Updates....

Ben --

Ben is kicking school's butt this year and actually enjoying it. Last year, he had this odd aversion to "seeming smart". (he actually articulated it that way... as in.... something to the effect of "Some people like to walk around school with their nose in a book looking smart but I don't want to seem that way... like a book nerd." ) THAT was like a knife to the heart....

Thankfully, it was just a passing thing because this year, he seems to have embraced being a "smart kid". Unfortunately, this also means he now talks out of his backside sometimes like his daddy does because he thinks he knows everything. But, I am enjoying every other aspect of it.

He LOVES doing well on his schoolwork now. He takes pride in the fact that he is understanding the ridiculous math they are doing up, down, and sideways. (seriously? Supposedly he's doing 5th grade math in 4th grade, which is fine and all... except I feel particularly stupid because it's math I didn't do until 6th and 7th, I'm fairly sure.... it's ridiculous... thank GOODNESS he understands it, that's all I can say.... there are x's and y's and the word algebra all over the place. I'm actually thinking about relearning it all with him so I can finally master it and not feel like a math idiot.)  

He is blossoming into a really great little writer too and must be getting positive reinforcement from the teachers on that because he writes CONSTANTLY now and really works hard at crafting his words thoughtfully and carefully. Even his handwriting is nice these days!!


Simon:

Simon has made some great strides. When assisted with his focusing, he does REALLY well. I have been "boot camping" the handwriting situation lately since homework now includes writing ten words on Mondays and three sentences on Tuesdays. We don't stop until it looks perfect and I'm not letting him get away with writing the letters wrong, doing the strokes in the wrong order, or not touching the lines. This, coupled with the teacher giving varying degrees of marks on homework papers (usually "Good", "Very Good", "Excellent, or "Perfect") has been working well. He REALLY wants the "Perfect", though he has yet to get it. Glad he wants it!

He took a math test last week and flaked out after problem #3 because he couldn't focus. Literally skipped half the rest of the problems and doodled on the other half. The teacher had him retake it one-on-one with an assistant because she knew he understood the concepts. He ended up getting a 100%.

So obviously, some interventional things are going to have to happen here for him to be successful... working on that.  I'm very happy with the progress he has made though.... the higher expectations of first grade have been good for him!

He is playing a LOT less Minecraft lately and is getting into CHESS, of all things. He found it on Tom's old computer and has been teaching himself to play. Ben has a little set and he sets up games and plays against Tom and Ben and even tries to teach Jonathan.

He has also gotten VERY into making movies lately. He makes movies on his phone (one of our old cell phones) and on the laptop. He desperately wants to know how to edit them and put them on YouTube. OMG... it's like I am raising my brother!!! Last weekend, he came down and asked me "Mommy, how do people make make believe movies? I want to do that." (face palm)  Actually considering getting him a little video camera for Christmas. I just hope this doesn't end with him becoming a YouTube star and moving to California when he's 20. LOL!

Jonathan:

Still crying when I drop him off at school, but it's quick and he is always happy when I pick him up. I do wish he'd stop it altogether, but that will come in time. I'm just happy he has good days now. He loves art, I'm told and music, of course. I think his interactions with the other kids are okay, although he did come home the other day and told me that Mrs. Poe told him he couldn't say, "NO!" to his friends. LOL.  He's also not allowed to yell at them for doing the Gangnam Style dance wrong, which apparently he was also doing.  I'm just happy he's not biting them, honestly, because he has been biting Ben and Simon here and there lately. SO scared he's going to chomp on a friend.... :\

He loves his teacher and quotes her often. Mrs. Poe says this, Mrs. Poe says that.... Mrs. Poe told me this... Mrs. Poe told me that. So cute and sweet. :)

He also adores his little friend Lillian, who he was with last year in the twos class. They seem to really click and enjoy one another's company. We have yet to set up a playdate, but it's on the to-do list.

I need to get better about setting up playdates for all the kids. It always seems like life gets in the way. Ben is constantly asking to have friends over and now Simon is too. Gah. It's just so hard to do it on school afternoons and the weekends are packed with swimming and family time.... gotta sacrifice something somewhere for the sake of their social well being, I guess! LOL!