1st Grade

First I'd like to apologize for not updating the blog before today. I've been rather busy the last few months. I got married and the planning was taking up a lot of my time. So now that I'm back... I have a post packed full of new updates.

Pica sucks. I'll be the first to say that. Emma is still battling it. Although she's not really trying to eat non food items as much... she still doesn't eat everything she should. Dinner time is still a fight if we add something new to the table. She's not up for trying new foods at all. I'd love to eat a steak with her one day. I pray that one day soon we will be there.

Next... the wedding.. Emma was our flower girl. She looked adorable. Take a look for yourself. Our theme was punk. Colors were black and hot pink.

She loved it. I think she felt like a princess.

Next... Emma had her first dentist appointment a while back. She was scared but found out there was nothing to be scared of. Her teeth are amazingly healthy for as little as she eats.

As Christians, my husband and I try to teach Emma the best we can about Jesus. It makes me so proud when she draws us pictures or writes us letters. One night not to long ago... she was fighting me to go to sleep because she felt she needed to write this....

It's from the bible: Proverbs
Knowledge begins with respect for the Lord

 But foolish people hate wisdom and self-control.

My child, listen to your father's teaching and do not forget your mother's advice. Their teaching will beautify your life. It will be like flowers in your hair or a chain around your neck.

My child, sinners will try to lead you to sin. But do not follow them. My child do not go along with them. Do not do what they do.

Simply amazing. I love it.

My Child & A Bully

Just recently I learned my daughter was being bullied on her bus. I didn't realize this. I should have though. At the beginning of school, she loved it. She couldn't wait to go back. Then, all of sudden she hates school and wants hubby to take her if she HAS to go. Being a victim of bullying, I knew something was wrong but I didn't think my daughter would have to go through this in Kindergarten.

As hubby waited for her bus the other day, he saw her bus come around the corner and pull up. Our daughter was sitting a few seats back from the door, she stood and made her way to the front. When all of a sudden, a boy (either in fourth or fifth grade) stood up in front of her. Not letting her off the bus. He got into her face and told her: "I told you... you're a liar. Deal with it." Hubby said the look on our daughter's face was fear and sadness at the same time.

Being the father and a witness to this situation, he took action. He replied to this boy, "We don't teach her name calling. Therefore, I think you need to knock it off." The look this boy gave Hubby... ugh if looks could kill.... well I'm sure you get the picture.

I know that bullying in schools around the country have gotten worse. It's even came to the point where kids commit suicide or kids are harming each other. It's sad really and scary. No parent wants to learn their child is the victim. But what would you do if you found out your child was the one doing the bullying?

I know I better not find out Lil Miss does any type of bullying. Because she'll not only have to help the child during school and play with that child at recess, but she'd be grounded.... she'd loose any TV, Computer, or X-box privileges along with anything else I can think of that would be appropriate. I do not accept bullies in my house. Therefore, action would be taken to ensure she knows it wrong.

I mean take a look for yourself and see just how bad this is:

It gets worse:

What are you doing to ensure that bullying stops? This can't go on any longer. Stand together and lets put an end to this horrible situation that many kids face daily. Go sign the pledge now... and Help.

Grandparents Breakfast

I had previously posted that my Mom was invited to Emma's school for Grandparents breakfast. While she was there, we ordered a picture of Emma and my Mom together. Well, we finally got it and I wanted to share it with all of you.

End to the First Nine Weeks

This post is rather late but I just had dental surgery. Therefore, I'm a little behind on everything. It's been rough. But enough about me.... let's talk about Emma.

On the 9th of November, Emma got her first report card. It was a lot better than what I expected. She's passing of course. She's managed to get a C in Math and a B in Reading. Her teacher is concerned because she has a hard time remaining on task and listening.

Once the healing is mainly over from my surgery, Emma will be visiting the doctor. She will go into therapy for the PICA as well as tests for ADHD. The school has made provisions for the PICA. I'm going to parent-teacher night to talk with her teacher. I have several things in mind to help Emma progress in school and do the best she can.

She loves school. When she comes home, she "teaches" her babies and teddy bears what she learned in school. It's just too cute.

Anyone else deal with PICA or ADHD with their children? I'm doing as much research on the subjects as possible so I can protect her and help her at the same time.

Thanks for reading the update.

Fun and Games while Learning to Read

For most parents, one task that seems over whelming at times is helping your child to learn how to read, count, recognize numbers, etc.

I've been working with my daughter with several activities that I'd like to pass on to my fellow readers who have little ones around the school age. They are inexpensive and easy to do.

Numbers in a Jar- Activity #1

Items Needed

Jar (any type) (several are needed)

Candy (any kind)

Directions: Place candy into the jar as child counts them. Once you reach a good number for their age, as them to take one out and tell you how many is in there. Keep doing this a few more times. Then, start adding the candy back in. This helps with counting, adding, and subtracting.

If you have several jars, fill them up with the candies at different levels. Ask the child which has more or less. Have them close their eyes, mix up the jars by moving them into different places, and ask again. This helps them learn more and less.

My daughter enjoyed this. She calls it the jar game.

Index Card Game Activity #2

Items Needed

Index Cards

Glitter

Glue

Black Marker

This also became one of my daughter's favorite games.

We went through the alphabet and drew each letter on one side of the card. Next, I let her decorate the index card with the glitter. This gave the cards a nice look and they were unique flash cards for her to use later on when she knew her letters. I'd periodically quiz her with the cards to keep the alphabet in her mind.

Do you have any neat and fun activities you do with your child to help them learn?

Red Ribbon Week at A.L Wilson

This week has been an interesting week. Red Ribbon Week. A.L. Wilson Elementary school takes pride in a drug free environment. My daughter enjoyed the activities they provided and she has come home every day excited from learning something more about saying no to drugs.

Today she has the opportunity to wear her favorite Halloween shirt along with her red ribbon. This past week she's had different activities to participate in which were fun for her. Monday she told me about an Officer talking with the students about drugs and told me that they are bad. She's had the opportunity to wear her favorite hat, tennis shoes, jogging outfit, etc.

I think A.L Wilson lives up to it's mission statement while providing quality education to their students. I'm proud to say that my daughter goes to this school.

Mission Statement: The mission of A. L. Wilson Elementary School is to provide high quality education that allows all students to achieve educational excellence through bridges being built between home and school.

My daughter has learned so much within the first nine weeks. They have considered her PICA disorder and made arrangements to provide her with the best care while she's in school.

Veteran's Day is Coming and AL Wilson will Honor Veterans :D

I can honestly say that I am proud my daughter attends Albert Gallatin School District.

When I went to school, I don't really remember having any military veterans coming to the school and talking with the students. I do remember recruiters but they were there mainly to do their job. Not to be honored.

So far in A.L. Wilson, I've helped gather items for our troops. Seen the school gather letters from the students about their family members who have served. Today we get a news letter telling us they would love for Military veterans to come to the school and share their experiences with their child's class. When my fiance saw the news letter, he got a huge smile on his face and said, "I'd love to do that."

They will also be having a display of Hero's Day Project. Each student brought home a form for all military family's to fill out and return to the school so they could be honored on Veteran's Day. Their name, rank, and what they were part of. (example: War with Iraq)

It's the small things people do that add a smile onto a veteran's face and make them proud for serving. Just the smallest token of appreciation shown is like saying "Thank you" a million times over.

***Please ask permission for use of the photo.***

Halloween Contest- Decorate a Pumpkin at home....

Emma's school is holding a Halloween contest for the kids. They are asked to decorate a pumpkin and bring it to school tomorrow. We got her a nice pumpkin, figured out what she wanted on it, and we went to town. After a few wrinkles of the nose and a few noises (from the "gooey" stuff inside....) here's our finished product....

What do you think?

First Nine Weeks- 1/2 way over..... Update



Emma's Kindergarten Picture- So beautiful

For those of you who have been following along, I'm back to give another update. There's been so much going on with Emma and school. She just amazes me everyday. She's learning so quickly though we have come across some things she needs to focus on. We got her mid-way report card last week. She's passing her classes though there's one grade that bothers me. She as a C- in reading. One point lower and it will be a D.

I'm doing everything I can to help her reach the potential I know she has. We've purchased reading apps for the Nook to help her with the reading. I've made flash cards as well as taped the words to objects through the house. Such as.... stove, sink, chair, table, etc..... Hopefully seeing the words as she says them will help.

Last week they had a program where an African Dance & Drum Team came to the school. Emma really enjoyed this. She said they sang and danced. They were even in really pretty clothes.

This week is the book fair as well as Grandparents Breakfast. She's super excited for this. She loves books as well as her Me-maw which will accompany her Friday morning.

We will be working on carving Emma's first pumpkin for a school contest. Which she has to turn in on Friday. I think I'm just as excited as she is on this one.

The end of the first nine weeks is Oct 31 so I pray we get a good report. I've been working very hard with her.

Thanks for reading and have a wonderful day.

A Letter to a Veteran

Today Emma's school sent home a paper asking for all students to write a letter to honor a current or former Veteran which would be displayed on the local PA Career Link's "Wall of Honor." Here is Emma's letter....

My Daddy is awesome. His name is Greg but I like to call him Daddy. He's a veteran of the United States Marine Corp. Even though my daddy served before I was born, I'm still super proud of him. He worked in the field artillery and was trained as a sniper. He served in Iraq. 

My daddy is my hero. I love him so much. I'm happy to be his daughter and I'm proud to call him my daddy. 

(Thanks to Mommy for helping me write this.)

Emma's Up Coming Schedule is Exciting

Today when Emma came home from school, she brought with her... the Wednesday folder. This folder is used to send parents important newsletters and notices. I'm so excited to see what they have planned in October for the school.

One thing I'm proud to say is the school is having a Fire Fighters Breakfast. They will honor the local fireman during a breakfast. The students will sing songs, read poems, and kits for the firefighters. By doing this, they will be showing their gratitude for all the Fireman have done in our community. How awesome is this? I'm so glad that fireman aren't being forgotten. My cousin is a Fireman and has done it since he was a teen. His heart and strength is one to be noticed. Therefore, James Piper, my cousin, is one of my hero's.

The next event is the Grandparent Breakfast. We are excited for this one too. The children get to eat breakfast with their grandparent as well as have their picture taken. Emma's super excited for this one. She can't wait to show her Me-Maw off to her friends.

As always, Red Ribbon Week seems fun. Each day the students get to do something different and fun. Red Ribbon week is to basically say "No Drugs." Dressing her this week will be a blast for me.

The end of the first nine weeks is the last day in October. The school is having a attendance contest for students who have perfect attendance in each nine weeks and perfect attendance for the entire year. Emma wants to try hard to get her name in the hat for her chance to win the super prize. (Her words... not mine)

Well, that's the update. Thanks for reading.

Road to Reading

After Emma came home from school today, there was a note in her folder telling me of a few words that she needed to learn. This gave me the idea to do two things to try to help her learn. One would be to create basic word flashcards to go over with her every night. Second is that I wrote a letter to her teacher asking him for a list of the words he plans on teaching them. This way I can add them into the flash card pile.

I've done some research and found some awesome websites that help Kindergarten students learn to read. Emma just loves them. Google brought up a bunch of websites that were also very helpful.

What did you do to ensure your child was staying up with the rest of the class when it came to reading? All creative ideas are great. I'd love to learn some fun ways to help Emma learn how to read.

Joys of Childhood

Here we are again, Monday afternoon. Emma woke up in a rather great mood this morning even though she has an annoying cough that won't go away. She came home today in an awesome mood. She told me that she got several surprises within her homework folder to show me.

When she tells me this, I get excited. This means she's got some good paper/homework grades. Of course this is going to make all parents happy. Their children bringing home excellent grades.

We get into the house and she immediately begins her homework. (I didn't have to say anything to her) As I am going through her folder, I come across an envelope. I open it to find her first invitation to a classmates birthday party. So exciting. She's brain storming on different things she can get her little guy friend for his birthday.

I just love how willing she is to give to him for his birthday. It's great.

Well, thanks for reading. Have a wonderful Monday!

School- Week Four

I'm really excited. Emma's progress in school is going great. Homework isn't such a battle anymore because it seems she's getting used to doing it.

One of the things I do with her to excite her as well as get her to behave, is this: I have a calendar just for her. I got stickers as well. For each day she does what she's supposed to do without an attitude, she gets to choose a sticker to place on the day on her calendar. This week, seems to be the first week since she's started school where she's got stickers every day. YAY!!

Fall pictures were taken this past Monday. She came home upset because her teacher made her stand on a chair. She said, "We aren't supposed to stand on the furniture. He made me do it." I told her that some times it's ok to do this. Especially when an adult tells you to. This seemed to calm her down.

I'm very proud of her. She's managed to bring her coat and lunch box home all week. (This has been a task since she started school.) She's progressing well with writing and learning. I can't wait to get her first report card just to see how she's really doing.

Well, that's the update. Thanks for reading. Comments are appreciated. :)

This and That..... And Everything in Between

For this post, it's going to be a mixture of updates with Emma.

First, school. She's doing a lot better. Homework doesn't seem much of an issue lately. I think this has to do with my mom being here this past week. (Her and Emma had a sleep over week.) She seems to be getting more and more used to the idea of school. When I wake her up in the morning, I have to see to it that she's ready right before she walks out the door. If not, she complains that she wants to go to the bus stop and that she needs to leave now. (Even if it is 30 mins early)

So far, I believe, she's doing well in school. She's turning in her homework and all papers returned home have a "great job" stamp on them. I can't wait to see her first report card.

Monday is Pictures. I've been waiting like crazy for this day. I'm so excited. I have her outfit and a hair style in mind.


The second update is.... we found out that Emma is not ready for a brother or sister anytime soon. On Thursday, my nephew came to stay with us for a few days because his momma had some dental work she needed to get done. While he was lying in his pack-n-play, we heard Emma (out of the blue) saying: "Goblin King, Goblin King.... Where ever you may be..... Take this baby far away from me."

Ok so she's watched Labrynth way to much. In the middle of her saying this... I peeked into the livingroom to make sure she wasn't hurting the baby. She was standing by the pack-n-play with her arms in the air while saying this.

I couldn't help but to laugh.

Well, that's the update for now. Thanks for reading.

Kindergarten- Week One

As we are coming to the end of the week, I must say... it was a tough one. The difference between summer school and actual kindergarten is like night and day. Emma was excited to go to summer school. But every morning this week, Greg and I had to fight her to get ready. She doesn't have any problems going to the bus. Several mornings, she was even trying to rush down to the bus stop early. Homework has been an issue. Getting her to actually sit down to do it has been a headache. She does nothing but fights with me. The bad part is, if she just listened to me telling her what to do, it wouldn't take 1/2 hr to actually get it done.

So, do you have the same issue when it comes to homework? If so, how do you handle it?

Kindergarten- The First Day

Today was rather confusing for us all. First we are new to the school district. Therefore, I'm really not sure at the moment about their rules and such. We missed orientation due to my fiance working. So he took our daughter to school this morning. He said it was heart breaking/funny. Our daughter didn't want to go into her class because she has a male teacher. She wanted a female teacher. LOL

We finally find out where her bus stops to drop her off. Though not sure when it would come, I walk down when school let out. I was standing there for 45 mins. Go figure. We pick the area where the bus comes the latest. Even though five buses come through the area before our daughters. As she was getting dropped off, the bus driver told her it was her stop. She didn't see me and told the bus driver... "That's not my mom."

I climb on the bus to show her that I'm there. I get to talking to the bus driver who tells me she can pick up our daughter closer to our house. (Which is awesome) I climb on the bus (first time in about six years) and ride to the "new" bus stop. So, this is cool.

As I am looking through my daughters papers, she has homework. YES ON THE FIRST DAY! Wow, I remember teachers giving the younger kids a break when school starts. Well, not this district. I see this as a good thing. Though I did have to fight my daughter to do the homework. There's so much paperwork I had to fill out as well. You can even buy insurance for your child while their in school. This is new to me. Never even knew that existed.

Then, each child has to take in a snack on a certain day. This is nice but it concerns me a bit. My daughter doesn't eat what all the other children eat. Her day to take in snacks is Friday and I'm at a loss. I have no idea what type of healthy snack I can send for 22 kids that doesn't deal with peanuts. (A child is allergic in her class) Any suggestions?

Well, there you have it. Our first day of Kindergarten. Thanks for reading.

School Starts Monday

Man, I'm extremely excited that my daughter goes back to school. I think summer school spoiled me. I got used to a schedule that I enjoyed and so did my daughter. She keeps asking me when she gets to go back. After her last week, I'm sure she will be more than ready to go back. We've been running around like crazy. My sister gave birth to her son on Monday. And she was in the middle of moving. Therefore, the family jumped up and began helping her while she is in the hospital with her son. It's been crazy but I'm just glad to be home. Tomorrow my daughter comes home from my mom's.

Are you as ready for school as we are??

School Starts in a Month

Wow, I must say this summer has gone by quickly. I think it feels this way because my daughter starts Kindergarten this August. She's so excited. Every day she asks me, "Mommy, am I going to school today?" Of course I tell her not yet but soon. We are preparing our dear daughter for school and I think this just adds to it.

The anxiety that comes along with this whole, first child starting school thing, is a bit much. I'm not sure if it's being maximized because on my GAD (generalized anxiety disorder). Any time I even start to think about my baby going off to school without me, I freak out. There's so many worries I think of. It's funny really. I don't really remember my mom freaking out when I started. Well, come to think about it.... after three kids.... who'd try to keep them at home... no wonder she was pushing me onto that bus.

So, I ask this to all the mommy's out there: How did you feel about your first child going off to school?

Kindergarten and Preparing

Our daughter begins Kindergarten in August. She's our one and only. So, as a momma who's been a stay-at-home Mom since the day she was born is kind of nervous about this. (I've heard this is normal.) I decided that since she was starting school, things would change to make her feel more of a "big girl." First, we got rid of cuppies. She now only drinks from regular plastic cups. I dreaded this step because of several reasons. First, I thought there'd be several times of tantrums and headaches. Next, it also finalizes that my baby girl is, in fact, growing up. After the cuppies were gone, we changed her routine through out the day. She's seeming to adapt to all the "big girl" stuff rather well. She even talks about the types of stuff she'd like to get for school. She has back packs in mind and lunch boxes. The only thing that concerns me now is her Pica. She doesn't eat like a child without this disorder. She eats very select items. (Items that aren't lunchbox foods) I fear that she won't eat the way she should and her health will be affected by it. Hopefully, we can start seeing some changes when her behavioral therapy finally begins. At this time she mainly eats: mac and cheese, buttered noodles, Trix yogurt, and french fries. The stress of this just seems to be over powering me because I don't know what the future holds for our daughter.

In conclusion, I just hope my worries are more than what they need to be. I hope that I'm just being a "normal" mother looking out for the well being of her first child going off to school.

Thanks for reading and have a wonderful day.