----- Original Message -----
From: H1's teacher
Sent: Thursday, November 29, 2007 6:03 PM
Subject: Wednesday 11-28
Hello!

Your child was one of those in the class who switched their name with someone else for the day on Wednesday the 28th when there was a substitute teacher in the classroom. Several students switched name stickers with someone else and some created a new nametag for their desk. The sub was confused, but was aware something was going on.

I talked with your child today and he/she helped write an apology note to the sub. This was a good time to talk about what to do when someone else has a bad idea and wants you to join in, but you need to say no and do what is right. I also explained that when I leave sub plans, I leave specific, pertinent information about many of the students and that in changing names, the sub was not directing specific help or other assistance to certain students.

Nothing further needs to be done about this incident, but I just wanted to let you know.

Thanks,

H1's teacher

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ummm yeah.....

Censorship>

So on a message board I frequent - someone posted the following:

So, I was having a conversation yesterday afternoon with my friend in Texas. I do love her dearly, but we have very, very different parenting styles and thoughts on what kids need, so we're careful about what we discuss. We both love books, so we talk about them a lot. I mentioned that Cameron really likes the "Little Critter" books by Mercer Meyer. Her response was that she "wasn't into books where animals dress up in clothes and act like people".Umm, what? I sort of laughed because I never really thought about it. They're cute books and they usually have
moral or lesson, and my kid likes them. The only books I've decided to forego at this point are the Grimm's fairy tales. Hansel and Gretel was my favorite story growing up, but that and the other stories in the book are very, very dark so I've decided to just put the book aside for now.

Then another poster said:

As a former school teacher, my opinion will always be ... no censorship. We have come across a not so nice word before in library books and we always talk about how those are not nice words. She hears them anyways since we play with older kids, so she might as well know they're not nice and mommy doesn't allow her to say them. I know she's young to grasp the concept, but I'm starting now.

My take -
I agree with 2nd poster to a point - well, I thought I did. But the more I think about it - I do agree with some censoring. I think that when you keep exposing kids to any language, they can get "desensitized" to it. My kids spend their kindergarten year in a French classroom. The kindergarten year is a "linguistic" bath. The kids learn the language by hearing it again and again and again. I prefer my kids not to experience the American a linguistic bath of swear/certain slang words. So I choose not to keep exposing my kids to it during a wonderful story time, "unless" it is integral to the storyline. My kids know the words and we have had discussions about our "family's rules" with respects to certain words; however, when a "bad" word comes up, I generally will change it.

That said, I do not enjoy the Junie B Jones books, she is just not a very nice girl and the amount of times the words stupid & dumb show up - it is like watching a movie that you can't get over how many times the F-Bomb has been dropped to know what the movie is about. They are not enjoyable for either H or I to read to the kids, so we don't pull those to the front of our home library; however, we do have a few and if they really want to read them, we will read with the censoring.

Looking for a new digital camera

Due to the car break in And video camera AND unfortunately car radio....

Any links would be appreciated.

Some recent pics

Well H1's conference was interesting

Granted, I have not gotten her report card yet; however, I H and I did meet with her teacher.

Her teacher made wonderful comments like
"I look at who she is and I wonder what she is going to do. She is going to do something so great. She is going to make a huge impact on something."

She is reading (in French) at Level 2 at a 93% proficiency. About half the kids in her class are at a level 6. The rest are somewhere between the level 2-5. So yes, she is on the lower end. BUT she is progressing. H was really concerned about it and her teacher kept telling him that he needs to only compare H1 to H1. Don't compare her to other kids, just look at where she was and where she is now.

The way I look at it is that she only started getting the "right" tools for her this summer. The "old" or other ways of teaching to read did not work for her. The Level 2 is where the kids were at the end of first grade, so once she started getting the right tools, she "caught up" within 6 months. All I want her to do is keep progressing and to feel good about reading.

She is really proud of herself and things are coming together.

The one downer of the day, was speaking with her reading resource teacher. She made a comment that H1 wasn't coming along as fast as she should, or rather, as fast as she assumed that H1 would. I was pretty upset about this, wondering if something else was wrong... and then I realised....
That this was the same teacher that said at a table across from me last year and she hesitated putting kids is special ed reading so early (IE assigning them in grade 1) because may times they move so fast that she doesn't think it was a true disability, but just that they had to "grow into" (the whole concept of their "window opening").
I remember her wondering and almost assuming this would be H1. I knew it wasn't, but I could see she wasn't 110% convinced. What this shows her, is that - no H1 is progressing, but not to the extreme that you can say - 'see special help was not needed'. She is now truly seeing the dyslexia come out and she is understanding there is more here than meets the eye. Like I said, at first I was upset by her comment, then I remembered where it came from and I am all good now.

Holly is comfortably reading leveled readers in English - not without help, but she is getting there. Compared to where we were last spring the improvement is amazing. Her confidence is back, her willingness to try is back.

30 girl swimming event on Saturday

Had my 30 girl swimming event on Saturday - my troop plus two smaller ones. It was loud but the girls and the moms had a GREAT time. The girls really behaved well.

I was a little overwhelmed, worried about safety, worried about the gaurds getting stressed, worried about the moms thinking it was all good... BUT the best comments happened at the end - All the girls were clamouring at their leaders... when is the next Brownie meeting? When do we get together again. That made me feel so good.

BUT THIS IS THE BEST
Then right at the end, after Holly and I cleaned all the lifejackets up, put the large foam boards back (HUGE frogs, butterflies, -- this was the favorite part - relay races with them)put the lane line back in, all that fun stuff.... (not) (She also was there an hour early helping me do everything else, get the lane line out, get the noodles ready, greet all the girls.)

Holly looks at me and says, "Mom, you did all this? You planned this big thing all by yourself? How come?"

I looked at her and pointed right at her.

She looks at me - "You did all this for me?"

I looked straight at her again, "Of course I did, I wouldn't be here if it wasn't for you. I wouldn't be a girl scout leader if it wasn't for you."

She stood really still, and looked me in the eye and said, "Wow." Then she hugged me and said, "Thanks mom."

"No problem" I said -

Thinking back - What I was really thinking is -

No, Holly, thank you. To see you growing up and spending time with you. To know that we have "our thing", is super important to me. So much of our time together is struggling to do homework, working on reading, carting everyone here and there and the time we do spend gets interrupted by the urgent needs of the other kids. You give up so much to be a great big sister to them - I hope you get as much back. You bring so much extra love to our family. Thank you, for being who you are.

What makes me happy?

Someone asked me this - thought I would post my answer here

What makes me happy -

Feeling a sense of peace.
Those few moments when the house is quiet, hopefully clean
The kids are engaged in a fun activity at home -
be it playing outside,
or playing cards inside,
or reading a book with me
When everyone is content and I know their own "cup" is full.

Those are the moments that make the chaos seem worth it.

black cloud above this family WILL NOT lift

The black cloud above this family WILL NOT lift.Both of our cars were broken into last night. I waited four years to put a new radio in my car - we did it LAST month. BOOM it's gone. I am just sick about this.

H2 - poor kid

he is completely backed up again. I sent him to school with the Miralax today. I feel so awful for him - I cannot imagine what his body must feel like.

We also go the nasal spray for night time issues. One thing the dr said was that because he is so backed up - that when he lays down, the pressure is taken off his kidneys and his system can function, which may be why he produces so much urine at night. ....

The thing that frustrated me was that the dr gave me a ton of info on the potty pager and night time bedwetting. THE KID is NOT wetting his bed. The problem is he is getting up 5 times a night to go to the bathroom.

Oh and here is another one

I decided to go inactive on Tupperware for a little bit. I just cannot keep track of it right now - that was a huge yucky feeling decision to me.

Speaking of the Dr

I went to the Dr on Monday my thyroid is off again - got new meds
And I had to talk with the sleeping issues (mine on top of Hunter's) Ed says that I am snoring all the time. I have been waking myself up too - he said it was never this bad EVER


I was referred to the sleep clinic today - I had a huge long survey to fill out - 1+ hours of "questions" then they did an exam

Now I have to go in for an overnight sleep study and possibly the whole next day. They kept coming back to apnea and get this - narcolepsy - because of what happens when I fall asleep during the day. They said it could be extreme sleep deprivation too... When we went back - I could seriously - and I am not exaggerating tell them the last night that I slept a full nights sleep. I literally have no idea -