Well What A Month It has Been

So we have had a very busy last month and a half! We have had field trips, Halloween, Thanksgiving, and some big decisions.

First off Field Trip. Savannah's class along with the other 4 Kindergarten classes decided to take a small day trip to the Pumpkin Patch. It was a GREAT time had by all. I love hanging out with Kindergartners. It is so nice to see kids who still have faith in adults LOL. After having 4th graders just a few days before who push every boundary there is all day long and consistently try to drive you crazy, the sweetness of Kindergarten is a breath of fresh air LOL. Don't get me wrong I LOVE my 4th graders, but Kindergarten is still innocent. We had lots of fun playing in the corn and running through the small maze. We also got to bring home a silk worm who Jake name Mr. CAT a PIL lar. He survived for a few days in the chaos of Kindergarten desks and I then brought him home to be set free. Mr Cat a Pil lar was a wonderful incentive for the quietest table throughout all the Kindergarten classrooms!!!

Next came Halloween...
Savannah was a witch, JT was a drill Sgt. and Jake was a skeleton...sound familiar??? Yep same costumes as last year!!! They all loved their costumes so we just dug them out of the dress up bucket and, even if Jake's was about an inch too short, off we went. We met up with Leslie and her family for a little game time and candy and then home we came. I was very sick and still had a homework assignment due, so the night was short. It was rather nice to not have tired and whiny kids at the end of it all! We also didn't have an overabundance of candy and it only lasted about 4 days and it was gone WOOHOOO!

Then came a huge decision we battled over and are still wondering if we made the right decision. Some of you may know that JT is a very bright student. For the last three years we have challenged him as much as possible without pushing him too far ahead of his peers. The time had come for us to approach the school about what could be done to help challenge him. Seeing as how he is functioning in every subject on at least a third grade level and some way higher, we chose to see if we could get him into gifted a little early. That option was not able to happen due to state regulations (umm whatever) and we were given the option to push him up for reading. They then realized he was ahead in math and every other subject and gave us the option to just skip him at the semester. Now how wonderful that may sound for some people, we struggled with it, prayed about it, and I cried many tears over trying to make sure we were making the right choice for him in later years, as well as right now. JT is a very very smart child, but also a VERY VERY tiny child. He weighs a whole 45 lbs and is almost 8! He is smaller than many 1st graders and so to put him in a 3rd grade class could be interesting, even if most of his friends are 3rd graders. Then not to mention the challenges of JR. High a year young. Finally we came to a compromise and are now in the midst of implementing it. He goes to a 3rd grade room for reading, spelling, and English. He then returns off and on to the 2nd grade room during the 3rd grade P.E. (because as much as he would like he can't do PE twice LOL). He does math in the 2nd grade room, but on a 3rd grade level of whatever concept they are working on. Because we plan on being at this school until Jr. High this will continue up until that point. It so far is working and he is finally finding some challenges. I have never heard as sweet of words as I heard today when he told me "Well seat work wasn't too hard or too easy, but I did have to think on some questions. I had to re-read the story to answer the question." WOOHOO FINALLY a small challenge and learning something new!!!! I know some of you may be reading this and thinking wow what is she worried about!!! I know I am lucky to have JT and many of you that know him know how sweet, caring, and smart he is, but he was losing a little of that. He was loosing some of his love for school and it was really starting to worry me and not knowing what is right for you child whether they are advanced or behind is still a worry...I don't know if I am messing him up for his future, if I am pushing him too hard, if I am not pushing enough, etc. I just pray that we have made the right decision for him and that things will continue to work.

Now Savannah...she has started speech. THANK GOODNESS!!! It took a long time but she has finally started. Hopefully we will see a difference soon. There are times now with her southern accent she has picked up (Thank you Mrs. Poole :) that I can't understand a word she says LOL. She has quite a few things to work on and I am so glad she has Ms. Parish who will straighten her out!!!!

Jake hmmmm...my sweet adorable Jake. That is a post in itself LOL. Lets just say he is being Jake and I love him more and more everyday. He is my challenge of all challenges, but when he walks up and says, "Mommy I Love You Now" after he has been in trouble just melts my heart. He still loves me even after I have sent him to the dungeon of tears bedroom. I am glad he will be my last 3 year old, but it is also sad in some ways to see him growing up.

Now onto Thanksgiving. Oh what a relaxing day it was!!!! The kids did not even get out of their PJs until right before Dunch (Dinner/Lunch) as JT says. We sat around and watched football and ate until our hearts content. The kids played and played and snuggled. It was just what we all needed to recover from the last couple of weeks.

I am going to really really try to keep up on this now that we have a schedule going and I am actually caught up on life in general...that and I think my sisters my fly out here and visit if I don't LOL.