First Day of School!

Gavin and I are hotel living in Lincoln! We checked into the Holiday Inn yesterday and are living there for the week. We closed on our house last Friday but we won't have our stuff moved until next week. More importantly, we won't have internet til next week. That was the deciding factor  :)

After a rough first soccer practice with his new team last week, Gav had a GREAT practice last night. They play at a big sports complex, so I took the time to get a 5 mile run in. By the time I came back to watch practice, he was easily chatting with the other kids (and impressing them with his stomach roll parlor trick).

We stopped by Red Robin for a quick dinner, and then hit the hotel for bed.

Gavin woke up excited and not at all nervous about his first day of school. We parked on a side street and I walked him in - seems like a lot of people were walking to school or parking and walking (there is not a bus program in Lincoln). We found where the 4th graders were lining up and got him into his line. I tried to ask a couple parents about the pick up process, but they were either new as well, or walked. I'm afraid it feels a little disorganized, but we'll figure it out. The good thing is that there seem to be quite a few new kids in Gavin's class, so he is not the only one.

Another good thing I noticed is that the traffic doesn't seem to bad in the morning (at least in the south part where our house / school / office is).

Now I am counting down the hours until I get to go pick him up and hear all about his first day! On the agenda for tonight is getting signed up at the Y and making dinner at the new house (and then coming back to the hotel to sleep - good thing everything is close to each other!). 4 hours and 37 minutes.....this day is going fast!

Gavin Rocks! 2nd Trimester Conferences

I walked into the school yesterday with a tear in my eye because I knew Gavin was going to get a 4 on at least one category in reading.

4 = exceeding grade level expectations

Sitting next to an isolette, hearing a machine breathe for your tiny baby, hearing words like brain bleeds and kidney damage, you just don't know what the future is going to hold. Always the overachiever, but I knew sitting there that I would be thrilled with average for this child.

And now, that tiny baby has grown into a kid that is exceeding expectations, as one of the youngest kids in his grade level. He is amazing!!

He works hard, the teacher tells me. He is a great kid. He really, really tries. He is good to others. These are the best things a mother could hear.

We've slipped a little in a couple areas - mostly in being a little too chatty. It's rarely something he instigates, but he has a hard time ignoring kids if they are talking around him or trying to engage him when he should be paying attention to the teacher. He is also not quite taking responsibility for his own actions, he likes to blame it on everyone else when he gets in trouble (hmmm.....sounds familiar!).

He's a rock star at reading. We're having a bit of a struggle in math right now, which is a flip flop from where he was at a couple years ago. The two main areas are telling time (on a clock with hands - who needs to do that anymore anyway?) and counting coins (hello, debit cards?). Also, placement value.

She said that these are more abstract concepts, and more developmental in nature. The fact that he is young makes perfect sense to her that these are the areas he struggles in. She said he also needs a little extra help when working on a new concept, that she'll sit with him and go through it a few extra times to help him get it. And while he seems to generally understand the concepts, he's not consistently applying it. She said that he clearly gets frustrated, but continues to work hard. But, not surprising, he says math is his least favorite subject.

I hate stuff that doesn't come easy for me too, but this is something we will just practice more on at home.

I discussed his behavior issues at home, and she was shocked because she doesn't see any indication of that at school. She did say that I'm not the first parent with a Jekyll/Hyde personality kid. I really think he is trying so hard at school, and especially if he is finding math frustrating, he is just done by the end of the day.

I'm going to print out some work sheets and work on these things. I think with a little extra practice it will come naturally. They make such an emphasis of having to read every night - so he's doing great there, but they aren't doing math exercises every night. I just need to work with him on it, on our own. Build his confidence, decrease his frustration level, and hopefully make it easier on him.

Exceeding Expectations

Just got back from my weekly volunteer session, administering spelling tests in Gavin's classroom. The teacher has been working on district assessments, and was so excited to show me Gavin's results on his reading.

Little background - starting in Kindergarten, they are put into reading levels based on the alphabet - starting with letter A, and they progress up throughout the year(s). By the end of 2nd grade, they are expected to be reading at level M. Right before break, Gavin was bringing home level L books, so we knew he was on track for the end of the year.

This morning she showed me that he tested at Level N, so she is going to start him on Level O books! This is not only testing fluid reading skills, but comprehension, structure of the information, etc. Gavin has been a fair reader, but for a long time he was just reading words on a page. Comprehension was lagging. Now that this seems to have caught up, this means great things for him, because comprehension is critical to all areas of academics.

Plus that means that he has already EXCEEDED EXPECTATIONS for the year in reading! Trimester assessments are based on a 1-4 scale, 3 being "at grade level", 4 - "exceeding", 2 - "progressing", and 1 - not sure but you're at risk if you get a 1.

She also said that he had done really well one his double digit addition and subtraction assessments and that he has "been working so hard at math".

And you know what I am most proud of? Not just the accomplishments, but the genuine excitement and pride that I see on his teacher's face when she tells me these things. Gavin has this quality that just endears him to every teacher he's had. Knowing that they really care about him and are rooting for him and every bit as proud of his successes as I am - well that says a lot about both his character and the quality of teachers that we are lucky to have had so far.

Gavin has come a long way - Kindergarten we had a lot of 2's, 1st grade he was pretty avg with lots of 3's and some 2's in comprehension areas, and it looks like this year we will be seeing some 4's on the report card.

A tip for parents (whether you are dealing with a kid with potential issues in school or not) - one of the things I think has been critical in helping Gavin's success in school, has been making a connection with the teacher right away at the beginning of the school year. Gavin doesn't have any defining issues, but I did go into Kindergarten with serious concerns - not knowing the full effect of prematurity on his ability to learn, concerns over how young he was for his grade. I made those known right away to his teacher so she could keep an eye out and report back to me any red flags. I think teachers are more willing/able to spend that extra time to reach out to a parent 1:1 if they know they have a parent receptive to hearing the concerns that they see, and parents that are willing to work together with the teacher to find a solution. I think there are too many times that parents don't want to think it's their kid with the problem and want to just blame the teacher. Letting them know you want to hear what's going on in the classroom and drive towards a solution is key. I've just continued to do that with each new teacher, but with each year I have a little more information about specifically what areas may be of concern and what to continue to watch out for.

Sharing Gavin's story helps I'm sure. We all like an underdog story, right? But it also makes him a little more personal to them, not just 1 in 25 kids. I think the fact that he is just such a sweet kid and tries really, really hard also helps. When you see someone working hard, having to struggle a little bit, and sticking with it til they get it - well, you can't help but want to do everything you can to help them succeed.

Super proud of you, Gav. Thanks for making it look like I might know something about this parenting thing once in a while. (spoiler alert: I don't!)

30/30

I should have taken a picture - so proud!

When it comes to pretty much any concept in school, Gavin is a little slow when a new one is introduced.

Case in point - spelling. The first few weeks of spelling were brutal; he had a hard time memorizing and learning how to spell the ones that he had missed on the pre-test. But after just a few weeks, he was getting 100% on his end of week test, even though he may have missed up to 50% of them on the pre-test. His brain started building those connections.

School isn't just about learning stuff. It's about learning how to learn.

Math seems to be even stronger in this way. Helping him with homework on new math concepts is frustrating. For one, he wants to rush through the work and not listen to the explanation. He doesn't fully grasp the concept, so he rushes to the wrong answers. They have these new fangled methods of teaching math that I can't get through my old school "black and white" way of thinking. Usually our math homework sessions end in him crying and me declaring "we're hiring a tutor!". I wish I was kidding.

This weekend I did the routine backpack clean out.

Math paper. Double digit subtraction (second graders do that??)

30/30 - with a big note from his teach - "Awesome!!"

So proud of that kid. It doesn't always come easy for him (or us), but as we continue on this school journey together, as I start to understand the way his mind works and how he learns, I hope it will only get easier.

When Should Preemies Start Kindergarten?

As Gavin gets older, I find there are less and less resources to answer my preemie related questions. I love, love, LOVE the online board that I joined when Sam was born, and they have been so helpful in answering my questions and saving my sanity. However, Gavin is one of the older kids of the group - at least of those of us active on the board.

I received a comment on his birthday post about the decision to send him to school, rather than waiting. I thought it might be helpful to post my response on here as well, in case any other mom struggling with this decision is trying to find parents who have been in the same position. This is just what worked for us and the decision that we made based on the research that we did. Everyone needs to evaluate what will work best for them, of course.

To aid in my decision, I read a lot about pro's/cons of sending kids to kindergarten. It was not preemie specific, more about kids that are on the brink of that cut off date.

Everything that I read said that any disadvantage that they may have being young for their grade is pretty much eradicated by 2nd grade. Gavin did not attend the school district preschool (being our first kid in school and not having friends with kids that age, we didn't know how important this was). He had preschool type time at his day care, but probably not as rigorous as real preschool.

At any rate, I can see that the gap has closed big time between kindergarten and now. The neighbor girl was reading before she even started kindergarten and was way ahead and bored in school the last two years. I just talked to her mom last week, and she's not as far ahead as she used to be, and it's frustrating her (the child). Like the spelling list they sent home, she didn't know them all right away and had to study.

I also found it interesting that when I went to administer spelling tests last week, there was a boy in my "red list" group. The red list was easier than the green list (Gavin made the green list). This boy was in his class in kindergarten, and he was in the advanced group at that time - and this year he has the easy spelling list. So things are starting to even out, it appears.

Gavin's super smart, his issues were more non-academic that interfered with his abilities to perform (I believe). The first half of the year in Kindergarten he literally could not sit still during carpet time. Last year, he was having problems following through on directions and with reading comprehension - which doesn't just hurt language arts scores, but also math, science and everything else if you are not properly comprehending the instructions.

Would these have been any better had we waited a year to send him? I'm not sure they would be. I think he needed to be in that structured setting to be able to work on these skills, so I'm not sure holding him back a year would have really helped much. The key for me is taking the time to get to know the teacher, and to make sure they understand the history. I expressed my concerns up front with the teachers, told them some of the issues we saw at home, or from the prior year at school and regularly emailed/checked in with the teacher to see how things were going and what suggestions they had for us to work on things at home. That way they see you as the partner and (I think) work a little harder with your kid. I also volunteered in his classroom which kept me in touch with what they were working on as well as gave me perspective as to how the other kids were performing on assessments.

So in hindsight, I do believe we made the right decision, although I've questioned it every time he struggles (and likely will continue to!). In the research that I did, there is cause to hold them back if you think they are not socially/emotionally ready - they need to be able to use the bathroom, follow directions, communicate, get along with other kids, etc. 

The other reason I've heard anecdotally - I get this from parents of boys more often than I thought I would - is that they wouldn't send their boys that are young for their grade because they will be smaller and not as good at sports. While it seems superficial on the surface, I do think this could have confidence and social ramifications (and could certainly be more relevant in preemies that have still not caught up in terms of growth, but would have to weigh whether they ever will be).

Gavin was tall for his age by the time he started school, so I was never worried about his size. I never figured he would be a football player, so I wasn't worried about that either. All the local sports clubs (soccer, baseball, etc) go by age, not grade, so he is playing on teams with kids a grade younger. By the time he gets to high school and competing at a grade level rather than age level, I don't think that 1 yr will make a difference. He'll either be competitive or not at that point.

That's my two cents. If you happened upon this post because you are struggling with the decision yourself, best of luck!

First Day of Second Grade

There will be no pictures to document the first day of school this year. Gavin is officially a big kid that doesn't need mom or dad to walk him to the bus! I'm excited for this independence and confidence for him, but a little sad for me. My baby is growing up.

Friday I took the day off and we went to meet the teacher and drop off his school supplies. For some reason I always get choked up walking into school on the first and last days of the school year. School was a very exciting and positive experience for me. I loved it. I can still remember all the excitement I felt on the first day of school. It's fun to experience that with your child, at the same time it's hard watching them grow up.

Each year gets a little tougher. Expectations grow, and tolerance for misbehavior diminishes. The pressure to succeed and ability to fail mounts. Cliques form, mean kids get meaner. Crushes form, hearts break. There are so many great things about growing up, but there are so many negatives to experience as well! This is the first year I just wanted to grab him and say "stay little....just a while longer". I know it won't get any easier.

This year the desks are no longer grouped facing other. They are lined up in neat rows facing the front of the classroom. The reading books are thicker. There are less play things in the classroom. Gavin picked out his desk and neatly arranged his school supplies inside. He checked out the room and got very excited to see the bin full of Goosebumps books. We found the coatroom, stopped in to say hi to his 1st grade teacher, and then left.

In the car he said "I wish it was Monday!". So glad he's a kid that's excited about starting school.

So this morning the first day of school came and went without any fanfare. I took Sam to day care at normal time, and called home to make sure he had left to walk to the bus on time. He left a few minutes early, Chad said, because he saw another kid down there waiting that he knew.

I can only imagine him walking/trotting down the sidewalk with his cool new backpack (Skullcandy - I'm assuming a name like that implies awesomeness). Self-assured, not at all scared, excited for new friends and new experiences. All things we've raised him to be.

It's still awfully hard to let go though.

Next Stop, Second Grade

I am so darn proud of Gavin! Friday, May 27th, was his last day of school. I met him for lunch for the school cook out and ate lunch with him, and said good-bye to all the kids (I've been helping in the classroom almost every Friday all year). Before we even left the building, he pulled out his report card.

It was awesome! At this age, they are on a 1-4 scale, 4 being ahead of expectations, 3 meeting expectations, 2 progressing towards goal, and 1 meaning needs quite a bit of help. At the end of Kindergarten we still had quite a few 2's, but given th progress he made throughout the year, it wasn't concerning. At the end of 1st grade, he had very few 2's, and a fair amount of 4's! I was particularly happy to see progress made in the non scholastic areas, such as being responsible for his work, getting his work done, etc. Thos types of general skills that are necessary for being successful in that kind of structured school setting. He's always been smart, no issue there, but being focused, knowing what he needs to do, etc, have been lagging. He scored a 2 the first two trimesters and ended with a 3!

The areas that we will work on this summer are comprehension. Hearing or reading information, being able to pick out the relevant facts. This obviously is a literacy skill, but his trouble in this area affects his score on things like problem solving and also his science units. While he is great with memorized math facts, pulling out the relevant pieces of a story problem in order to create a solve the equation requires that comprehension piece.

All in all, it was a great year. I really enjoyed his teacher, Mrs. Rolfes. She takes a pretty stern approach, but was always very open to discussing Gavin's issues or progress with me, and I think her disciplined approach to teaching was something that Gavin really needed this year. While I am thrilled with his scores, I'm even more impressed with the progress that he's made.

Way to go Gavin! I can't believe how far you've come. I know it doesn't always come easy for you, but you have worked really hard this year, and it's paying off.

First Day of School Pics

I would have taken a picture of him waving out the window but he never looked back!

Weekend Games & Randoms

Life has been busy, so sorry for the lack of posts.

This weekend we have Gavin's first football game at 8 AM Saturday, and a soccer game at 10:45 Saturday. If you want to come cheer on the Texas Longhorns, or the Mighty Giants, email and I will give you directions. If you are a die hard fan that wants to attend both, you are welcome to stop at our place in between, although I will be running Gavin to soccer pictures at 9:45.

See what I mean about busy?

In other news, I got an email that the boys were selected to get their pics taken to use in promotions for Blank Children's Hospital. If they actually get used is a whole other story! Guess it depends on how well they behave for the pictures. I'm so excited, but mostly, am honored to be able to help promote Blank - I mean, if their cute mugs can't get the job done, whose would right? I feel such strong ties to that place, so it meant a lot to me to get asked.

Since I'm at it, here are the other brief updates:

Sam can pretty much repeat anything we say and is speaking more and more. His new phrase is "go away!" complete with a big arm gesture. So cute. So heartbreaking. So Sammy!

Gavin - my little smarty this one is. At the end of Kindergarten he was just slightly behind in reading/comprehension. Not bad, just part of the group that needed some extra help. We did put him in the summer two week reading and math review, but didn't do much else. (Kids deserve a summer break am I right??) Anyway, entering 1st grade had me nervous. But I have exchanged a couple emails with his teacher, who has described him as "a bright little guy" and "very smart, exactly where he should be starting 1st grade". And when I volunteered last week he wasn't in the group of kids that I was working with (the kids that need a little extra help). As happy as that made me, I knew he was a little bummed he didn't get to spend time with me. We are doing our reading time every night though, and he has had several homework assignments, so still spends time with "Mommy teacher". Last night there were a couple little books sent home for him to read to me, and he did SO FREAKING GOOD with them. I don't know where this development happened, but something has clearly clicked.

Sam, Sinuses, Soccer and Starting School

Let's start with Sam - last week we had his 18 month check up (late because someone was behind in appt setting). He weighed in at 26 lb, 6 oz and 33 1/4 inches tall, 54% and 80% respectively. So he continues to be my tall and skinny little man. Everything checked out well, but because his 12 month shots were delayed due to him being sick at the time, we couldn't get his Hep A vaccine for 6 months, and we were just shy of it. He will also get his blood drawn to re check for anemia when we come back for the shots.

The last couple days his sinuses have flared up, and neither Claritin nor Benadryl have done much good. Today Brenda thought he was complaining of ear pain so I ran him in to the Dr. His ears actually looked good, but he thought the sinus stuff was bad enough and had gone on long enough that it was no longer just allergies, but a sinus infection. So we are starting an antibiotic and we've got a new med for allergies (Zyrtec).

Soccer has started! I love soccer. I'm sitting at our second practice of the season as we speak (thank goodness for Wifi and multitasking!). They had a scrimmage game last week. I always think it's so funny Gavin complains about soccer and then gets out there and kills it and has a great time. He probably scored 5 or more goals, and more importantly had a bunch of fun. Our next game is this Saturday at 8:45. I have started an online calendar - if you would like access to it so that you can see our schedule, please email me and I will send it to you. Sometimes games will conflict, so also email/call if you are unsure as to which game we will attend.

School started on Monday and Gavin is officially a big first grader. He's riding the bus this year and so far it is going well. He loves it and thinks it is so much more fun than KTC. He has had a bit of an attitude in the evenings, but he has a rough time when life changes, so hopefully he will get accustomed in another week or so. He seems to like school so far and has even made a new friend that rides the bus, is in his class, and lives on our street "in the blue house".

I did get pictures and will get them posted when I get a chance.

I am attending my first school PTO meeting tonight. Very "soccer mom" of me, don't you think?

Football practices should be starting soon, and games start mid September. We will know more after the coaches meeting this week.

Meet The Teacher

Gavin went to school to meet his teacher Friday afternoon. It was a ZOO! But it was definitely worth it. He was pretty apprehensive at first, but as soon as we told the teacher (Mrs. Paulson) his name, she knew right away that it was going to be his birthday on Thursday! He's pretty excited to bring treats. Also, he already knows three boys in his class! One from TLC, one from KTC, and one from Little Ninjas.

As he was checking out the room, one thing he asked me was "Where are the cots?"

No nap time! Now, he rarely naps on the weekends anymore, but he was notorious for sleeping on the bus to and from field trips or when the room was dark for movie time. Hopefully this will mean an earlier bed time!

He wants both Chad and I dropping him off tomorrow, I can't believe my baby is going to school! I don't think he realizes it's not just fun and play time all day.

I'm nervous for embarking on this new phase. School was always so easy for me, I wanted to learn, I enjoyed it, and even though my mom instilled in me that school was important, I intrinsically wanted to do well. I hope it comes as naturally for Gavin. I hope the kids are nice. I feel my ability to shelter and protect him starting to slip away and I hate it.