Wednesday was a pretty good day. That is the day the rain started. The kids were up early, still, but not that early. I had a really great day at work. Everything seemed to flow well. I only saw about 26 kids, which was like a day off. I got extra work done, I was able to help some other teachers, have a conversation, leave my office, eat a WHOLE lunch without interruption, etc. It was a good day! I have a few students that I have doing a few things for me in the office – one that sees me every morning for an office job (making sponge ice packs, coloring a picture to hang in my office) because she needed some positive reinforcement to make her behave better during the day. I have a little girl who writes in a journal because she needs an outlet for school anxiety. I have a little girl who lets small boo-boos interfere with her day, so each time she comes in she gets some “magic cream” that lasts ALL day to keep her focused in class. I have found that my job in the school is to help the teachers keep these kids in class as much as possible. I LOVE a challenge. My favorite part of nursing is being inventive. I am feeling more and more like a team player every day, and that makes me feel good.
Thursday started Kindergarten screenings at my school. I did Kindergarten screenings on Thursday and Friday this week. I am so close to the end now! I saved the most challenging – yet cutest – for last. Thursday I did one class and it took me two solid hours. Friday it took 2 ½. But it was nothing but fun. The kids were pretty well behaved! We had our challenges. They can't tie their shoes – or really even put them on that well by themselves – so that took some time. The kindergarten eye screening test is pictures of things they should know (since in some kids even knowing letters can be iffy). So, I would bring my group of kids up to the eye chart, we would go over all the shapes, and then they would be able to do the test. That worked pretty well. They loved the scale. They would jump on it, hug it, lean on it – anything but what they should do. They wanted to see what their shoes weighed, a book weighed, etc. The hearing test actually wasn't so bad. They got it for the most part – raising their hand every time they heard a sound. One kid decided he would rather clap when he heard something and another who would repeat “beep”.
They had their moments. Of course, they ARE Kindergarten – the majority of the kids I usually see during the day. Just about one kid in every group of three (that is the most I would have in the office at a time) would want an ice pack for an imaginary boo-boo. If they couldn't get an ice pack on their firs request, they would make several more “boo-boos” appear to try and get an ice pack. Or a bandaid. Or chapstick. Or whatever they saw lying around that looked fun to have!
They would also “help” each other with the eye test. Each group I needed to remind to stop giving the kid (who was testing) the answers. And if the child got one wrong – look out! His classmates were quick to correct him! They are too much.
Here are some cute things they would say:
1.When one girl covered her eye with the eye cover (for the eye chart reading) she said, “I can't see anything with the eye that is covered – it is just dark”.
2.One boy thought the eye test would be easier if “he was a cyclops”
3. The eye chart has a circle on it for them to identify. Most kids called it a circle on an “O”. But I did have one child call it a tire and another call it a cheerio. Very creative. There was also a boat and one child called it a tent.
4.One little girl told me that “last night out goat got into our house and started chewing on our couch!”
One child never stopped talking. Ever. Can you imagine doing a hearing test on a child who never closed his mouth? He was the cutest EVER, but just would not stop telling me stories. He told me that when he is sick his mom gives him “Iprewprofin”. He apparently has 528 dogs – one named peanut butter butterscotch. He went on and on and it was too much!
Today I took Arlington to a workshop called “Minds in Motion”. It is sponsored by Connecticut's Association of Gifted Children. She really enjoyed it. She got to do two workshops. One was supposed to be an gymnastics one, but it got cancelled at the last minute. So she did two about animals and loved it. She got hands on experience and learned a lot. They also had a story time and snack. It was broken up by age groups, so she was with Kindergarteners. Her best bud “K” was there and she was so excited! There were also workshops for parents. I went and Mat stayed home for the babies. There were vendors there who were selling thing for kids (books, workbooks, games for kids) and then parents attended two workshops. I went to two about books available for highly able kids. It was really informative and I got a lot of good ideas of how to work with Arlington and her reading abilities. The speaker was really good and I liked her enthusiasm for children's books. Arlington is able to understand book like Tom Sawyer and Huck Finn, so I wanted to make sure we were challenging her enough. I found that we aren't! Arlington can spell from memory 100 words. She has always been a little ahead of the curve. I hope I can keep up with her. We are proud of her and want her to continue to love learning and challenges and reading. READ to your KIDS! Best thing you can ever do for them.
The kids are all doing well. They have been getting up so early that Wednesday night it caught up with me and I fell asleep at 8:30! And Thursday night the kids are all at their wits end from getting up so early, that they went to bed easily by 7:30.
Cainan seems to be getting a little cold again. He used to be the healthiest of the three, but lately, he seems to be getting the majority of the colds. His eye on the side of his cleft is draining slightly again from time to time – let's hope school doesn't start to call it pink eye. He just has to get through a few more days of school before my parents come in and the babies will be home from daycare for 1 week. He is doing well, still in speech therapy and with his teacher. I spoke with the teacher the other day about Cainan's lack of ability to remember colors. She said that is age appropriate for boys and that it is just that he doesn't care. I do believe that! He is must more concerned about the object than the color of the object. She said for us not to worry about it. It will come with time. She found that he was right on track for age learning wise, so that was good news. We are a little “pickier” when it comes to Cainan and his learning. We know that he spent 14 months in an orphanage with little stimulation, and little nutrition. We watch him like a hawk for any signs that he might need extra help with learning. We want only the best for him and to decrease any frustration he may have when it comes to communication. We want him to learn at his own speed, but we also want to be able to recognize when trouble might be “brewing” and an intervention needs to be made.
Finley is herself. She got in trouble one day at school for pinching and pushing her brother. And she throws such major two year old fits, they are astonishing. It is hard not to laugh they are so ridiculous. She is so head strong! Now I have to say her eating has been better this week. She has been doing well at school and at home. School has been telling her “don't you want to be big and strong like Arlington?” She will say yes and put a bite in her mouth. There is no doubt that her sister is her hero. That girl LOVES Arlington. Whatever works!
Arlington is doing great. Next week I have a conference on Monday with her teacher about how she is been doing. (this is parent/teacher conference time for our school – nothing out of the ordinary). I don't really have any questions or concerns. I think Arlington is learning a lot in school and she loves it. But it will be nice to talk with the teacher and see what she thinks about Arlington's progress. My only goal is to have Arlington reading her beloved books by the end of this year (the easy ones that is) so that she goes into first grade as a reader. It is by far her favorite activity, and she loves the idea of being able to do it on her own.
Thursday Arlington drew a picture of a brain. (or what she thought it looked like). She said, “now I have two brains in case I lose one!” Sounds like a plan. I need to get myself one of those.
So that is it. Tomorrow is church and yard work and a large grocery trip. Monday is parent conference and Tuesday no school! Tuesday is also when my parents arrive to spend a week with us while Mat is out of town at a business conference. I am looking forward to their visit! It will be nice to have someone to play with the kids and they are so looking forward to it.
Enjoy the photos and I will see you Tuesday!
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