Weekend Journal

I've just come to terms that there's no way that grades will be finished by tomorrow, so I'm heading off to bed. I'll have to take my lumps in class tomorrow. Thought I would write a quickie post about my kids to unwind. 

When Ian started his new school in September, he came in with almost no writing skills. He could sort of write his name and that was about it. He hated using crayons and markers, despite my very organized art center with little drawers from IKEA. I love anal art supplies.

So, now we're two months into the program. His handwriting is nearly at grade level. And he's loving writing. He does a little drawing, but what he really likes to do is write words. All the words that are jamming up his little head are coming down on paper. "Halloween" "Age of Empires" "Cartoon Network" "Tonka Construction."  He is copying words from books and video games, but some of the words are coming fully formed out of his brain.

He's never without a marker in his hand. Usually these words are ending up on paper, but sometimes he's so excited that the words are ending up on the door of the dishwasher and on his feet.

Jonah, my eight year old, is also really excited about school. He finally has a good teacher, and the curriculum is getting more interesting. Jonah is a fountain of information about strange animal facts and environmental disasters. I think they get a lot of that in their weekly reader science series. He's also finally getting a real social science curriculum. All those maps that Steve has drawn for him over the years are coming into play. His teacher said that she never saw a kid so excited about Portugal before.

This weekend, we went to IKEA to find Jonah a bookshelf to attach to the wall over his bunk and a little lamp, so he can read in bed, after his brother has gone to sleep.  He immediately staged the shelf with three Webkinz, a Calvin and Hobbes book, a baggie of rubber bands, and a cube of bubble gum.

So, my little guys are excited. I'm excited watching them. 

Comments

[Sam]

Tip: never commit to an exact date when grading papers. Always say "they'll be done soon." Never say: "they'll be done on Monday." If they pester you, just smile and say "soon."

[maddy]

Great news about your kids!

I hate it when I can't give papers or exams back when I know they are expecting them. Even if you are vague about when they will be graded, students will get antsy and bug you.

[Helen]

Bless!

My ten-year-old has suddenly taken to reading the way Ian has taken to writing. When I put him to bed now - and that, these days, means rather following him and wheedling a kiss rather than "putting" him anywhere-- he'll have his reading light on (it clips to the bunk head) and he'll complain if he's out of unread books. He says he can't sleep unless he reads. Ha - it's obviously genetic.