So, we have a Kindergartener...

School started!  Yippee!  This really is happy news for all of us!  I may or may not have teared up bringing her in for her first day, but I assure you (as I assured her the night before in anticipation!) they were happy/proud tears at the beginning of a new chapter.  Our big girl is really growing up!

That first day, and for the next several days, M preferred to have C & I walk her into the school until the kids were dismissed from the cafeteria.  But, soon enough she made a bestie (F) and just yesterday wanted us to just drop her off in the carpool line.  She made this big plan of she would walk to the front doors and give us a thumbs up that she had gotten there.  It was just about the cutest thing ever watching her exaggerated thumbs up to make sure we saw it and knew she was all good.  Today, not even a thumbs up.  C remarked that she was too busy talking to her friends.  The school bus had just gotten there as well and M saw one of her buddies get off the bus.  She said, "Oh hey!  There's B.  She looks cute today!"  The girl talks like she's at least 15, I swear.  Also, every time we pick her up.  Every. single. time.  She is sad because she wants to ride the bus.  I know it must be novel and exciting, but after a few rides, she'd be over that I'm sure of it!  

M is learning all the SOCIAL stuff that comes along with school.  That hidden curriculum stuff that we sped teachers know all about because we have to give "our" kids direct instruction on it.  M's sensitive little heart is showing through.  She feels crushed if a teacher comments that the class lined up too loudly or if she hasn't gotten a reward sticker just yet.  (I know you won't believe this, but she even said the words, "I'll NEVER EVER get a sticker, until my birthday, but then EVERYONE gets a sticker on their birthday.  AND my birthday is a hundred and eighty-two twenty days away!")  Wouldn't you know that just last Friday she came home with not one, not two, but THREE stickers?!  She even shared that when the teacher put a sticker on her folder, she told her teacher "thank you" and her teacher made a big deal about it to the class.  Also, on the flip side, it is apparently the BEST DAY EVER if her teacher tells them they were the best behaved class at Chapel.  :)

Selling MACHINE!

M has her first school fundraiser.  Ever.  We have these handy-dandy coupon books to sell, and thankfully, they do pretty much sell themselves.  Our goal was 10 by Monday because then M gets a milkshake at school on Friday.  It's a big deal folks!  We signed up to sell books at a local business.  Armed with our blue books, borrowed table & chairs (thanks LJ & AJ!), sweet signs and some coloring books to occupy the kiddos, we set up shop.  M is a little seller from way back.  She would ask people as they walked by if they'd like a coupon book, sing Disney songs (to entertain people, Mom), and just generally entertain the crowds.  At the end of about a half hour, we had sold zip, zilch, nada.  Then we sold 4 and M felt on top of the world.  In fact, she wanted to stay on past our hour.  We didn't know if anyone was coming after us, so we just stayed a little longer, and when the next family did show up, M started pouting.  We packed up and headed home.  I told M that if we ate our supper, I would let her try to sell some in our neighborhood.  That evening I think we sold 4 more with the promise of a few more and several people weren't home (it was a Friday evening after all).  One sweet lady said the book is too big for her - she doesn't eat out much, but M was just too beautiful so she took one.  One lady couldn't refuse C jumping up and down telling her what they were and how much they cost.  Another group of college girls said no at first, but then chased us down and said they'd decided to split one book among them.  My parents said they'd like to buy one, we plan on buying one, and JJ sold two more at work today.  Woot woot!  Milkshake HERE WE COME.  I mean.  For M.  :)

Corrected by Kiddos

Twice now I have been corrected by kiddos because they don't "understand" my accent. 

The first time it happened was during a second-grade session.  I am so lucky to have in my schedule time to be IN a second grade classroom with the most wonderful second grade teacher ever.  The group is wonderful (most of the time) and I have two unique kiddos that I get to monitor especially closely.  The other day we were doing some ketchup and relish time (you know - "catch up" time for kiddos not quite finished with something and free time to "relish" for those all done with everything) and one of my students had some morning work to finish - a crossword puzzle with clues.  This particular student is very interesting.  He is very low in reading and takes considerable time to process, but when he does, he comes up with very detailed answers.  That doesn't really come in to play with this scenario, but he's just a very interesting kid!  Anyways!  The clue was "married to your aunt" (pronounced ah-(as in open your mouth and say ahhh)-nt).  I read the clue to him so it would take the pressure off decoding so he could work on comprehension and choosing the word that worked.  He was so confused.  I tried to rephrase - you know - these people go in a pair, your aunt and blank.  Do you have any aunts?  Are any of them married?  What do you call that person?  Several clues here --- with ample wait time.  Still nothing.  Finally one of his table partners helped him out -- she means married to my AUNT (pronounced ant).  Then he got it right away...

The next time came with a small reading group of fifth graders that comes to see me.  We were talking about palm trees - their fronds, coconuts, trunks and roots (r/u/ts).  They all cracked up and said I was saying it wrong!  The absolute only way to say that word is roots (r-ooo (rhymes with boo)-ts).  Teachable moment!  Teachable moment!  Let's talk about dialects and accents and more than one possible pronunciation.  And how the teacher is NEVER wrong.  (heehee -- just kidding -- definitely always teach my kids the opposite of that statement!)