Lamp Shade

Posted August 18th, 2009 by Mom | Comments (0)

We have  a pretty lamp in the living room on an end table.  Recently the lamp got knocked off and the lamp shade broke. Fortunately the lamp was fine, as it is one of my favorite lamps.

I put a new lamp shade on the lamp yesterday.  I left the plastic wrapping on it, as I wanted B’s input before committing to the sale.

Last night I asked B’s thoughts on the lamp.  He shrugged his shoulders and said, “Hmp.”

Okay – not sure what that meant.  So I asked him to be a little more verbal so I knew what to do – keep the lamp shade or return it and pick out a different one.

B glanced at it again and sarcastically said, “I think you should take the plastic wrapping off.”

Well, Dear, like that thought hadn’t crossed my mind…  I’m still wondering if he likes the lamp shade or not.  But the plastic wrapping is now off of it.

Beginning of School Year 2009-2010

Posted August 17th, 2009 by Mom | Comments (0)

C has begun his 2nd week of 1st grade.  Last week went very well.  I picked him up from school the first 3 days and from then on rode/he will be riding the bus home.

On the way home I asked C about his first day and he rambled on and on and on – a very good sign of a great day.  He told me that his teacher (Mrs. P) read them 3 books and they did 2 worksheets and he loved hanging upside down on the bar on the playground at recess.  He ate all of his lunch – a pizza luncheable that he picked out when we last went grocery shopping – and he ate his snack of nutterbutters.  (He won’t be taking nutterbutters in the future because we received a notice that there is a child in his class with a peanut allergy.  Therefore, we have switched to Rice Krispie Treats for snack time.

J had his first day of kindergarten on Wednesday of last week.  The kindergarteners only went one day last week – a few kids each day to allow the children to get to know one another in a small group setting and for the teachers to be able to assess each child (know what the children learned in preschool and how she will need to adjust their learning).  J’s teacher is Mrs. L.

For J’s first day of school, B and I went with him to the cafeteria (for a brief meeting with all the teachers and the principal) after dropping C off at his classroom. J saw his teacher outside the cafeteria and she said, “Hey, J!”  J turned bright pink, kind of hung his head/turned it, stood up straight while rolling his backpack and walked like a peacock into the cafeteria.  It was so funny!

After the meeting B and I went with J to his classroom.  Mrs. L had the children w/ mom or dad sit on the carpet area in the classroom and she read “The Kissing Hand” book.  We have that book and J loves it.  After book time the children did a worksheet where we traced J’s hand and he colored it and then Mrs. L put a heart sticker in the middle of it, to make a paper kissing hand.

Following their worksheet, Mrs. L led the children, in a line on a tour of the school.  J is learning to not stomp his new tennis shoes on the shiny floor and also to not talk in the hallway.  (This is going to be a tough issue for him as he loves to talk as most children do – they have a thought in their smart brains and it MUST be immediately verbalized – at least in their opinions!)  J did pretty well staying in line and letting me and B hang back.  Towards the end of the tour, J was holding Mrs. L’s hand (willingly, not because he got into trouble) and didn’t seem to give us a second thought.  Upon returning to the classroom, it was snack time – Nutterbutters for him as well.  Although he won’t be bringing Nutterbutters for a snack again as he has a child that is allergic to peanuts just like in C’s class.  J was enjoying his snack and was fine with us leaving him there for the rest of the day.

As it was J’s first day of school, I picked up both boys from school.  I thought the bus would be a bit intimidating after such a long day of school.  Too much to learn/process quickly for a short person.

J appeared to enjoy his first day of kindergarten.  He told me he ate his lunch and played on the playground, but his new shoes kept falling off.  (J brought enough mulch home with him in his shoes, that I knew he played on the playground!)  He enjoyed playing with blocks with another boy and J said they made guns out of the blocks.  (Oh, no!  Guns aren’t allowed in school!!  Mrs. L did tell me at the kindergarten classroom meeting on Thursday evening that all the boys did this, must be ingrained in them.)

J did have one issue his first day – at rest time he and a little boy had to be separated because they kept making silly faces at one another and giggling.  I have a feeling that this won’t be the last time this happens, but I’m expecting that towards the end of this week (his first full week of kindergarten) he will be too tired to make silly faces and will indeed rest instead.

Today was the beginning of J’s first full week of kindergarten.  I took the boys to school and walked them to their classes.  After that I went to the cafeteria for a meeting called “Kindergarten Cry.”  It is designed for the parents to meet the PTA and for parents of kindergarteners to commiserate with one another on this momentous occasion.  I sat with one of my friends from church and we had a good time together.

J and C will be riding the bus home together for the first time ever.  I hate that I will miss seeing them get off the bus together (there will be plenty more time to come) but Nana will get to see the boys on this first time.  I have a 1st graders meeting this afternoon with C’s teacher and look forward to it being over so I can hear about J’s day!

Both boys will be riding the bus together from now on – to and from school.  This should make things easier for J, having his big brother with him.  Mrs. P told me this morning that the kindergarteners get put on the bus in the afternoons by the teachers so J will already be on the bus when C gets there.  C told me that since he was a 1st grader that he got to walk to the bus by himself.  He seemed quite proud of himself!  You go, C!  I wonder if C will sit with his little brother?