I can't believe September is really already over! I guess having two "part time" teaching jobs in addition to being a mostly single mom to four kids keeps me busier than I thought :) Speaking of which, Nash asked if I'd sign him up for basketball again this year. He didn't play last year because I missed the sign up deadline. So I guess come about the first of November we'll be doing dance 2x a week, piano 1x a week, and basketball at least 1x a week. What is wrong with me? Why can't I say no to things?! Mostly because I know it will bring a smile to my kiddo's face, that's why.
Speaking of the kiddos.....
Dance is in full swing. We've done the USU homecoming parade already and we have a date lined up for a performance at one of the corn mazes in town on one of the Saturday's at the end of October. Sam is rather liking fifth grade. Although she's already on her second or third partner project of the year. She's mad about this one because she didn't get to choose her partner and apparently her partner is a turd that won't do what he's suppose to. I told her the only advice I could give her was to do what she was assigned and not do the other kid's work. When it came time to turn it in her teacher would see who did their work and who didn't. She recently finished a book in reading groups called The Penderwicks. She says she quite liked it. I found out there are two more so we'll see if we can find those too. With Read Across America this year she's got to read 51 books. This should be interesting! And no, she can't just read whatever she wants, she has specific kinds of books she has to read.
I've decided I'm going to dress B up as Minnie Mouse (her all time favorite these days) for Halloween. Can I find a Minnie costume in her size? Nope. So, what am I doing instead? Yea, making it. Again, what is wrong with me?! My mom found the perfect fabric to match the Minnie ears Sam got when we were in DisneyLand. Guess it was meant to be huh? B has recently decided she needs to be attached to mom 24/7. Not sure where the separation anxiety is coming from. She freaks out even when I'm downstairs doing preschool and she's upstairs with Travis. Not sure if it's because she's getting two of her two year old molars or if she's really having separation anxiety.
Caleb is liking Kindergarten more and more each day. He finally isn't mad that Miss Shannon (his preschool teacher) isn't his Kindergarten teacher. In fact, he quite likes Mrs. Kendrick now. However, much to my disappointment, he's already been in trouble at school TWICE. The first time was about 2 or 3 weeks ago. Apparently he was calling a little girl at his table names. The student teacher over heard him and let Mrs. Kendrick know, because obviously he wasn't doing it in front of her. That got him moved to a different table - where supposedly he's doing great. Then, last Friday they had all their community helpers come in and visit with the kids. All the Kindergartners went from 9-11:30 on this particular day. I guess they divided all the kids into small groups and had them rotate from one community helper to another. Apparently volunteer moms were in charge of the different small groups of kids. From what I understand, Caleb was laying all over the floor, wouldn't sit up, wouldn't follow the directions and "was just mean." To top it off, he actually took a few swings at a mom when she tried to make him sit up. Sigh. Why am I not surprised?
Nash keeps telling me he's bored out of his mind at school. My problem in deciding what to do is this: I know the kid is smart - he's reading on nearly a 6th grade level (he's in third grade this year) & numbers are super easy for him. However, I just know he's ADHD so he really struggles to focus in class. He gets in trouble for not paying attention, his work is sloppy and unfinished, etc. My debate is whether I contact his pediatrician and set up an appointment to discuss a possible ADHD diagnosis and then try meds or do I keep trying different behavior modification techniques? My worry is that if I wait too much longer to intervene with meds that it will soon be too late. I don't want him to hate school but I realize it's quickly heading that direction. I feel like if I don't do something fairly drastic from what I have been doing that we're setting ourselves up for complete and utter failure. I see so much of my brother and my brother in law in Nash and both of them are only just barely figuring things out in life and getting their heads on straight (31 & 23 years old). I hate to see Nash take the same path either of these guys have had to take. I'm thinking I'll likely call the pediatrician. What am I out?
Preschool has kept me so busy. Not sure what I was thinking when I agreed to teach preschool five days a week AND still teach the gifted program? It isn't that I don't enjoy them both, I do. It's just a lot of work to do both even though I've been teaching the gifted program for the past two years. I'm debating whether I'll go back to the gifted program again next year or not. I hate to leave because I really do enjoy the job, but I just don't know that it's worth some of the sacrifices I'm making to keep doing it. I started out only being at the elementary school two days a week (four hours). I'm now up to three days a week and not quite 6 hours. Guess we'll see how it goes and decide if I'm coming back again when it gets closer! We had our first field trip at preschool today (fire station). It went much better than I had hoped for! I'm crossing my fingers that the three year old class does half as well as the four year olds did today!
Here's to hoping that time slows down....just a little and just for a little while!
