Rae May 15th, 2008
I thought I would catch you all up on what the children in our household are doing.
Brittany- is going to be going to a summer school program. We are not sure if she will be moving on to 3rd grade or not. She is having a really hard time keeping up with her age group in reading. Math she is doing really well unless it is a reading type of problem. I have been working with the school to try to catch her up, but it feels like we are paddling up stream. She is still on the heavy side though she is eating smaller meals and is getting more exercise. Because she is having issues in school it is leading to behavioral issues. She will be going to visit her bio-father sometime this summer. She enjoys art club, choir, and hip hop dance. She has a neopet that her grandfather helps keep supplied with neopoints for virtual pet gear.
Vincent- is speaking more and more words. He can jump and run and climb. His favorite thing to do is play with his older sister Brittany. His speech slurs when he is trying to talk too fast. He has a very sweet side yet tends to be aggressive at times. I have to watch him closely around the baby. He is on the path to being completely potty trained. He received a new toy truck for his first time using the little potty. He has a love for all things with wheels. He also enjoys playing on the family keyboard and dancing to the demos. His favorite food is grapes at this time. Last week it was apples. He will not eat anything vegetable that looks vegetable. He does like veggie corn dogs though.
Chelsea- is growing in leaps and bounds. She has two front bottom teeth and will be ready for finger solids soon. She is a beginner crawler. She has learned how to climb up on the foyer step to get into her big brother’s toys. Yesterday she sat up for the first time by herself from a belly position. She can wave socially and babbles almost nonstop. She enjoys playing peek-a-boo with her blanket. I can see her pulling up to stand soon. She loves to stand if helped up.
I hope to get new pictures of the family uploaded soon so check back by later this week.
Rae January 26th, 2008
During the day I find myself repeating the same phrases over and over. I know this is how children learn. I just find it a little funny. I think I need to record them so I can just play them when the time arises. Here is a few of my repeated phrases..
Be nice to your sister/brother.
Gentle.
Don’t drink the water. (bathtime)
Keep the water in the tub. (bathtime)
Remember use your inside voice not outside voice.
Are you done?
Do you need to go potty?
Stay dry.
Becareful the baby is there.
Don’t talk back.
I will get you some more cow in a minute. (cow=milk)
Did you clean your room?
Are you done?
Don’t run in the house.
Please take your dish to the sink.
Don’t hit.
Do you need a time out?
Are you wet?
Shhhh, I just got the baby to sleep.
No .. No movie.
Leave my desk alone.
No cars in bed.
Be Nice.
No screaming. (Vincent’s favorite way to respond when he doesn’t get his way.)
Brush your hair.
Go Potty! Don’t hold it!
Did you have an accident?
Are you done?
Sit in that chair you are in time out.
I repeat these words at least once a day. Looking at the list I see that I need to try to be more rewarding and less negative. I do say good things when the kids are behaving or when they have done something with out me telling them to or having to ask if they did. I guess it all comes with the job of being a parent. I can see how teaching could really wear out your soul. It is rewarding when we go out as a family and I realize just how well behaved my children are. Then there are days when we are out and I just have to smile at the antics. I would always rather have my hands full then empty.
Rae January 17th, 2008
Yesterday when Brittany got home from school I told her to go back outside and play. She was floored. She has never been allowed to play out in the front yard alone much less be told she can venture down the road. The neighborhood we live in is not the same one I grew up in even though it is the same house and streets. It is a mix bag of good and bad. I told Britt she could go as far as the stop sign one way and the curve in the road the other way. If I needed to find her or call out to her she was in range. She decided to take her skate board and jump rope. She stayed out until 5pm when I called her in to get cleaned up for her music choir she sings in on Wed. We both survived the experience. It was a bit rough on my nerves but I had a short epiphany yesterday; If I don’t let her climb how will she get over the walls in life? My little girl is growing up.
Rae January 16th, 2008
Yesterday my mother and I attended a “Child Study Group” for Brittany at her school. It is what I would have called an assessment group. Basically it was different professionals in the school gathered to talk about what we can do to help Brittany get back on track. She has been having difficulty in reading and that has led to her getting frustrated and acting out. It is another example of a child falling through the cracks of our No Child Left Behind system. At least with the new school her teacher really cares and that makes a huge difference. So we have been waiting on a long list to finally get a chance at some intervention. There were 8 adults from the school, my mother, and I at the meeting. They let the teacher speak first and explain what she is seeing as the problem areas. I then backed up everything she said. It was good that she acknowledged how much effort we were putting in here at the house.
Towards the end of the meeting we all agreed that Brittany needed to go through some placement testing to see exactly what she knows and where she needs help. I feel that Brittany did not get a fair start in school at her old school. No wonder the school has been getting such poor grades and has to bus its students to a better area. We can really tell a difference in the two schools. I have high hopes that with everyone working together Brittany will be able to pass 2nd grade at grade level or maybe better. I know that as a mother I am doing everything possible to help her. Even going to the Child Study Group was a challenge for me. I have deep personal fears of education review boards. I about had an emotional break down before we got to the school. I just kept telling myself I am here for my daughter. In the end it will probably be the turning point in her education. I am glad about that.
Rae January 2nd, 2008
Now that we have three kids it is not a cost effective thing to take the kids to a professional for hair cutting. I used to cut hair all the time so this isn’t a new concept. Today Brittany came to me to brush her hair out since she some how knotted it in her sleep. I love her having long hair, but she hates it. So today is the chopping day. I can honestly say I am a little worried about giving her a homemade hair style that she will get picked on for. She already gets picked on for not having the latest in clothing. This has become an issue since we have switched to busing her to a rich neighborhood school. While she was going to the school near by all the kids had hand me downs and it didn’t make that big of a difference.
I know most people would say for me to take her to a pro for this, but I know we can do it. I also know I can do the boys as well. I just don’t have the guts to cut a squirmy 2 year old’s hair. I have shaved Chuck’s hair back when he worked for security. Now that he is inside I have pushed him towards a longer length hair style. So he has been going where I usually go to get mine cut. What is ironic is that I haven’t had my hair cut since the month we got pregnant 1 year ago. So it is down to cost in the end. I think if money wasn’t an issue I wouldn’t even think about cutting her hair. I am just so blasted tired of the knots and her bangs being in her eyes. The good thought is if I mess it up at least she has plenty of hair that I can take her to a pro to fix the bad cut. I might just shock myself and do a good job. What can it hurt? It is just hair after all… right?
Here she is after the cut…
