Parent/Teacher Meeting

So please bare with me as i spend the next however long bragging about my child.

We had Phabian's very first parent/teacher meeting today. We dropped the kids off at Granny's house and walked over to the school. We met alone (which was great) with both his teacher Ms. Kim and the teacher's aid Ms. Angie. The meeting started at 10:30 and lasted till 12. I didn't expect it to last that long but it was great. They answered all my questions and filled me in on what all goes on in the class during the day. She told me that Phabian is such a great student and loves to ask lots of questions and listens equally well. He is always very patient and plays well with the other kids. He shares well and always asks for help if he needs it. For awhile i thought she was describing the wrong kid because the kid she was talking about was not the kid who was probably at that moment ransacking his Granny's house.

I thought it was the wrong kid until she started to tell me about their testing process. They are required to test the kids twice a year to see what level they are on and what they should work on with them. She showed me the test book that they use and explained how they proceed giving a 3 year old a rather lengthy quiz of his knowledge. I must say i was impressed with how they turn it into a game for the kids to make it more fun. So she them gave me a big smile and showed me the results. Phabian is 3y and 7 m old. As of the 21st this is how he ranks: In Motor Skills he scored on a 4y and 2 m old level, in Language he scored on a 4y and 1m old level, and in Academic he scored on (and she said this is rare which shocked me) 3y and 8m old level. Now avoiding the fact that he is average on the academic while advance in everything else i ask how is that rare. She said that most kids his age come in slightly lower than their age (but still in the average range) in the academic portion.

So here is where they bragging comes in. My baby, my first born is above average. He is intelligent and has good people skills. They even said he has a great sense of humor! This makes me ecstatic!!! It validates that i am doing something right as a mom. For all the time that i have beat myself up and tore myself down over things i could have done better, i am doing a great job. My son is smart, well rounded, funny, and plays well with others. I, as a mother, could not be more proud not only of my son but also of myself. It is so bittersweet that my baby is in school but gosh darn it he is doing so good. He is learning so much everyday and growing into such a swell kid right before my eyes.

Ok i have to stop before I start crying again. yes i already cried once today about this. It just makes me so darn proud! Thanks for baring with me on this bragging mommy moment.

First Day Of School

So today is the day. Phabian is at school and MJ and I are at home. It is so awkward for me to only have one child here with me but i know he is in good hands.

We left the house at 7:15 this morning. We walked to my MIL's house and waited til about 7:30 to walk over to the school. We got there early and waited in the waiting area. At 5 til 8 they took my baby in the room. He didn't even say goodbye at first. I had to call him back to give me a hug and kiss and to tell him to be good and that i would be back at 11:30 to pick him up. He could have cared less. MJ on the other hand had a fit. He was so upset that bubby was gone. He wanted to go with him. It was so sad to watch my baby MJ cry over his bubby. We returned home and now we are chilling together just me and him. Well right now he is watching Handy Manny and drawing me a picture and i am, well, i am writing this blog.

Here are a few pictures from this morning and drop off.

I love this shirt: Holding out for chocolate milk!

Gotta love the fake cheese lol

Granny with Phabian in the waiting room.

Another one...he was so excited that Granny walked him to school.

I am still in disbelief that my first born son is even old enough to go to school, but i guess you blink and time flies by. I only shed a few tears this morning only because he wasn't even going to tell me goodbye. I mean when did he get to be so big that he didn't need to tell mommy bye. He is so confident and so happy about this experience where i am still a little anxious and apprehensive about it. I trust the teachers to take care of him but he is my baby. No one will ever care for him the way i do and even though it is only 3 1/2 hours a day that is still longer than he has ever been away before (besides at family's homes). I know i will adjust and MJ and i will begin to enjoy this time together but right now i am a little sad about it. He grew up too fast and next year MJ will be gone too. It is just so hard to let go even if they are ready to go.

It make me wonder how many moms they have drop off a kid and then come back an hour later in tears not ready to let their baby grow up. That's kind of how i feel. I just wanna run back and get him and say no its not time for him to grow up yet. He is too little to be in school doing work and learning letters. He is still just a baby in my eyes. I still remember bringing him home from the hospital. When and how did this happen? When did he get so big? How did i miss it? These are all the questions and more running through my head.

Well all i hope everyone is having a good day and i will update more about how his day went later when he gets home and we talk about it.

School Bound Boy

Well it is official. Phabian is a school student in a head start program. I am so very confused about how i should feel about this. On one hand my baby is all grown up and starting school. On the other hand i am so very excited for him to have this experience.

Phabian will start his first day of school on Tuesday, September 2, 2008. He will attend the morning session from 8am to 11:30am. We had a meeting this morning with the program coordinator and we also got to meet his teachers Ms. Angie and Ms. Kim. It all seems very nice. As i was finishing doing my paper work i could hear then saying the Pledge of Allegiance and singing along to a stretching song. They sounded so happy and excited. I hope Phabian has just as much fun as those kids.

I have faint memories of my first day of Kindergarten (as i did not attend any type of pre-k). I remember walking in holding my mom's hand. I was not a shy kid but meeting all of these people for the first time was very shocking for me. My mom was a stay at home mom starting when i was about 4. I always went to work with my mom before that. She was a social worker for a assisted living home. I never knew anything but the world she had created for me. I remember how the class was set up. It was split off into 5 sections. There was the sink, bathroom, and backpack holder in the front of the room. On the right behind that was the chalk board on the left was the computer area. Behind that on the right was a story telling space and on the left of that was the play area. There was a kitchen and lots of blocks, magnets, and books. By the play part of the room there was a big green door that led to the outdoor playground in front of the school. There were two doors other than that in the class room. One led into the hallway and the other into the first grade class room. All the class rooms were connected by a thin wall and a wooden door. It was a small school but very close knit. My teachers name was Mrs. Winefordner. She to this day is still my favorite teacher i ever had. I can only hope Phabian enjoys this as much as i did as a kid.

The only thing we pay for is lunches which are based on your income so we shouldn't pay much if anything. Because it is part of the Kanawha County School System it is considered public free education. It is the best thing ever that my boy can start school and be ahead of his class all because they offer this great free program. I just know that it will be wonderful. As long as i keep telling myself its only 5 days a week 3 1/2 hours a day. It will all be ok.