The cart attendant was an older woman, and she told me she'd never seen anyone get the kids involved in helping, and she was so impressed. It's all that wonderful co-op parent ed I've been getting over the years, it's really showed me the importance of involving the kids in everything.

Then a couple days ago, I was dropping AJ off at school and his teacher told me that AJ had been brilliant the day before. I guess the teacher was introducing math, and telling the kids they could count up, and he said AJ was doing problems way above grade level. The kicker was that the teacher was being observed that day, so he was especially impressed because AJ's ability made him look good too!

AJ can add things like 4+4+4+4, or 57+6. I usually give him a big number with a small number, and he gets them right away.

The teacher's aide asked Corey the next day if she could give AJ some advanced math problems, and we think that will be great for him.

His writing is coming along nicely, he seems to follow directions well. Corey has volunteered in his classroom twice now, and today he said AJ's teacher complimented AJ's writing too. I get to go the next 2 weeks, so I'm looking forward to that.

AJ has grown up so quickly, and he's just the greatest kid. I'm so proud of him.

We have his conferences at the end of the month, I'm interested in hearing his teacher's perspective on how he's doing.

The last brag I'll add is about last night at pumpkin carving night. Corey and I cut the tops off the pumpkins and then gave the boys some spoons to dig out the seeds. Then AJ drew the face he wanted on his pumpkin and started to carve, very carefully. His teacher walked by and noticed and told the boys he was so pleased to see them helping out, that most of the other kids were just telling their parents what to do instead of being actively involved.

I love hearing that we're doing a great job with the boys. We really try hard to do right by them, and help them grow into well rounded, happy, successful kids.

Kindergarten Pumpkin Carving Night

Tonight was Kindergarten Pumpkin Carving Night at AJ's school. All the kindergartners from both classes, AM and PM, met in the school gym to carve pumpkins and put on a little show.

Carving

AJ dancing the "Monster Mash"

AJ's pumpkin

A fun picture of Andrew

AJ blowing out the candle in his pumpkin at the end of the night

AJ's Weekend with SuperBee

In AJ's kindergarten classroom, there is a little stuffed toy named "SuperBee". When a student shows "super bee-havior", they get to bring SuperBee home overnight. There's a little journal for them to write and draw what they did with SuperBee too.

AJ came home yesterday with SuperBee, and said that he was given SuperBee for using great listening skills during circle time.

Yesterday AJ took SuperBee to the park.

He's home!

AJ just got home from his first day of school! He had such a fun time, he really likes his teacher, and he says they got to do P.E. today.

He said he couldn't remember much of what they did, there was a weather bear felt board thing that they dressed according to the weather, and he learned today's date. He brought home some papers and a folder that we'll fill out weekly about reading and such.

Curriculum night is in 2 weeks, so I'll find out more than about what they will be doing.

I'm still contemplating joining the PTA, I think I'll go to the first meeting and find out how intense it really is. Andrew's in co-op preschool this year (the same one that AJ has been in for the past 2 years), and that comes with some commitments, so I want to make sure that I balance and don't overwhelm myself.

Corey and I are hoping to volunteer in AJ's classroom once a week, and we'll do the required once a week in Andrew's class as well.

This feels like it's going to be a fantastic year, both boys have teachers and programs that we feel really good about, and we'll be able to have the level of involvement that we're comfortable with. It's important to us to be in the classrooms, be involved with the kids and also provide the teachers with the support that they deserve.

So anyway, digression over, here's some pictures of picking him up.

AJ's first day of Kindergarten!

The day has come, my little boy is off to school! I actually did ok, I'm not too nervous, not too sad. He is as excited as can be.

He got some new shoes last night, he picked ones with Bumblebee from the Transformers.

On his way out the door

On the way to school

There was NO parking at the school, so we parked in a parking lot down the hill and this was our walk up - we may be doing this every day. It wasn't bad though, it was kind of nice.

Hanging up his backpack

His first assignment, writing his name. The black scribbles are me, I edited the pictures to cover up our last name - because, well, this is the internet. He wrote his full name beautifully though.

I'm not sure what was going on with his eyes in this picture, isn't it great!

One last picture before the teacher kicked the parents out

Andrew on the ride home, with AJ's empty carseat :(

I get to go pick him up in a few hours!!

AJ's new backpack

AJ got to pick out a backpack tonight since he starts kindergarten in 2 days!

He picked Cars, and got a little matching notebook. He got crayons and scissors and glue, and tissues, and a pencil box to keep his stuff in his desk. I wrote his name on everything with sharpie - each individual crayon even!






*ignore the scuzzy door, it's due to be repainted because we used the wrong kind of paint the first time. The paint is in my garage, I just need to make the time to do it! Now with the boys starting school, I should have more time for stuff like that.

AJ's checkup

AJ had a well child visit today, he needed a physical and some immunizations before Kindergarten - which starts in less than a month!!!

His hearing is fantastic, his vision is great, his overall heath is perfect.

He is 47.5" tall now and weighs 54 lbs, which puts him in the 90th percentile for both height and weight!

He also got 4 immunizations, a finger prick to draw blood for an iron test, and had to pee in a cup (for some reason - blood sugar maybe?). Anyhow, he did wonderfully with all of those things, he didn't shed one tear during anything involving needles. He thought it was hilarious that he needed to pee in a cup and put it in a small door in the bathroom and then spin it around to the lab on the other side of the wall.

He's growing up so fast.

Here's my big boy with his battle scars.