1st Grade

A couple of weeks ago, Natalie's kindergarten teacher e-mailed me saying that she had done an end-of-year assessment on Natalie and she had done really well.  She asked what we thought about moving her up to first grade.  I was not prepared for that.  Maybe I should have been.

We met with her teacher.  She told us about getting Natalie set up on the computer to take tests for the accelerated reader program (you read books and get points for it if you can pass quizzes on them).  She and the computer teacher were blown away when she just sat down and started passing tests on the Little House on the Prairie books she had read.  OK--so we knew she was at a high reading level.  Still, I thought her writing needed a bit of work.  But, she also showed us some first grade level writing assignments she'd had her do and they were great.  She tends to reverse some of her numbers but that was really the only issue.  We decided that it really would be best for Natalie to be in first grade.

A week and a half ago, Natalie started school full time in her new class.  We were all nervous, and I was quite honestly a wreck.  Nate and I still needed her at home for those few hours in the morning!  This wasn't fair.  Nate handled it fine the first day and excitedly waved her off.  He and I kept pretty busy during the day.

Natalie had a great first day.  I guess there were a mob of girls around her from her new class, eager to show her around and play with her at recess, so much so that Elizabeth couldn't really play with her at the morning recess they have together.  At lunch she sat by a boy that is in her class that she knows from church.  She was happy and excited about being a first grader.

The rest of last week didn't go quite as smoothly.  The work she is doing is quite a bit harder.  It's a big change to go from counting things up to five to subtraction problems like 11-7.  She came home one day with a math worksheet on which she had missed over half of the problems.  Her homework takes her a lot longer now and we had some meltdowns.  I'm sure a lot of it was just tiredness from now being at school all day.  Plus, she tells me about passing her old class and how everyone yells her name and waves to her.  She says that is her favorite part of the day.  Luckily she is handling everything remarkably well.  She's made some friends in her new class.  She is quickly getting the hang of how things work and is doing much better.  She really does belong in first grade.  It's good for her to be challenged and not have everything come so easily.

Nate and I have had a hard time adjusting.  Although it does make my day a lot easier not having to go back and forth to the school, it seems so quiet in the morning with just the two of us.  Still, I'm trying to enjoy this time we have together before the baby comes and it won't be nearly so quiet anymore.  I still worry about sibling rivalry with Elizabeth and Natalie being only a grade apart and it makes me sad that she and Nate will be 4 grades apart.  But, we just couldn't force that girl back.  She has been trying to catch up with Elizabeth since she was born. That drive will serve her well, I think, and I don't want to stifle it.

We love our brand new little first-grader!

Good Day

I just wanted to make a record of today.  Once in a blue moon or so, we have a really good day and today was it.  We made some new job charts and started a new system a couple of weeks ago, mostly in hopes of improving how our mornings go.  Although it seemed to help a little bit, the adjustment has been rough at times.  Today was the first day that everything just ran smoothly.  I can't even describe how wonderful it was.  The kids were doing their jobs quickly and willingly.  They were even helping each other.  The girls both got their homework done and happily practiced the piano (they are both in official lessons now).  Even Nate got his job done quickly (putting away the clean silverware) without all the extra persuasion from me that is normally required.  We all sat down to dinner together and had a nice meal. 

I decided to do a lesson for Family Home Evening that I had just read about in the Ensign today.  I made a puzzle out of our family picture.  We each got the pieces of ourselves.  Then we all talked about the things we appreciate about each member of the family--that person's gifts--and finally we put it all together.  I tried to praise the kids for how well they did today and help them see how that helped us to have such a good day.  Then, we ate our bowls of ice cream under the stars on the trampoline.

I know that a big reason why today was such a good day was that I worked hard to get my "jobs" done, too.  I accomplished what I needed to and I didn't waste time.  I was actually early getting Natalie to school for kindergarten (I don't know why that is so impossible for me but it is--sadly).  It was just a good day.

I just loved watching General Conference over the weekend.  I can't even describe how wonderful and uplifted I felt on Saturday.  All I know is that life felt glorious--that is the word that kept coming to my mind.  It was exactly what I've been needing.  I was humbled, too.  I came to Conference with some questions about how I could better help my kids and I basically learned a whole lot of ways that I need to improve.  I guess that is what will help them the most.  I was especially chastened when I read this in the notes Natalie took during Conference:

It reads: "People often get on the internet (my Mom and Dad often do that too much)"

Ouch, right?  Natalie is funny sometimes.  She often takes opportunities to admonish us.  She's not always very tactful, or even accurate, but this time she was right on the mark.  So, I am going to be better.  Life is too short and too beautiful to spend so much time with things that just don't matter.  I felt that very powerfully listening to President Uchtdorf's talk.  

Now the trick is to develop the good habits and establish some consistency.  And--to get right back up when I screw up. 
And who knows--maybe we can have these kinds of days twice in a lunar cycle. :)