Last Day of School - And An Awesome Compliment

Today is Emma's last day of grade 1.  She is not as excited as I thought she'd be.  I'm excited for her.  I think, perhaps, she will miss her friends, as her school encompasses most of the city (she's in Catholic French Immersion and there's only one in town.)

Rose was mad she didn't get to
go to school on Emma's first day
(Sept 2014)

We've had some trials and tribulations with her schooling this year.  Her mid-term report card was less than stellar - both the "grades" (checkboxes actually) and the comments from the teacher (which were not very helpful).  Luckily we worked with the school to overcome some of the issues we perceived (sometimes incorrectly).

She started "reading group" and is now much more interested in reading, thankfully!  (I'm a voracious reader so I can't imaging my children not liking to read!!)  And I think the rest of it was just that she wasn't ready yet.

Transitioning from play-based Kindergarten to "regular class" in grade one has got to be difficult for these kids - and for the teachers who are used to kids coming from the previous style of Kindergarten.  Rose is going to start Kindergarten this fall, and she will get the full experience of all day, play based; whereas Emma started when it was still every other day, so their experiences will be different.  I'm so interested to find out how Rose's adjustment will be.

I'm a bit nervous to see Emma's report card, but it can't be much worse than her mid-term card was.  I am sincerely hoping there's been improvement.  The thing that gets me the most about her schooling this year is the lack of teacher communication.  If my child is not performing where you think she should be, isn't it the teacher's job to tell me that?  To suggest more work at home, or other resources?  We had to call the school and ask about reading help, no one told us that resource was there.  And if you don't think she's struggling why did the "report card" suggest she's barely meeting the minimum requirements for her class?

Maybe I just don't understand fully how the schooling system works.

Anyway, on to my awesome compliment.

I was walking back from Emma's bus stop and I saw a neighbour friend coming out from her apartment across the street.  I could tell she wasn't sure it was me, so I took off my ballcap (it's sunny at the bus stop) and waved at her.  She changed direction so we could have a chat.

I caught up to her and she said "It is you!  I couldn't tell.  I was thinking 'Who's that young girl walking this way?'"  Isn't that awesome?  I'm wearing a dress she likely hadn't seen before, but still!  I was quite pleased.

I guess it's time to get ready for work.

Toodles!

Four Year Old Battles

I think Rose is going through the Frustrating (or Frustrated) Fours.

Four Year Old Rose

I can't answer any of her questions right, and I don't make her food right, and everything she says she changes her mind right after I've done what she asked me to.  For instance this morning: "I want an english muffin with one side regular butter and one side peanut butter."  So terrible mother I am, I made her an english muffin with one side regular butter and one side peanut butter.  She ate the regular butter side and then had a fit because "What I meant by peanut butter was more regular butter!"

I don't know if anyone out there has tried to remove peanut butter from other food items - sometimes it's possible to scrape it off toast, but english muffins, with all their tiny holes, are a lost cause.  So she just threw a fit and refused to eat it.  Ok, well I guess that's what I'm having for breakfast now.

Why does this happen?  Lately I'm getting a lot of "What I meant by no (or yes) was actually yes (or no)"  This makes it very difficult to actually talk to Rose about anything.  Anyone else go through Frustrating Fours with their kid?  I know this is happening now because she did not have "Terrible Twos" and I am being punished for that.

Anyway, if you have any ideas/tips/tricks to deal (or combat) this stage, please please share them.  Or even just some stories about how this happened to you too so I don't feel totally inadequate!

Toodles!

Tomorrow We're Going Shopping!

Somehow my weekends are rapidly filling up this month.  With the end of our extra-curriculars and the end of school, time is counting down like crazy.  I just realized that this is the last free weekend I have to take Emma for a new outfit and new shoes before her talent headshot photoshoot at the end of the month.  So while Patrick takes Rose to ballet, Emma and I will troupe around town trying on all manor of clothes and accessories.

I don't think Emma has clued in to the idea that she won't be doing her free art at the Tett this week.  I hope she doesn't catch on, I really don't want to spend then entire day out and about.  I like the girls having their weekend afternoons at home, outside, with their friends.

Emma thinks we're just going to go to the mall - I don't think that's the best place for her to find shoes.  We already tried WalMart but she's between sizes there.  I guess actual shoe stores (I miss Kiddie Kobbler) will be on the agenda tomorrow.  I just know that narrowing down choices will be quite a chore.  And truthfully I don't even know what we need for this photo session.  Because she's a child we have to take all clothes, shoes and accessories, but there will be a stylist there to help her put together outfits etc.

I'm looking forward to this excursion as an opportunity to actually talk to Emma about the endgame of this modelling and talent course.  She says she wants to act more than model (so far).  I'm unsure if she even knows what acting actually is.  Today she had to stand up in front of her whole school - she raised the most money for her Jump Rope for Heart - and she seemed to think it was a little terrifying.  I will say that I think she is less self-conscious and shy than she was, but whether that's just growing up, or this course has something to do with it I have no idea.

Anyway, if anything exciting happens on our adventures tomorrow I will be sure to share them, but until then...

Toodles!

Happy Bedtimes Are Best

I'm finding the best time to write is between bedtimes.  As long as Patrick is home too, otherwise forget about taking 10 minutes for myself!  Rose starts her bedtime at 7 or so, and if she's having a good night we're done by 7:15 - but if it's a "bad" night (or I waited too long to start bed and she's overtired) it can be drawn out for 30 or 45 minutes.  On the bright side Emma is quite patient and easily entertained on those nights where I'm busy for-what-feels-like-ever with Food TV or YouTube or some other screen time thing.

I find it interesting how bedtime routines change over the small child lifetime.  I started this journey with a baby who would only nurse to sleep, and then would only stay asleep while being held - god forbid you set baby Emma down when you thought she was asleep.  A baby swing was a huge help, but you can't let your baby sleep in one of those all night!  Napping basically only happened in the car and we co-slept with her so she could nurse to sleep and then not be moved.  That was a rough habit to break, but looking back now I barely remember it.  Likely because she had a lot of endurance and would cry for an hour (or more) at night before she learned how to self soothe.  But she did, and now her "bedtime" is actually a very long process as she and Rose start at about the same time (7pm) but she isn't actually in bed ready to sleep until 8 or slightly after.  She usually has her Dad time where they read books together and then watch her cooking shows that she loves.  Once I'm done with Rose I can escape to my blog if there's time left, otherwise I watch a few minutes of tv with them and then read Emma a story or two, have "conversations" for a few minutes and then turn out her light - or at least say goodnight if she's not entirely tired and she'll "read" for a bit and turn out her own light when she's done.  The change is night and day with her.

Rose went the other way - she started out as a great baby.  You could nurse her, take her off, burp her, change her, whatever and she'd be happy to be laid down sleepy but awake and just nod off on her own.  We used a soother a bit with her but then she found her thumb, and now we're working at breaking that habit (although not too hard, yet.)  Then she got older and more demanding as a 2 and 3 year old where I got stuck reading 5 to 10 books a night, because I knew if I just read them I could then get out and move on to Emma - otherwise Rose would cry and carry on and keep coming out of her room and not sleeping.  I'd try occasionally to put my foot down, but the sad, teary face broke my heart every time and I'd give in.  But thankfully she's grown out of that phase and we are down to 2 books a night (3 if she chooses her "barn books" which are in a cardboard barn as a set so of course you have to read them all...) then kisses and goodnight.

Bedtime can be the sweetest time of day when you get one-on-on time with each child.  You can have a few quiet minutes talking about how the was and how you had fun together.  I know as they get older bedtimes will change again and they won't need the longer Mommy time and I will surely miss it.  I guess I'll have to try harder to soak it in and not rush through it as I'm wont to do on the million-story evenings.

Toodles!

This Evening's Amusement

Words overheard in the bath tonight - "Rosie, pour a bucket of water in my butt" - I'm not too sure why or how that came about, but often bathtimes create interesting conversations.  Sometimes very loud singing when Emma lays down with her ears under the water and tries to hear herself sing.  Also there is usually a lot of yelling over toys or who gets to pour with the bucket, and it always ends with a fight over the towels.  We have two "regular" bath towels - one has Harry Potter on it, and the other Tinkerbell.  You would think my girlie girls would fight over who gets Tink, but it's Harry Potter who is more popular.  The HP towel was mine from when HP was new...I think I should get to use it, but that's not how being a mom works sometimes.

Someone's calling - gotta go.

Toodles!