Saturday, October 24, 2009
Easy to Love a Win
Mathias's mighty-mites got a win! This past Tuesday at practice they just played around. Just did fun football stuff. I think one of the other coaches suggested that maybe the kids just need to enjoy football to play better. We played a team of similar ranking. We were up 13 in the first quarter then they scored 7. It stayed that way through the 2nd and 3rd quarters. Our defense was great. They kept them from converting to first downs repeatedly however our offense wasn't accomplishing much. Late in the forth quarter, the other team scored and got the extra point! There was only 1:40 left in the game. Coach was positive and reminded the kids that the game wasn't over yet - he was actually smiling (rare given his intensity!) The next play was perfect - a completed pass (and we hadn't been completing too many at all!) just beyond the marker and he got out of bounds before the tackle to stop the clock - perfect! This was to the fast kid (prone to crying spells, doesn't like to hit or get hit) but he didn't have any spells today :) I think it was the next play, a huge long bomb that was caught and ran in for a TD. And the crowd went wild. Peanut, who caught the ball, has the loudest grandma!! She's so cute, you can hear her across the field, she never lets up. He caught two TD passes today. We had lots of "bounce off the numbers" frustrating incompletions today. Still a minute left and the Sting are driving down the field (we had held them better earlier in the game but not now) They go for the long bomb - the guy is open except for Mathias who's right on him. He caught the ball and Mathias flattened him. If Mathias hadn't been there it probably would have been a TD. Great game, fun to watch, the kids were pumped to win, coaches were positive in the huddle but of course "This is about life, this is why you don't quit."
Friday, October 23, 2009
Parent Teacher Confer.
Is there a word for parents who go to parent teacher meetings just to hear people say good things about their kids? You know they're not having real trouble in any subject but you go anyway? Affirmation needy? What? Just needing a perfect stranger to tell you that they're not so bad - they're growing up normal. They'll survive ok in this crazy world. You did your job right. I've heard a teacher say it's the parents of the good kids that come, but the parents of the troubled kids you never see. This year I was able to schedule them so Danny could make it too.
DJ - 1st grade (at a new school) was student of the month in Sept. and Mathias was student of the month in Aug. We told Isaiah "no pressure but you better step it up buddy!" :) DJ's conference went well. I had been worried about his reading. With the speech issues when he was younger, I'd been concerned he'd struggle. So we've been focusing on his reading. He's at 45 WPM (end of year goal is 40) His spelling is 91%. So he's fine in that area. We do need to work with him on math - he's still calculating every equation and needs to know the facts cold - off the top of his head. We'll get out the flash cards and the cheerios etc. Danny's proud of this but it's true. Every time he sits and spends time teaching the boys something, they really get it. He's a patient teacher. As far as character and behavior, she was please with how he'll work independently. From what I've seen and heard, I think he might be a little shy and reserved outside his home environment. But we're pleased he's transitioned to the school just fine.
Mathias - (4th grade) His teacher is the aunt of a football teammate. I think she's taken a special interest in him. She commented on his interception from this last game. I missed it (I was running Isaiah to his game) but Danny tells me it was pretty smooth. He was running, didn't break stride, caught the ball and kept going. His 4th this season. 4.0 GPA, reading level 6.?, excellent in math. I need to post a poem he wrote. too funny. Behavior in class, great. He's not a hyper kid so that translates to the classroom a bit better (I think Isaiah struggles with the classroom restrictions a bit more.) Mathias seems to get the young, pretty, new teachers. and yeah, Danny and I left feeling a bit old. :)
Isaiah - 6th grade. 3.27 GPA, As and Bs (he brought the 78 in Math up) His teacher says he doesn't struggle with the concepts, mostly just carelessness. We're trying to get him to double check his work - he's a full speed kind of guy so slowing down is an unnatural behavior for him. He's also got so many ideas, that focusing them for English is an effort. Behavior wise: he has several teachers. One teacher (a man) praised him for participating, being involved in class, answering questions, asking them, etc. Of the 3, only one mentioned he can be "distracted" and she has him sit up front. She mentioned she has him right at lunch time - does food make difference? The 6th grade has the latest lunch of the day, she said kids are more focused in the morning. It's not an excuse, and frankly I expected all his teachers to mention something like that. But he's not a troublemaker and has never been disciplined and even she had nice things to say. They're going to begin a verbal section, speeches, etc. so I think he'll enjoy that. One girl at school calls him the "loud crazy guy." One teacher told us that every morning Isaiah comes tearing into the school yard chased by a tiny blond 1st grader. He flings his backpack down and keeps on running. We know this girl from football. I think she figured out she'll get a big reaction and lots of theatrics from Isaiah so she chases him. One football mom told me she noticed Isaiah had taken her son under his wing. Watching out for him, reminding coach if he didn't get his plays, etc. That gives me hope, there might be some responsibility under it all. :)
So that's a snapshot of the boys. Maybe in a few years when they're huge and grown and "too cool for school" I'll reread this and remember the boys whose favorite subject was recess. . . hmmm, but do boys really ever outgrow that???
DJ - 1st grade (at a new school) was student of the month in Sept. and Mathias was student of the month in Aug. We told Isaiah "no pressure but you better step it up buddy!" :) DJ's conference went well. I had been worried about his reading. With the speech issues when he was younger, I'd been concerned he'd struggle. So we've been focusing on his reading. He's at 45 WPM (end of year goal is 40) His spelling is 91%. So he's fine in that area. We do need to work with him on math - he's still calculating every equation and needs to know the facts cold - off the top of his head. We'll get out the flash cards and the cheerios etc. Danny's proud of this but it's true. Every time he sits and spends time teaching the boys something, they really get it. He's a patient teacher. As far as character and behavior, she was please with how he'll work independently. From what I've seen and heard, I think he might be a little shy and reserved outside his home environment. But we're pleased he's transitioned to the school just fine.
Mathias - (4th grade) His teacher is the aunt of a football teammate. I think she's taken a special interest in him. She commented on his interception from this last game. I missed it (I was running Isaiah to his game) but Danny tells me it was pretty smooth. He was running, didn't break stride, caught the ball and kept going. His 4th this season. 4.0 GPA, reading level 6.?, excellent in math. I need to post a poem he wrote. too funny. Behavior in class, great. He's not a hyper kid so that translates to the classroom a bit better (I think Isaiah struggles with the classroom restrictions a bit more.) Mathias seems to get the young, pretty, new teachers. and yeah, Danny and I left feeling a bit old. :)
Isaiah - 6th grade. 3.27 GPA, As and Bs (he brought the 78 in Math up) His teacher says he doesn't struggle with the concepts, mostly just carelessness. We're trying to get him to double check his work - he's a full speed kind of guy so slowing down is an unnatural behavior for him. He's also got so many ideas, that focusing them for English is an effort. Behavior wise: he has several teachers. One teacher (a man) praised him for participating, being involved in class, answering questions, asking them, etc. Of the 3, only one mentioned he can be "distracted" and she has him sit up front. She mentioned she has him right at lunch time - does food make difference? The 6th grade has the latest lunch of the day, she said kids are more focused in the morning. It's not an excuse, and frankly I expected all his teachers to mention something like that. But he's not a troublemaker and has never been disciplined and even she had nice things to say. They're going to begin a verbal section, speeches, etc. so I think he'll enjoy that. One girl at school calls him the "loud crazy guy." One teacher told us that every morning Isaiah comes tearing into the school yard chased by a tiny blond 1st grader. He flings his backpack down and keeps on running. We know this girl from football. I think she figured out she'll get a big reaction and lots of theatrics from Isaiah so she chases him. One football mom told me she noticed Isaiah had taken her son under his wing. Watching out for him, reminding coach if he didn't get his plays, etc. That gives me hope, there might be some responsibility under it all. :)
So that's a snapshot of the boys. Maybe in a few years when they're huge and grown and "too cool for school" I'll reread this and remember the boys whose favorite subject was recess. . . hmmm, but do boys really ever outgrow that???
Sunday, October 11, 2009
Second Show
We gave it another go and did the Sequoya show this weekend. Danny played Mr Mom all weekend. Don't ask me about dishes, laundry, or house cleaning - let's just say he managed to keep them fed and fairly clean and got them to their games, church services, etc with aplomb. Go Daddy Go! :) Big boy Isaiah was my muscle, helping me with hefting the tables etc. He was rewarded with a handcrafted sling shot - the perks of child labor. :)
This show was a bit different - the last one we were in the gym but this time we ended up at the end of a corridor heading out to the ball field. A bit off the beaten path (near the gyros though so folks eating lunch saw our shop) It's possible people didn't venture down our path. I tried to face our display towards the top of the corridor so they could see what we were selling from there. I wasn't really pleased with the display. We need more height. I wanting some poster size photos of girls in the clothes - big ad shots. Hopefully, Carrie's girls and a few more will be willing to pose for a few pics.
Overall it seemed busier then the Peoria show. Just as I was arriving today I saw a little girl wearing one of my skirts and a hair flower from Carrie. It made my day. My checking account might not agree, but for me it really doesn't matter what sells I just want to see someone wearing and enjoying what I make. Her mom said she bought it yesterday and wanted to wear it to church this morning. She went home to see what colors she needed and came back today to get a few more flowers. I did see a lot more families (or at least moms with daughters) at this show.
Enough blogging - remember that laundry I mentioned? off to it now . . . or maybe in the morning. :) Good night.
Friday, October 2, 2009
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