very proud

if you've been reading you know the struggles with jp. this made me feel so much better about the struggles, and so very proud of a boy who has borne the brunt of much of the stress.
we've always known he was smart and capable, this just lifts some of the doubt and pain off his shoulders and ours a bit.

way to go jp!!!

Back to school night

Back to school night has come and gone, but the highlight? jp's letter to me. it reads as follows:

dear mom
I'm having a good year.
I like living so close to the school.
I've already gotten used to getting ready at 7:00 we don't always get homework, but when we do it's always easy, or studying. I like having mr. "S" for a teacher, it's like most Fox Mill teachers were sent off to military acadamy, while Little River teachers started teaching as soon as they got the job. I know I will have a good year, and I want to stay here for years to come. If everyday is like this I'll never want to leave exept maybe a change every once in a while.
My favorite subjects are Virginia Studies, Science, Validation writing, reading, and Library. I hope "Princess Grace" isn't causing you too much trouble while I'm gone.

Signed,
"jp"


awesomeness!!!

file this...

file this under things that should only be shared with your therapist.
obsession:

things that make me happy: modge podging soup cans for school supplies, and labeling things that don't really need labeling.

the laminator....drool

i'm pretty easy to please don't ya think

first day of school

baby e starting 2nd grade

jp starting 4th grade

princess grace excited for boys....to go

so stoked

since jp was diagnosed with add last year, we having been struggling with teachers in school. he has been in the japanese immersion program and was struggling in class. he was having trouble learning new vocabulary and new concepts at the same time, so he would get overwhelmed and literally shut down in class. we had a 504 plan hoping to have the teachers do something, anything, to help him, but the 504 does not change personalities, of teacher or student. he finished the year fine, but not succeeding the way we want him to. we moved to a new school district and new school. since the diagnosis we have been wishing that jp had a male teacher. hubsters had one that really helped him, and knows that a male influence in the classroom is HUGE for boys. we moved into a smaller elementary school and when we checked the fourth grade teacher list, of the 5 listed there was 1 MALE TEACHER!! we prayed and hoped that we would get him.
well we got the letter this week. jp has been assigned to the male teacher. so stoked!!!

baby e has not struggled the same way jp has, but he has some laziness issues. we found out that the chorister in church teaches 2nd grade in our school. again, got the letter this week and baby e has been assigned to the woman he already knows. he will see her 6 days a week. no hiding or shirking responsibilities for him now. she will crack the whip on him. she's been teaching 20+ years and is AWESOME!

God is good and answers prayers!!!!

princess grace goes to preschool

two days a week all of my kids are at school. shopping should be so much easier! princess grace started her preschool that meets two days a week. she is excited, and came home exhausted. love it!

it has begun

its the second week of school and i can say that i am glad it started again. my days are not spent breaking up fights, arbitrating arguments or talking legos'. i miss the boys some, but mostly i am glad they are happy in school, and making new friends.

baby e sitting in the cafeteria waiting for the fun to begin

jp meeting up with friends ready to get going.

possibly my favorite part of the day was seeing the little sister get mom all to herself. she met up with her bff after all the other kids were gone. it was pure joy for both of them.

jp - my personal post

my little boy, jp.

he's so stinkin' smart. seriously smart. he knows he is, and that makes me happy.

however, this school year has been a difficult, trying journey for jp, and for us as his parents. he has a teacher that we do not like. i cannot even appreciate her. she just should not be teaching.

i know, i shouldn't hold back, right.

for 6 months we have been battling this said teacher over various things about school work. it all started after first quarter when the teacher essentially told us to have jp tested for add.

ok, fine testing, whatever, what are you going to do to help him?

well, we can help him as long as it's a confirmed diagnosis and not just you being bad parents.

(paraphrasing 6 months in 2 sentences makes it as little extreme)

we have a confirmed diagnosis. inattentive add and gifted.

as a parent this does not change anything. i know what works with him, and what doesn't.
now, convincing a bureaucratic group of women (7 to be exact) that we actually know our child, is a different story.

thank heavens he loses this teacher in 2 months. now for the next 10+ years.......

first day

baby e all set for kindergarten.
i cried.
it's only half day, but still.....



jp was late getting ready (it's a recurring issue that will never end). i didn't get a picture of his front side. so enjoy his back side.



not one to be left out, princesss grace needed to wear her "hi kiki packback". she has worn it everytime we've taken the boys to school.

last day of preschool

this was the picture i snapped on the way to the first day of school in september. i thought that he was going to be trouble in the classroom, and i might need to hold him back an extra year from kindergarten.



this was taken the last day of school, may 2009. his teacher claimed him to be very bright and very well behaved. he will be moving on to kindergarten in the fall. yay!!!


now i need to hide my sadness that he will be gone half the day. he is my little buddy. that is for another day.....sigh

ahhhh.....preschool

have i ever mentioned how much i adore preschool? i know that it is completely not necessary, and they might not learn as much there as they could at home, but i love it!!! i love to see my kids playing and learning along with others. i love that at our preschool they get to interact with other adults, and i love the fact that i can go to wegman's with only princess screech. sigh......preschool. ;0)

I'm so over it

remember the crying, sadness and all those feelings from the first day of school.
well they're gone.
1st grade is cool!

school day

school started today, and I only cried a little bit. when i dropped james off the kids have to wait in the cafeteria until their class is called. there was a little boy at the next table whose parent dropped him off, and he was crying. it made me cry. one mom tried to comfort him. it didn't work. i stood by him and talked to him. james came over and said "dont worry. i'm nervous too. it's scary"
ok i cried at that!
the question is how will elijah and i survive today. he's going to be so bored.

irasshai

tuesday james begins school. we are excited to begin this new chapter, and not just for the obvious reasons of being able to shop with only 1 child, but for the experience for him.
friday we went and met his teachers. in the morning he will go to nakayama sensei's class and do japanese immersion. at mid day he will go right next door to mrs. valasquez's class for all of his standard teachings.
he was so excited. he repeated his desk number in japanese to sensei and said hello in japanese as well.
hopefully this will not backfire with him calling us names in japanese later on.....