S Club Mama

Oh dear, how did it become May? Wasn't it just August and school was starting? Times seems to zip on by when you want it to at least slow a little. Today I sent my baby to his last day of preschool. *sigh* In 30 minutes, I will no longer be a mother of preschoolers. In a few hours, I will be the mother of a second grader. I am so thankful for how this school year has progressed. Each year it's difficult for me, especially with Moose. Not knowing what they learn or who they talk to or who's nice to them (who they're nice to). Just difficult for this mama, but I've prayed about this and know this is where they are supposed to be for now. And we have an amazing school system here. Teachers and paras and staff that LOVE my children. This has never seemed like a place where these are just people doing their jobs; it always has felt like my children are getting the best care. The principal always says hi to my kids and myself and makes chit chat. The secretary is so...

Up until early last week, I would have said I was ready for the boys to go back to school. They'd been fighting, being disobedient more than normal, just small things that made me want to pull my hair out. And then we went on vacation, got away from the same four (wonderful) walls we'd been staring at all summer. Now we're back home and I'm not ready to send them back. I'm not ready to be a drill sergeant in the mornings: get dressed, brush your teeth, eat (faster!), shoes on, go go go go go! I'm not ready to be completely alone (no marathon training plan to keep me company) 3 hours of the day (although that's not completely true once story time starts up in September). I'm not ready for the "can we watch {insert kid show}?" to be immediately asked at the end of each day. I'm not ready for early bedtimes. I'm just not ready... ...and yet, there's not much I can do about it. They're enrolled in school already. I could home sc...

As summer rolls along, I've been asked several times, "how did school go for Moose?" I'm awed that others would be curious, but maybe that's a normal question for everyone to ask after kindergarten. But I know, as always, there's special connotation for Moose. We didn't know how a highly structured world of school (beyond more unstructured preschool) would go for Moose. Anyway, so I thought I would share how I think school went. AWESOME! Academically, he did really well. Spelling words was easy peasy around our house; I think he missed one word on his tests all year (backwards b or something like that). Words are his thing. Math went OK. I've been impressed this summer as we've done some worksheets how many addition and subtraction problems he can do without his hands. That seemed to be a problem for him when he couldn't use his fingers. Estimation is not his forte; it's just not concrete. He wants to count things. Guessing anything i...

...but picking your kids' teachers is hard. Here in Small Town, KS, I have a say (not necessarily final decision) about who Moose's teacher will be next year since he has an IEP - I'm not 100% on how it all works, but I do have a voice in the situation.  Well, I only personally know one of the kindergarten teachers. I don't even know the other teachers' names (there are 3-4). I thought that it wouldn't necessarily matter, so I said the teacher I know. EDIT: I had doubts because I don't know the teachers hardly at all, especially in a professional setting.  I was scared because I thought I was stuck hard and fast into my choice. I talked to Moose's current teacher today and she suggested that I come to visit the classrooms to see for myself. I like that idea (EDIT: I was told by the principal that this wouldn't be allowed).  It's still going to be a hard choice. I'm definitely praying for the Lord's wisdom on this one!  Now, I just nee...