Funny girl August 6, 2009

Tonight, leaving the Back to School Bash and meeting her new teacher . . .

(by the way, did you know I’m the parent of a FOURTH GRADER????????  Ack.  Meep.)

Here’s what she said:

“I can’t believe I’m going to be in 4th grade”

“Pretty soon, I’ll be in middle school, then high school.  Then I’ll be going to college.”

*significant pause*

“Man, time sure is going by fast!”

Please note that I restrained myself from driving off the road, despite my amusement at her angst.

The teen years are going to be a hoot.

What she said July 20, 2009

40 things I plan to teach my kids

The things you learn about weather May 30, 2009

So I’m sitting out on the front porch with the kids. They’ve made a fort out of umbrellas, and are enjoying the thunder, lightning, and occasional rain shower. Sam was talking about the thunder being scary, and Lauren and I explained what thunder is. Then they were having fun pretending to be scared.

Sam started talking about the wind, and how it can blow things down.

Like tree limbs.

And trees.

And pants.

Yeah, I don’t know where he comes up with this stuff either!

Clearly, he doesn’t know me very well March 28, 2009

Yesterday, Mark took the dog to L’s school for show and tell, and then brought them both home after school.

After work, I picked up The Boy, glad that a monstrous week was over. We headed home.

In the car, we were goofing around and being silly. I was telling him that I’m the luckiest mommy in the whole wide world (which is 100% true, btw). I asked the boy child why he thought I was so lucky.

He cocked his head to the side, thought about it for a second, and then said “Because you’re so sweet!”

Which rather proves my point. I have amazing kids, and I am the luckiest mommy in the world.

Also that he must not know me that well.

Under the heading of “Hope springs eternal . . .” March 26, 2009

The Boy, last night:  “You know what?  I like green beans!”

This is news.  Big news.

I blame too many readings of Green Eggs and Ham.  But I have my doubts about S’ unprovoked declaration.  I think Mark will cook tonight, and I plan to ask him to fix green beans.  As a little test, you see. 

Drama Queen, aka Elder Child, had a sad morning.  Her one remaining hamster was just laying there on the wheel, and would barely even move her head.  Considering that chinese dwarf hamsters have a life expectancy of 2 – 3 years, and we’ve had them for 3 years . . . we figured the end is nigh.

L was very sad as she headed to school, very teary.  And asked us to check on her at lunch time.

Mark went home at lunch, and the hamster was moving around as usual, seemed to be fine.  I suppose she was just chilling this morning.  Now there’s a dramatic hamster.

Dramatic hamster, did you say?

My daughter NEEDS these March 9, 2009

How cool are these shoes?

You can draw on them with the included six colored markers, and it just wipes off, with no soap or water needed.  For an artistic and creative kid, these are ideal.  Not a horrid price, either.  These may well be purchased very, very soon.  Heck, I’d like some myself!

Via CoolMomPicks

A bargain I couldn’t refuse February 18, 2009

Staying home from work sick could be a bad thing. 

See, a couple of years ago, I picked up some Heelys for Lauren at a great price.  She loved them.  Then she outgrew them.  And I refused to pay $80 for a pair of shoes that she’ll outgrow before I know it.

But thanks to WantNot (as usual), I found a great deal.  Heelys for $14.95???  Today only, by the way, in case you’re interested.  I just got her a pair of shoes that are regularly $88.95.  In black, of course.  That’s a deal I can’t possibly pass up.  She’ll be very happy when they arrive – I think I’ll surprise her with them.

Hey, I think that makes me feel a little bit better!

How it feels to have children February 5, 2009

“You have changed so much since that first morning you spent with us, a morning that altered my life so drastically that sometimes it still feels like I’m catching my breath. I imagine that I won’t ever stop feeling this way, won’t ever stop having a portion of my brain dedicated to the thought of where you are and what you’re doing, won’t ever be able to escape the constant, nagging hope that you are happy and fulfilled. My pulse is forever closer to the surface of my neck because of you, because of my responsibility toward you, and I can’t thank you enough for the dimension that this has added to what it means to be alive.“

Click the text for more. And some funnny, too.

Uh-oh, parent-teacher conference, coming right up February 3, 2009

I need to have a word with L’s teacher, who I think is great.  I’m not sure of all the details here, but L got her report card today.  It’s fine, excellent in fact; that’s not the issue.

When L was showing it to me this afternoon when I picked her up, she made a comment that her teacher said she might be going on to 5th grade next year instead of 4th.

Yeah, no.  Not gonna happen.  She’s already the youngest in her class – I don’t want her basically 2 years behind her peers chronologically.  That’d be pretty tough, socially-speaking.  She’d leave for college at 16?  No. 

Not. Gonna. Happen.  I mean, she’s really, really bright, but she’s not a genius or anything like that.  I don’t think so, anyway.  But I don’t actually care, because I don’t think that skipping a grade would be right for her in the larger sense.  And academically, she’s not bored – she’s challenged appropriately by her work.  And even though the district isn’t providing gifted and talented services at all at the elementary level (because they have no money and had to cut all but one of the G & T positions from the budget – leaving one person for all of the elementary schools in the district), her school has worked very hard to provide her with additional opportunities to learn more advanced material in her areas of strength.  Therefore keeping me off their backs.

I should note – that’s what L heard, related to her excellent scores on the standardized tests they took this fall and her general classroom performance.  What her teacher actually said is still in question.  But if L understood the convo correctly, we’d definitely veto that idea without any hesitation at all.

Up on my agenda for tomorrow, a check-in with her teacher.

I’m jumping on this with both feet January 30, 2009

Lauren will love this.

Quote from Daily Grommet:

Tikatok is a free online community where kids under thirteen can write, illustrate, publish, and print their own books. Young authorscreate and save works using StorySparks interactive templates. (There’s no extra software to download.) Tikatok lets kids store works-in-progress in a private account and allows them to share stories with the community in a safe, parent-moderated environment. Kids’ identities are even protected with their own nom de plume!

Tikatok masterpieces can be emailed to friends, sent to Tikatok book clubs, or posted on blogs. Hard copies can be ordered for about $20 each. Best of all Tikatok connects budding storytellers and fosters a lifelong passion for reading. And they lived happily ever after. The end.

More details:

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• Save your book within the book editor
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• Your book and your privacy are fully protected
• Collaborate with your friends, write a book together
• Allow 10-12 days after submitting edited book for printing and shipping