First Day of School

I swear time moves too quickly... I'm so grateful they cooperate in front of the camera, even ahead of time so I can be sure to get their "First Day of School" pictures for Kindergarten and Preschool.

This is the last year they will all be attending their small Montessori together, which makes me a little sad. They are all doing so well there and love going to school in the mornings and having breakfast together at the little table before the work cycle starts. And they were all so thrilled on their "first day of school," which really just followed a regular week of summer "day care" in the same classrooms.

The difference is, they do real "work" in the Montessori work cycles, and they love it.

Adam - Kindergarten

Adam started Kindergarten this year... he's a young Kindergartener since he just turned 5 in May, but there is no holding this guy back from learning. Over the summer he wrote a few books, taught himself to read at a First Grade level and is on his way quickly to a Second Grade reading level even before the 3rd month of Kindergarten. We would MUCH prefer to write hiw own stories rather than read someone else's, however.

So he's in Private Kindergarten at the Montessori, and I'm just floored when he's bringing home 1st grade level worksheets that are "so easy," and last week my jaw dropped when he was adding 2 numbers together in the the thousands AND carrying the one (or whatever it's called these days... back when I was in 5th grade, it was called carrying the one). They are doing some multiplication too, and he says his favorite subject is definitely Spanish.

So when he does math games at home, he absent-mindedly sings the Spanish Alphabet to himself... and always forgets where he is at letter "O," and in the end asks me how he did. I always say he did wonderful, so he squints at me, grins playfully and says, "Is that because you don't know how to sing it?"

HA. Basically.

This summer he also did a theater camp where they did a short skit of The Wizard of Oz (he's obsessed with Oz, and got to play Oz AND a flying Monkey). He absolutely loved it and begged for more, so we did another theater class at a different location where they did Harry Potter. He stuck it out, but didn't tell me until later that the kids were mean and the teacher was mean to him too, which really boils my blood. So when the next opportunity came around (a musical theater class for 101 Dalmatians), he told me he didn't want to do it.

So we signed him up for T-Ball this fall and he was thrilled with that... but the theater class director called me and asked if we wanted to bring Adam for a free trial class of 101 Dalmatians. Apparently they had heard his name before and were told he was good. So we took him for the one class, and after it was over he came up to me with tears in his eyes and said, "Mommy, I just HAVE to do this show."

The next day I bought the script and CD to learn the songs, he's determined to have a good speaking role and he's spend the last 5 days memorizing the songs and reading the script. He told me one day soon that he will write a screenplay.

So now he's doing both T-Ball and Theater, as originally planned. He still hopes to be a model and an actor, and he is still so amazingly giving and helpful with Claire and Colin. He really wants to also do soccer, basketball, and swim team... but there really aren't enough hours in the day for this kid.

Despite his love for learning and school, he gets into trouble sometimes. Mostly for whining about doing more worksheets... Or when he's emotionally exhausted. One day I asked him:

"Adam, were you good at school today?"

"No."

"Why not?"

"I just can't keep it up. I'm blown out."

"You're... You're burned out?"

"Yes. I'm burned out. I just can't do it anymore."

"You're a month into Kindergarten and you're burned out already?? You know you have 12 more years of this, right?"

"Yes... I just can't keep it up."

5 minutes later he was doing double digit math on the iPad and asking me to quiz him on spelling. He loves to spell almost as much as he enjoys being over-dramatic about life.

His first T-Ball game was last night, and he was beyond excited. He caught, threw, made friends, and hit the ball further than anyone. He's also the tallest on the team and probably the oldest, for once, since we didn't start him in T-Ball last year. 

He apparently has a competitive streak, because after the game I asked...

"Adam, was t-ball fun? You did well!"

"Yeah, it was fun, but I just want to be better than them."

"Be better than whom?"

"ALLLLL of them."

Adam is also big into golfing, and will hit golf balls in the backyard for hours on end. He has a real passion for it. We aren't doing official lessons or anything, but maybe someday soon.

No matter what, I could just stare at, talk to, and play with this little brilliant Kindergartener all day, everyday. Kid has my heart.

Claire

Claire and Colin are quite the little models themselves... but Claire was having a tough time on this day nailing the real smile... then hit it on the head when I asked for a fake pout.

Claire loves school, and is quite good at it too. She's doing alphabet phonics and knows several of them already. With her dedication, I wouldn't be surprised if she was reading before she turned 4. She can identify about half of her letters, knows the sounds to several of them and knows her numbers 1-9 also... but the big deal everyone is talking about is Claire's ART.

The girl has a great sense of color, lines, and can sit and do the most intricate drawings/watercolors in extreme detail. I love to watch her work and get so sad when she makes a mark she didn't intend and crumples up the whole paper. She throws those "non-masterpieces" to the floor and says they just "aren't right anymore." She is truly in control of her wardrobe and color combinations... and knows exactly what she likes. I am in awe of it, truly. She is so gifted.

I had noticed it for a while, but about a month into the school year her teacher pulled me aside and just raved about her abilities. Right now Claire is doing some watercolor work that they want to put in a collage. I can't wait to see it.

The first week of school we played "quiz show," at dinner, which is basically me asking trivia questions. ("Colin, what shape has 3 sides?" "Adam, can you spell "Yellow?") They usually get the answers right so I tried to give Claire a tough one. "Claire, name a color that starts with a "P"...

Without missing a beat she yelled "Pink!" So I told her I could think of one more, and she took half a breath and yelled, "Purple!"

She can also name all the primary colors and all of the secondary colors as well.

This fall Claire is doing ballet/tap on Saturday mornings. and she loves it. She is "meh" on enthusiasm toward ballet, but really loves tap. She's 3, and one of the youngest in the class, but she can remember choreography better than anyone, I think. Her spunk just really inspires me. She's a happy, happy girl when she's doing her thing.

Claire is a lefty and really wants to play baseball with the boys... but who am I kidding... the girl is built like an athlete, can swing a bat like a champ, run fast, kick a ball, jump, climb... she was built for sports and activities and has a very analytical, quick thinking mind.

Claire and Colin are both also doing soccer class (Soccer Shots) on Friday mornings with me, since on Friday's I don't work and Adam is in school. They had their first class last week and loved it. Claire helped Colin engage, and he really enjoys doing anything with her so she was a positive, competitive influence. The girl will NOT lose... especially not at Musical Chairs.

(When musical chairs is played, all participants should wear helmets and look out for Claire, who will absolutely make it a contact sport if you get in her way.)

Colin

Claire and Adam are superstars, but you know who everyone is raving about at their school? Colin. Colin makes major leaps in development every. single. day. He even has a dedicated teacher for him this year who is observing/teaching him while she is doing her student teaching program and they suggested Colin out of the kids in the school. And I can tell you, every day he comes home with more knowledge, more words and more enthusiasm.

He is so enjoying finally being trusted and ABLE to use scissors, and he likes talking about learning. His favorite letters are "G" because it's for "green" and "grandpa," and "M" because it's "Mmmmmmmmmmmmm." His favorite shape is the triangle, "cause." He's also a superstar painter because he really gets in there and commits. The more paint, the better.

Colin is really thrilled that he gets to do Baseball camp all on his own on Sunday mornings. He's still pretty shy and hesitant, even though he can throw a ball at my face with dead-on accuracy. It takes him a while to warm up to things. But every morning he has baseball he struts out the door with his chest out and everyday when he comes home he walks in with his hands on his hips, beaming with pride.

Colin and Claire are also doing soccer together, and it's so funny watching how they interact. Colin can't help but rebel sometimes, but Claire helps keep him in line... she knows how to treat him with the perfect mixture of cohort and "guide." Not so much "mothering" that he gets annoyed... but just enough that he stays on track. They are absolutely adorable to watch.

Colin's main thing lately is that he is a big kid. He is completely out of diapers now too, and can stay dry somenights as well. He wants all the same treatment as Adam, if not more so... which means watching the iPad sometimes at night. Since the only iPad activity allowed at that point is watching How It's Made, he's trying to compromise by learning to like How It's Made. It helps that Adam wants to include him in everything and watch with him. They are becoming SO close, and that makes me happy.

Colin really also enjoys watching sports just as much as he likes playing. He enjoys watching Adam's T-Ball games and making astute commentary on the kid's playing level... ("Well, that was not a big hit.")

He curls up on the recliner with Shannon on the weekends and soaks up all the football, preferring to tell us when they will run the ball and when they will pass. No matter the answer, he says it with confidence, and my dad always told me that was most of the battle.

"Whatever, I'm right every time."

He also loves to help Adam with his golf, and already this school year we've been in the ER with a bloody head with Mr. Dimples, who ran out in front of Adam's swing. He was okay... lots of blood, no concussion, no stitches necessary... but he sure was entertaining in the ER, running around shirtless, shoe and sockless, with a bloody head and giggling while climbing all the furniture. For whatever reason, he thought being alone in that ER with no brother or sister and all eyes on him was like a spa day.

He was such a good patient, too. So good at listening and does not like to show pain. The most discomfort he showed was when they were cleaning his head to check it out and he reached out quietly and squeezed my hand. Such a little doll.

So far this season we are extremely busy but loving it, and getting lots of hugs and family time in between all the activities and school.