It's Beginning To Look A Lot Like Halloween

Every year we like to take the kids to a new pumpkin patch. The one we went to last year was so much fun for the kids, but I have to say that I think the one we went to this year was even better. We drove the 30 minutes or so out to this new farm. They actually had people standing at the entrance to the farm, and more people directing you where to park. It was huge! And it was quite a sight to see. Everything except the pumpkins was completely free.

They had 5 bounce houses, hay rides, barrel train rides, a petting zoo, pony rides, hay bale mazes, hay bale mountains, play houses, face painting, a park, a carousel, and the list just keeps on going and going.

We got out to the pumpkin patch around 4:00, and we had to drag the kids to the car at 8:00 because they were shutting things down. And we didn't even get to do half of the activities that they had there. Anyway, here are some of the many pictures we took. Happy Fall, Ya'll!

See how dark it is? We really did shut them down...

There's A Tiger Cub Living In Our Home

You read that right... We now have a tiger cub in our home. He's quite cute, and gets along really well with our family members and pets. He's not aggressive at all. And we finally got him to hold still long enough for us to snap this photo:

Ah, our little Tiger Cub Scout... Isn't he precious? See all those patches on that shirt? Yeah, well I sewed them on there. I had to use 5 different colors of thread. And he came home last night after his meeting with a new patch for me to sew on, his Bobcat patch, which will require yet another shade of blue thread. But don't be fooled, I'm really enjoying it! There are 8 requirements for a Tiger Cub to master, in order to earn the Bobcat patch (learning the Boy Scout motto, the hand shake, the salute, etc.). So, it was no easy task, but Samuel did it and he's very proud of himself. Next weekend, Hector and Samuel are going on a day long retreat. The boys will get lessons and instructions on how to shoot a bee bee gun, and how to fire a bow and arrow too. And it seems that up until this point, we've done an excellent job of shielding Samuel from firearms and weapons, because he had to ask what those 2 things are. So, I Googled them and showed him tons of bee bee gun and bow and arrow pictures. "Oh, I know what those are." Samuel exclaimed!

By the way, some of you may have heard the news that we also have a beautiful daisy living in our home now too. It's true! Avery has her first Daisy Girl Scout meeting this coming Monday night, so be on the lookout for her picture on here too! And, I'd also like to add that she will be selling Girl Scout cookies later this year, so don't buy them from anyone else. :-)

And because I am, after all, such a proud Mommy, I'd like to share that Samuel and Avery had their Fall Parent/Teacher Conferences yesterday. Avery's teacher only had positive things to say. She did make a point of mentioning that while Avery is a lot like Samuel, she has noticed some differences, such as the fact that Avery definitely talks more and participates more in class. And "She seems to have more energy!" :-) But she also made mention of the fact that every time she reminds Avery that she needs to sit down and listen, Avery does it immediately! :-) Avery's right on track academically, and her teacher said that Avery now gets to start bringing home the home reader books. Big fun!!!

Samuel's teacher also only had positive things to say, and asked me if I realized "just how smart he is." I laughed and told her that every parent wants to think their child is smart, right... And she told me that she wanted to show me Samuel's most recent reading assessment scores. There are tests that children take throughout the school year, that help the teacher identify where the student is academically. On this particular test that he took last week, there are stories that the child is supposed to read aloud to the teacher. If the child makes a certain number of mistakes on the first story, the teacher knows that's the level of reading the child needs to stop at and work more on. But if the child makes no reading mistakes, the child can go on to the second story and read it for the teacher. There are 5 stories in all for the entire school year, because the assumption is that most children will need to stop at the first or second story, because that is the average reading level for a 1st grader at the beginning of the school year. Well, Samuel read all 5 stories without any mistakes. So, he's completed all of the stories for the entire year. His teacher told me that the school's librarian doesn't even start testing 1st graders for the accelerated reader program until January, because that's the average time she can expect to see 1st graders reading good enough to actually start taking the tests. But, at Samuel's teacher's request, the school's librarian is going to be setting up that program some time this week or next so that Samuel can start taking them. Can you see the little grin that's on my face right now??? And, the teacher also wanted me to know that while the average 1st grader reads around 37 - 56 words per minute, and the goal is to have children reading around 60 words per minute at the END of their 1st grade year, Samuel is currently reading at a rate of 94 words per minute. Uh huh! That little grin is still there...

It seems that all of those books that all of you have given the children over the years are really paying off. And all those nights Hector and I have laid in bed and read to them, well that's paying off too... So, I'm going to be posting a list on here some time hopefully in the near future of books that we'd be so thrilled for you to consider purchasing as Christmas gifts for our kids. I've asked both of their teachers for input on books that are not only on their reading level and age level, but also books that are simply great books!

Have a great weekend, everyone!

Sing A Song

Last week, I was in the car on my way to pick up Samuel and Avery from school, when a song started playing on the radio. Within the first couple of notes I was immediately transported back to my childhood. The song was Back Home Again by John Denver. And as the song played, it was like my mother was there singing it to me as a child. I haven't heard that song in years, and yet I remembered all the words. That part about the sunshine making the mom cry, and how they felt the baby move for the first time, man, it always makes me tear up! I'm tearing up right now just thinking about it... My mom has an amazing singing voice, one that I am afraid I did not inherit. None-the-less, it was great to relive that memory and sing that song at the top of my lungs. I sang that song so loud, other people along the road who saw me were probably thinking "What is wrong with her?" Isaac didn't think anything was wrong; he's used to it! :-)

We love music around here. I was one of those pregnant women who put headphones on her abdomen and play music to the baby. I'll admit it! Pretty much from the time I thought my babies could hear, they've been exposed to a variety of music. And now, it's really neat to see just how much they truly do enjoy music.

The other day, I couldn't seem to get Samuel to listen to me (that's no real big surprise there because these days he's 7 going on 17). I was trying to get him to take a shower, and he was pretending to not hear me. So, I started singing in my best operatic voice to the tune of Beethoven's 5th "Samuel Evan! Samuel Evan! You need to come get in the shower right now. Because you're wasting water every single second, that you do not, get in the tub. So please come take your bath!" He came running into the bathroom, and started singing "Here I am, Mom! Here I am , Mom! I am ready to get into the shower." to the same tune. Samuel's love for classical music has been evident since around the age of 2. He knows the names of more classical composers than I do. And while a lot of times I can only hum the tune (like that tune that's been stuck in my head lately because I hear it all the time around Halloween), Samuel actually knows the real name of the piece, as well as the composer. By the way, it's called In The Hall of the Mountain King by Edvard Grieg. Samuel told me... Samuel's knowledge of classical music at the age of 7 puts my knowledge of classical music at the age of 36 to shame.Isaac has recently started singing Twinkle, Twinkle, Little Star. He sang it on the plane ride to Corpus Christi, and it amused the other passengers around us because he sings it with such conviction. He also loves singing the Elmo song from Sesame Street. You know the one... "La la la la, la la la la, Elmo's world." And then at the end, he screams "It's Elmo's World!" with great enthusiasm.
Avery hums a lot, just like I do. That's probably because she tends to focus on the melody instead of the lyrics, just like I do. She always comes home from school with a new song to sing. Last week, she came home and sang this little number, to the tune of She'll Be Coming Around the Mountain.

"Oh, don't ever ask to keep a dinosaur. Don't ask! Oh, don't ever ask to keep a dinosaur. Don't ask! Cause their feet are always dirty. And their teeth are not too pirty (pretty). And your dad will have to build a bigger door. Don't ask!"

Here are some more of Avery's favorite songs from school (they're my favorites too).

Sung to the tune of On Top of Old Smokey:
I made a new necklace for a new friend of mine. She said it's the best one she ever did find. I made a new necklace for a new friend of mine. Now Nora has 90, but she wants 99. I made a new necklace for a new friend of mine. I'm not sure I'll make more. I haven't got time.

Sung to the tune of The Farmer and The Dell:
B, L, U, E spells blue. B, L, U, E spells blue. High ho, oh do you know? B, L, U, E spells blue.
The big sky is blue. The ocean is too. High ho, oh do you know? B, L, U, E spells blue.

Sung to the tune of Frère Jacques:
R, E, D, red. R, E, D, red. Firetrucks are red. Firetrucks are red. Stop signs are red too. Stop signs are red too. R, E, D, red. R, E, D, red.

Sung to the tune of If You're Happy and You Know It:
Y, E, L, L, O, and W spells yellow. Y, E, L, L, O, and W spells yellow. Like the early morning sun.
When you're outside having fun. Oh, Y, E, L, L, O, and W spells yellow.

And during choir practice at church, Avery's learned the words to Amazing Grace. And even though she repeats some of the lines and keeps going and going, and she thinks the song is about a wrench and not a wretch, she sings her heart out! Here is Avery's sweet version:

"Amazing Grace, how sweet the sound. That saved a wrench like me. I was now lost and now I'm found. I was a wrench like me. I was now lost and now I'm found. I was a wrench like me."

She could go on all day like that... But isn't it amazing how something so simple can stir up such strong emotions, memories, feelings, and beliefs in a person? Isn't it amazing how a few simple words put to a melody can mean so much? Isn't is amazing how hearing someone you love sing a song can make that song take on a whole new meaning?

I can't wait to hear the new song Avery learned at school today!

The Roller Coaster

Samuel and Avery are doing really well in school. I have their first 6 weeks progress reports to prove it! :-) All of their hard work as students for 6 full weeks is all right there. In Kindergarten, they get checks (satisfactory) and minuses (needs improvement). Avery got checks in every category. The categories Avery was "graded" on include.... Listens and follows directions, completes homework assignments on time, puts forth effort in class, avoids excessive talking, is courteous and respectful of others, demonstrates appropriate behavior, and works neatly. That last one kind of throws me for a loop, since my daughter is a lefty and I've seen her writing. :-) At the very bottom of the progress report, it has a space for teacher comments, and the teacher wrote "I am enjoying getting to know Avery. She is a joy to have in my class."

Avery's Kindergarten Photo

In First Grade, the students get either an E (excellent, grades of 90 - 100), S+ (satisfactory plus, grades of 85 - 89), S (satisfactory, grades of 77 - 84), S- (satisfactory low, grades of 70 - 76), or N (non mastery/needs improvement). Samuel got an E in Reading, S+ in Grammar, E in Math, S in Handwriting, S in Social Studies, S+ in Science, S in P.E., S in Art and Music, and S in Spanish. When I was trying to explain to Samuel what the E and S mean, all he wanted to know was whether or not he got checks (like he got in Kindergarten). And even though I tried to explain to Samuel that he no longer gets checks, that's all he wanted to know. So, I finally told him that yes indeed, he got all checks! Under the teacher comments, his teacher wrote "Samuel is a pleasure to teach." Ah, that's very nice!

Starting in 1st grade, parents have access to a website through the school district that allows them to see exactly what grades their child is earning in school. It's updated every Friday, and I have found it to be very helpful. I went on to the website and saw that Samuel made an 85 on his Science Test last week. He made a 102 on his math test! I also saw that Samuel seems to be getting a lot of grades in the 70s on tests in his grammar class.... I emailed his teacher and asked what was going on, and she told me that the entire class gets tested on things like using punctuation correctly, using upper and lower case letters correctly, and leaving space in between words and sentences. It seems that Samuel forgets to put a period on his sentences and he also forgets to capitalize letters when needed. And I'm not trying to justify any of that, because ultimately Samuel needs to know those things. But in the grand scheme of things, I'm not so sure that I'm going to worry about him getting 70s in that class. I mean, overall he did earn a S+ in Grammar. And Samuel's teacher was so nice about it when she was explaining why Samuel earned 70s on those tests. She wrote in her email that "Samuel is a very smart young man and he is doing very well! He is really coming out of his shell with the other kids and always wants to help and answer questions! I have enjoyed watching him help others and making friends! Oh, and his school pics are adorable!"

Well, we think they're adorable too:

Samuel's 1st Grade Photo

And finally, the little girl I tutor after school (Amanda) is in 4th grade, and she gets grades on her progress report! None of this checks, minuses, E, S stuff...... Nope, she gets real grades from the very beginning! She is working so hard, and it is paying off. I can see that she is starting to get some confidence in herself and her abilities, which means more to me than you could possibly imagine. When I opened up her progress report yesterday after school, I asked her how she thought she did, and she told me that she didn't know. And when I saw her grades, I told her that she really didn't do good..... she did great! You should have seen the smile on her face. It was thrilling for me to see her smile like that. She earned 3 As and 4 Bs. Two weeks ago she came to my house with a test paper that she'd made a 50 on. It was particularly upsetting to me when I found out that it was an open book test, and she simply did not feel like doing it, so she hurried through it and guessed what the answers were. When I saw that 50, I talked to her and told her that a grade like that is simply unacceptable, because I know she is better than that. I told her that it is my hope and prayer that one day she will also know that she is better than that.

I came up with a motto for her last year, and we say it to each other all the time: "Always do your best, and never settle for the rest." I tell Amanda that every chance I get. I also tell her "Don't guess it, KNOW IT!" because I want her to be confident in her answers. She really likes that one. :-) I've said those 2 things to her more times that I can count, but I think she's finally getting it! I think she's finally starting to understand what I've been trying to tell her for over a year now. I can see it in her eyes that something has changed within herself. She wants to do her best, and she is doing her best.

Have you ever seen the movie Parenthood? There's a scene in that movie where Steve Martin's character (Gil) is complaining to his wife (played by Mary Steenburgen) about how complicated and difficult his life is, and in the middle of the scene the grandmother wonders into the room. She interrupts Gil and says "You know, when I was nineteen, Grandpa took me on a roller coaster. Up, down, up, down. Oh, what a ride! I always wanted to go again. It was just so interesting to me that a ride could make me so frightened, so scared, so sick, so excited, and so thrilled all together! Some didn't like it. They went on the merry-go-round. That just goes around. Nothing... I like the roller coaster. You get more out of it."

That is one of the best metaphors for parenthood that I have ever heard. And while I am not Amanda's parent, I feel like I have been on a roller coaster ride with her over the past year. I have come to love this child, but it took me a while to get here, and in the past there were many times when I wanted to get off the roller coaster ride that I felt like I was on with her. I wanted to go on the merry-go-round instead. But ultimately, I knew that if I got off, Amanda would have to stay on the roller coaster ride by herself. And even though there have been times when I have felt so exhausted and worn down from the constant bumps and bruises of the ride, I am so glad that I stayed on it with her! I finally feel like she and I are moving past our fear of the ride, and into a place within ourselves where we can both enjoy the ride. I've been on a few roller coaster rides in my life, and if there's anything I've learned about them it's that once you get over your fear of the ride itself, that's when the fun really begins! I like the roller coaster... I've gotten so much out of it!

Welcome Aboard

I don't know how old I was the first time I flew on an airplane. I must have been young though, because I don't remember it. Samuel and Avery have never been on an airplane, and trust me when I tell you that they reminded me of this fact several times! But Isaac is just 20 months old, and already he's been on his first flight!

We've probably all heard horror stories from people who were stuck aboard an airplane with a screaming child. And last week, as Isaac and I prepared to leave Dallas on our flight to Corpus, I had visions swarming around my head of just how horrible everything could truly turn out. I was anxious about other passengers leaving the aircraft after the flight was over, only to tell everyone they knew about the horrible child on their flight who screamed the entire time. But, I had my "emergency backpack" ready to go. I filled it with special treats and toys that Isaac rarely gets access to when he's at home. Thankfully, we got a window seat, which really helped. And the man sitting next to me was very nice, which also really helped. And well, those chocolate Teddy Grahams and travel size Magna Doodle from the backpack were a big help too. It was about 20 minutes into the flight before I started to relax. Isaac was doing great and he was actually enjoying himself. He kept laughing and recreating the take off, which was really amusing. "Whoa, Mama! Bumpy, bumpy, bumpy." And then he'd bounce up and down in my lap while bobbing his head back and forth. Everyone around us seemed to be enjoying the re-enactment just as much as I was. Isaac played with the window shade - up, down, up, down - about 1,000 times. Then he moved on to playing with the air vents overhead that you can turn to change the amount of air flow that comes out. Oh yeah, big airplane fun! Isaac thought it was pretty cool that we got a drink on the plane, in an OPEN CUP! He dug out all of the ice from my drink and finished it all right before one of the flight attendants came over the loud speaker and announced that it was time to "stop enjoying our beverages" because it was almost time to land. I got a chuckle out of that comment... The total flight took over 2 hours, but we arrived in Corpus safe and sound, and Isaac was still happy. Several people on the flight told me how impressed they were with my child's behavior. And several of them also told me what a beautiful and delightful little girl I have. I guess it's time to go get my SON a haircut...

We had a really nice time in Corpus and it was good to see so many family members. Isaac and I both enjoyed my cousin Ashley's wedding. And Isaac really did great the entire trip, and I must admit that it was really nice getting to spend time with just him. He truly is a delightful child.

The flight back home got off to somewhat of a rocky start. We arrived at the Corpus airport a bit late, and I was reprimanded by 7, yes 7, airport employees all along my route from the ticket counter to the place where I actually handed the man my boarding pass to get on the flight. Once Isaac and I got on the plane itself, the flight attendant greeted us with a cheerful "Welcome aboard!" And some really nice man (NOT!) sitting in the first row added "Yeah, welcome aboard late!" Seriously, I wasn't technically late. I just got on the plane right at the very minute the plane was supposed to be taking off. :-) But I found that I was more nervous about this flight than the first flight because I didn't have time to go to the bathroom before getting on board, I didn't have time to change Isaac's diaper, I didn't have time to give him his decongestant, and I didn't have time to prepare a bottle for him to drink on the flight home. I wasn't even sure if I had replenished the supplies in the "emergency backpack." I grabbed the last open seat on the plane, sat down, strapped myself and Isaac in, and let out a big sigh of relief. Whew, we made it! As I held Isaac in my arms, the flight took off and Isaac laid his head on my shoulder. Within about 2 minutes of taking off, I looked down and realized that Isaac was asleep. It's been a long time since my baby boy has fallen asleep in my arms, and I reveled in the moment. I held him tighter and loved every minute of it. It is pure joy watching your child sleep in your arms.

Isaac stayed asleep for about 3/4 of the flight home, even through the landing in Houston, me having to get up out of the seat to let 2 people off the plane, and the take off again from Houston to Dallas. He slept through it all. He didn't need a bottle, or a decongestant, or anything out of the emergency backpack. All he needed was a good nap in his Mommy's arms, and I was more than happy to oblige his unspoken request! Isaac may never remember his first flight, but I always will.

One last little note... One of the flight attendants on the flight home was quite the little comedian/songbird. As we landed in Dallas, she sang a little number about the high gas prices that are forcing SWA to cut costs on in-flight accommodations in an effort to keep their fares low. And at the end of her little song she said "Southwest Airlines... Low fares and cheap entertainment." Ah, you've just got to love it!