So, how did the first day at the new school go?

I am going to let this happy blurry photo speak for itself.

Huge abundance of thanks (and gratitude) to our neighbors, friends and all KP’s new school mates who made him feel so very welcome on the first day of his new adventure.

Day # 1 of the next adventure

5:45am Wake up, shower
6:15am Eat breakfast, make bed, brush teeth
6:45am Fill backpack with all new school supplies.
6:55am Take many deep breaths.
7:00am Head off to tutoring.
8:45am Return home.
9:00am Head off to new school, more deep breaths.

9:05am

We walked into the school and immediately saw KP’s new teacher,  who I will refer to as Mr. Bobbie (cause KP would really like to call him that). He walked us to the classroom. As we walked we talked. He showed us KP’s desk. We unpacked his things. Knute asked questions about what the red folder was for and the green folder and what the schedule was and when is lunch and where should I put all the pencils and who the the GIRLS who sit next to me and how are you going to introduce me and do I have a locker….

So many questions, so very nervous. His biggest fear today, that he was going to be so nervous he would cry. He did not want to cry today.

9:23am

Once he was settled, Mr. Bobbie opened the door to show him his locker. Other kids where now streaming into the hallway. The first face he saw, he knew. I said hi to the kiddo and then asked if he would show KP the ropes today. He said, “awww totally!” I looked at KP asked if he wanted me to stay long. He said, “Nope, you can go.”

9:27am

I walked back in to talk a bit with Mr. Bobbie. Minutes later I headed out of the classroom and into the hall.

9:30am

I turned to look back at my boy. He was surrounded by a group of kids all abuzz, with a smile on his face from ear to ear. I turned and left.

You have friends and then…you have FRIENDS

KP’s best friend in the whole-wide-world-since-he-was-wee-little moved to New York City this past summer. THAT was a tough transition but they face time and keep in touch and know deep down in their little souls that they will always be buddies.

If Pete was still in Minnesota, he and KP would now be going to the same school. Irony of ironies. Since he is not, he decided to send an email to his friends that are still there.

Hey every body,

(If you see him say hi and welcome him.)

 

Thanks every one, your friend,Peter!

Ohhh Pete…we miss you. Thanks for being such a kick ass friend.

I can’t even spell Dysleksia

Where to start.

I guess I will start with this photo. This is 13 minutes after I told him things that I thought were going to be the equivalent of ripping out his little heart, stomping on his soul and feeding it to the wolves.

What words you ask?

“Yup, buddy, you have to move to a different school.”

We knew there was something amiss last year. So we pushed the school. Then we pushed a little harder and dug a little deeper. Within the pushing and the digging I hoped the path would become clear. Where the path would lead, I had no idea. I simply trusted that those we had met with and those we sought help from would help us figure out the puzzle.

The path finally became crystal clear. KP is severely Dyslexic and an immersion school setting is close to the worst possible setting for him.

With THAT bit of clarity comes action. Action that has been swift and will change the corse of things.

No one ever said parenting was going to be easy. No one ever said the path would always be clear. As much as I want it to be, it’s not. As much as I want a parenting manual, no one would be silly enough to print one.

The agonizing over what the best possible choice for your child is, is hard at best. As a parent, I don’t want to misstep. Oh I will but I don’t want to. I don’t want to cause unease, pain or hardship. But in this instance, pain, change, being scared and having to be open to what the roller coster has in store is what is going on.

Strap on that seatbelt buddy, hold my hand….we will do it together.

Passing Notes

PJ came home yesterday with this note in her backpack.

She pulled it out, read it and was going to toss it.

I asked what it was and who it was from.

She said, “We have mail boxes this year. LuLu (her teacher) wrote it to me. It’s says: PJ, today you did great in math. Never give up! LuLu”

Could it possibly get better then that?

If I Were The President…

I love the Chinese school conferences, there is always something funny that boils over from them.   This last conference, PJ had a creative writing assignment…yes, all in Chinese.

If I Were The President by PJ-age 8

If I were the President, but I don’t want to be the President, but if I had to be the President I would…

Tell people they should not litter.

I would go to China every week.

I would take care of the animals.

I would tell people you could keep a tiger for a pet.

I would be in my own movie.

I would want a robot to wait on me.

I would ride a lion.

I would play sports everyday.

The skimmer

My kid’s grading system at school looks like this:

E=Exceeding the Standard

A= Achieving the Standard

P= Partially Achieving the Standard

N=Not Achieving the Standard

CT walks in last Friday with his report card an announces, “I got one P…in constipation!”

That would be Computation my friend!  Everyone knows he gets an E in constipation.

Ready, set, SCHOOL

As for the start of school, we had mixed reviews.

KP was really nervous and did not want to go.  Until he got on the bus and saw his buddies, then he seemed to breath a bit easier.

PJ was the first kid up, did her chores and even made her own lunch with 30 minutes to spare, standing by the back door with her backpack on.

CT eased into the morning and was fully ready to embrace 5th grade.  I think it helps that his best friend Sam is in his class this year AND he got the teacher he wanted. I call that winning the 5th grade lottery.

Here is to the beginning of a GREAT school year!

Slightly Misty

Today was KP’s last day of school. He hopped right on that bus ready to get the day moving and be done with school and ready for summer.

As he stood there, I couldn’t believe my littlest one was now done with Kindergarten.

He has gotten so big and learned so much.

How he made it through Chinese Kindergarten is beyond me…but he did, and he did well.

And he even enjoyed it, just the littlest bit.

Way to go buddy!

Just in case we were questioning our choice

Last week, I went with PJ’s class to the Minneapolis Institute of Art to look at the eight pieces of art that they had studied in class.  The docent was so intrigued about the fact that our little group spoke Chinese, that she wanted to kick off the tour by dropping by the Chinese art exhibit.

She brought the kids to see this very old tapestry, that is hanging behind her, and asked if anyone recognized any of the characters.

A few kids started raising their hands, and then a few started saying random things here and there, and then the rest picked up on it and the entire group stood there chanting aloud the story that was woven so many years ago on an ancient Chinese tapestry.

As I stood with my eyes wide and my mouth agape, the docent turned to me and the other mom and said, “did either of you get that on video?”