Teenage attitudes. . .

I am the mother of a teenager.  There really should be a special support group for parents of teens.  I know I am not the first and won't be the last and that my problems are not the worst.  We really need to band together to fight the nasty, smarmy, poor pitiful me attitudes of our teens.  I love my teen but he really knows how to push those buttons with his brother and with me.  He really is a great kid in general but, when those teen hormones start rocking he turns into an alien. 
My teen before he was a teen; he was smiling and happy, he would talk to me about things going on at school, and in general was mostly pleasant to be around with the exception of torturing his brother.  The later I could accept as normal sibling rivalry.   As a teen he has morphed into this smarmy, sarcastic, frowny faced, and brooding young man.   There are days when I see a glimpse of that pre-teen young man but they are few and far between lately.  He is still a good kid, please do not misunderstand me, and I love him dearly.   I know we are all suffering growing pains but, as a mom I want to fix everything and I want a quick fix.  I know that is not possible and I know that this is something we must all endure. 
I still refer back to my, "Power of a Praying Parent" for comfort and prayers.  If you are a parent of a teen I highly recommend that book.  The Author, Stormie O'Martin, gives you specific prayers to say for certain areas of your child's life.  She also recounts some of her own road blocks as a parent and how she prayed through them.  I always say as parents we should spend our time in battle on our knees.

to close for comfort. . .

I had my wake up call this morning.  While taking the kids to school this morning we were just about hit by an SUV.  I am thankful the Lord was with us and watching out for us because the person driving the other car was not even looking.  If we had been hit it would have hit the passenger side, where the kids were.  I am so thankful my little blackberry is short.  That and the Lord above is the only reason we were not hit.   This was a two way stop right of way issue.  Anyone out there a cop or have knowledge of the traffic law, I would love to hear your thoughts. 
I am still a little shaken.  I am worried about the kids too.  I asked them if they were ok and they said they were.   I know that sometimes things like this linger with kids and then sometimes they don't think a thing about it.    I am hoping these two don't think about it again.  I hate it when things like this happen, obviously it lingers with me and I will worry about this for months.   I worry about the fact that Jack will get his permit in 2 and a half years  and his license in 3years.  This is a bad intersection right above our house that my kids will pass through  many times a day once they have their license.   I know I am a worry wart.  That's my job, I'm  a Mom!

Thankful thoughts. . .

I saw on facebook this month that everyone is posting thankful thoughts, I have not.  I am very thankful but, I do not see the need to post something everyday just because everybody else is doing it.  That to me is adult peer pressure.  I will not fall to that, however, I am going to post some things here and talk about how thankful I am.
I am thankful for my family and that my parents have been able to see their grandchildren grow up.   My grandparents all passed away before I was born except my grandmother on my Mothers' side.  She passed away when I was in elementary school.  I do remember going to her house and playing and seeing her on Thanksgiving and Christmas.  I remember  her house and playing in the apple trees in her yard and this huge weeping willow tree.  The willow had the best branches for climbing and swinging.   I also remember how much I loved her dressing she served on Thanksgiving. 
Thomas and Jack are very lucky, as am I that they have their grandparents to spend time with.  When we go to Moms' they go to the barn with Poppy and Gee and help feed the horses and kitties and play with them.  They also get to see the goats at my sisters' house.   This year Thomas was sitting at the table having lunch with my mom and he saw three deer run through her back yard.   We usually see some deer, turkeys, raccoons, foxes and an albino skunk all while sitting at the kitchen table.  
I am very thankful for my family.  I am also thankful for how the Lord is working in our lives.  So many little things that have happened and I see the Lords' hand in all of them.  I am thankful for the great conversations that dear hubby and I have had with our kids about the Bible and God.  I love to see these things through my kids' eyes.  They see things that we as adults do not and in different ways too.   I learn something new every night as we read devotions and the Bible.  Some nights after reading we just have great conversations about their day and what happened at school. 
For all of this and so much more I am truly thankful!!

More Thomas isms. . . .

I was talking with a friend at Church the other day, that is also in charge of our Grateful Choir, she was telling me about their latest adventure.  Our Grateful Choir is made up of our youth and they go around to local nursing homes and sing.  They also sing for our congregation too.  Jack loves to sing, Thomas on the other hand, not so much.  Thomas does not like to sing in front of people.  He says he is shy, I am not real sure about that one.  They have made Thomas a roadie for the choir.  He totes the instruments and he also takes pictures while the group is singing.  He has become quite the little photographer, so I have been told by my friend.  She said the other day he took over 100 pictures at their last event.  She did have to delete several.  They had his thumb in them.  Luckily our Church has a digital camera and it is easy to delete his mistakes. 
I asked him the other day about going to the Nursing home and singing.  He said, I don't stand up there and sing.  I do sing while I am taking pictures though.  That could be why my friend is having to delete some of those pictures.  He said he likes going and visiting with the "old" people.   He said he goes around and talks to them.   He seems to be gaining some confidence about himself by doing this.  I know he takes pride in his picture taking, it is very serious business to him.  Even though he does not get up there and sing with the group he still feels like he is a part of it.  That is important to me too.  He looks forward to their events.
The Grateful Choir will be singing at our Thanksgiving Eve Lovefeast  this year too.  Maybe Thomas will get his nerve up and stand up there and sing as well.

Christmas and Dave Ramsey. . .

No I am not spending Christmas with Dave Ramsey but I am using his principles this season.   Dear hubby and I have tried to save each year for Christmas and pay cash.  We have been doing that for around nine or ten years.  We would take $20 each week and put it in a cup and that would be our savings for Christmas.  There were always weeks we did not put that money aside but for the most part we stayed on schedule.   You don't have to follow Dave Ramsey to follow how that works out.   I feel great relief at the end of the Christmas season knowing that I did not blow our budget out of the water.   There are always things that come up and we end up using our debit (NOT CREDIT) card and that's ok because we had been using our cash up to that point.  Another good point of paying cash for everything is, you don't have to worry about those unscrupulous folks out there trying to steal your account numbers.  One couple in my Dave Ramsey class had their debit card number stolen while they were at the Beach.  A waiter where they had eaten was using it to pay for his car repairs.  The gentleman has friends in the police department and they were able to trace it back to their waiter.  They tracked him down and found he had a notebook with many other credit card and debit card numbers from other people just like you and I.   Another good reason to pay cash when eating out. 
Now back to Christmas, we have been saving this year for our Christmas giving and I hope we don't have to dip into the old checking account.  If we do though, it won't be that big of a hit.  Dave also has a special Christmas budget work sheet he has put on his webiste.  You can down load it for free.  www.daveramsey.com   and no I am not getting kick backs for recommending him, I just believe in what he is doing and want to share with everyone how great it is when you don't have huge debt looming over you all the time.   He has great articles on his website too.  If you are interested in his books you can find them at your local Library or at used book stores.   I am hoping this year will be a wonderful Christmas for all and a debt free one as well.   Christmas is only a little over 5 weeks away.

Nightly devotions. . .

Mark and I have always gone up together to say prayers with the boys and say good night before they go to bed.  We have also been doing nightly devotions with them for many years.   The first devotion book I bought was "365 days of Devotions for Boys."  It was great and the devotions were geared toward things boys face growing up.  I have repeated many of those devotions as things came up with the boys.  My friend Cheryll gave me a little monthly magazine that her Church gives their kids that has devotions.   These are great too and are so relevant to what is going on with my kids lately.  They have talked about bullying and being mean to others and we are dealing with that right now in our neighborhood.  My kids don't get bullied at school they get bullied in our own yard.  It just amazes me that parents do not pay attention to what their kids are doing at home.   Well, that is a whole other list of blogs for later.
The devotion I read last night to the boys was about Church.  The little boy was telling his Mom riddles and so she gave him one.  "What is CH_ _ ch?"  The little boy studied it and finally came up with Church.  But what the Mom was trying to get across to him was that Church is only Church if U R in it.  I know it's corny.  I loved it though.  These devotions have allowed me to touch on some very serious subjects with my kids that I may not have otherwise been able to discuss with them.
Mark and I cherish these little nightly talks that we get to have with the kids.  We have discussed things like salvation, Heaven, Hell, bullies, missionaries, ect. . .  I know that soon they will be too old or at least think they are too old for us to tuck them in and say prayers with them but as long as they will let me I will.    They are growing up so fast and I am so proud of the young men they are becoming. 

The Dentist

Since the boys were out of school yesterday I had decided that would be the day for their dentist visit.  This is a new dentist for them and Jack was not happy because it said "Pediatric Dentistry" on the sign.  He said I am too old to be going to a pediatric anything.  He said 0-12 was a child but that since he turned 13 a whole almost month ago he is now an adult.  Jeeeeezzzz!!!  They do not go to a pediatrician and never have.   They have always gone to a family practice physician so the whole pediatric thing never came up till now.  I tried to tell him that he could go to a pediatric dentist till he was at least 18 maybe even older.  Not sure about the dentist part on the age thing.  Anyway he was not happy and sat with a scowl on his face in the waiting area.
They called us back and they put the boys in the same room, another sore spot for Jack about going to the same place as Thomas.   The room was quite big and had two dental chairs and flat screen TV's suspended over each chair.  The hygienist set Jack up with head phones and started "Shrek 2" for him to watch while she worked on Thomas.  Thomas got to watch "Horton Hears a Who" while she worked on his teeth.  The boys had good check ups even though they had not seen a dentist in a while. 
These ladies at this practice were great!  I really liked the office and the staff the entire set up was great.  Jack was even ok with it after everything was said and done.   They took a picture of the boys with their dentist and gave it to us to take home.  I have to say it was a good experience for us all.  I even got a phone call this morning to make sure the boys had a good experience and we did not have any questions.  That is customer service. 

Report cards are in. . .

I am so proud of both my boys.  Thomas made all B's, two very close to A's.  Jack made 2 B's and the rest A's.  These boys work hard, play sports, study, and help out around the house.  They also have more than enough time for the X box.  We are hoping for all A's from both of them next session.  They both are already on their way.
Jack is starting basketball and Thomas is finishing up with football.  Jack tried out for the Middle School Basketball team and did not make it.  Forty some kids tried out and they only took 13 kids and only 2 seventh graders.  I told him the odds were not in his favor.  I am very proud of him for taking the shot though, so many kids never try.  If you don't try, you just never know.   He was ok with not making it when he found out who they kept.  He said both the seventh graders were really good ball players, so his feelings were not hurt at all.  He will be playing in the County league again this year.  Thomas doesn't really like basketball that much so he usually takes basketball season off.  This suits his dad and I just fine.  We don't push our kids to do sports they just like being active. 

I do push my kids when it comes to school work though.  It's not really their grades as much as it is the effort they put forth.  Their dad and I expect them to do their best and study like they know they should.   I do come down on them when they are slacking off and not putting forth their best effort.  Thomas had a bad case of that last year and some of it was that he didn't get the math.  We did get him some help and he has improved a great deal this year.  Jack is finding out this year that he actually has to pay attention in class and study at home for a change.  I think 7th grade has been a little harder for him than he thought.

Love my boys so much and I thank the Lord daily for allowing me to raise them. 

Election is over. . .

I am so glad this election is over.  I really hate all of the mud slinging on both sides.  I voted and did my duty and I am sad my guy did not win.  I do know however, that God has a plan.  We are not privy to that plan yet but when he is ready we  will know.  I have faith that God is in control and that he will guide and protect my family and others that have that same faith.  Last night before bed I prayed and gave it all over to Him once again.   It is hard to see our great country in such turmoil and to have to read it all over Facebook.  I do know that God will bring us to our knees to remind us that we still need him and maybe this is the case this year.  We have forgotten, as a country, that there is only one in charge and he is in Heaven waiting for us to wake up.
I have seen a lot of posts on Facebook about freedom of speech and freedom of expression ect. . .   Yet these same people want to crucify the President of one fast food chain for his freedom of expression.   Why is it ok for them to express their feelings and beliefs and yet it is not ok for him?   One side has become overly tolerant and the other side has become intolerant.  Where do we go from here?
I will be spending a great deal of time on my knees in prayer.  I am not only praying for my family but everyone including the President.  I hope that he will take the next four years and actually do something to bring our country back to the Great Nation it once was.

Dave Ramsey class update

Finished the Dave Ramsey class and loved it.  I highly recommend it to everyone.  Dave is a very accomplished man and a good speaker.  He is not afraid to tell of his mistakes in the hopes that others do not fall into the same traps.  He has gone from millionaire to bankruptcy to millionaire on more than one occasion.   I realized I had made many mistakes myself when it comes to money.  My favorite quote from Dave is, "live like no one else, so later you can live and give like no one else." 
I am a big believer in giving to the Church and other reputable charities.   My dear hubby and I have always  given, since we were married.  There were times in the early part of our marriage that we struggled to make the ends meet but, we never changed our giving.  I firmly believe that we are where we are today because we give.  I guess that is why I like Daves' philosophy so much.  He wants to help people grow their wealth so that they can share their wealth with those in need.  Imagine what our world would be like if nobody was in debt and could share what they had with others.  WOW!!  How cool that would be.  I have been a fan of Dave's for many years but, was only able to take his class this year.   I will tell a tale on myself today, in all my years I have never balanced my checkbook.  I know, how dumb is that?  I am very proud to say that I now balance my checkbook and I do a zero based budget every month before the month begins.  Thank you Dave!!  Those little steps just give you so much power over your money.  The budget allows you to tell your money where to go, instead of saying at the end of the month, where did all my money go.   With the help of Daves' class and Craig our teacher we have no credit card debt and are paying like crazy  on the car and next is the house.  We are on our way to being debt FREE!!!!!!  Check out Dave's website       www.daveramsey.com   Just a little tip from frugal me, you can check his books out at the library and you can also pick them up at the used book store sometimes.   The first Dave book I bought was from the used book store.  Here are some of his titles that I like:  The Total Money Makeover, Financial Peace Revisited, and The Complete Guide to Money.

Updates on the kiddos. . .

Been a while since I posted on my blog.  I have been crazy with the kids and all their activities.  That is what we are supposed to be doing anyway right.  I am going to try and get back on track this year with my blog so stay tuned.

The boys are both playing football right now.  Jack is playing for the Middle School and I am so proud of him for that.  He has worked hard all through the Summer during Summer work outs and has worked hard since school started too.   Thomas is playing community football and is doing really well.   He is quite the little "head hunter".   They are 1-2 right now they have a couple more games to play.    Both Jack and Thomas are doing well in school too.  It is very hard to be a student athlete, you have to work twice as hard as everyone else.  Those of you that have kids that play sports know this.  I give kudos to the student athletes and their parents because it is hard work to be at school all day and then go to ball practice and then come home to do your chores and school work.  
The boys are both involved in our Grateful choir at Church.  Thomas is more of a helper and photographer than singer though.  He does not like to sing in front of people.  He has a beautiful voice but, he gets nervous and self conscience in front of people.  Jack on the other hand, gets up there and belts it out.  They go to area Nursing homes and sing and talk with the elderly.  We have a great group of kids involved in our youth group and I am so proud of each of them.  They give so much back to our Church.  Since they have been letting Thomas take pictures he has become very interested in photography.  He wants a camera for Christmas, not just any camera, but a digital self focus "expensive" camera.  I told him he would have to start out small and he could work his way up to an expensive camera much later down the road.  Our youth coordinator told me she was editing the pictures he had taken from one of their outings and he had taken over 100 pictures.  HA HA HA HA!!!!  She said he had done really well and that she only deleted a few that were fuzzy and had his finger in them.  He cracks me up sometimes.

Stay tuned lots of news to come, I am taking the Dave Ramsey class and will be blogging on that later.

Grades. . .

I know I am a little late for this post but, for those following up about Sylvan I felt I needed to share this with you.  Thomas got 2 A's and 2 B's.  I am very proud of him for this it was a difficult nine weeks.  He brought his C in math up to  a B.   I did recently have him tested in Reading with Sylvann and it reinforced what I knew already.  He has a very good vocabulary but there are still some gaps in his skills that he is just not getting. 
I am very much against the kids being tested on a computer for Reading.  These children have enough problems reading the printed page much less trying to scroll through a story with the mouse or up and down arrows.   Thomas has yet to pass a bench mark test either in Reading or Math.  Yet, he is testing off the charts on the California Achievement test at Sylvan and is making A's and B's.   Do the schools not see a problem with this?  I  guess not since they continue to test.  Thomas did well on his Reading test like I said he does have some problems in comprehension but the problems he has is merely compounded by being tested on a computer.  I know I need to get off my "soap box" and move on but I cannot.  This is my child and if we don't stand up for them nobody else will.  Then you run the risk of them falling through the cracks of our messed up education system.
So Tom's trouble with comprehension is; he does not get the details of the story and the fine points.  Well, scrolling up and down on a computer would only make things worse for him as far as I am concerned.
I would love to here what anyone else has to say.  Any educators out there?  I would love to know your opinion on this.

School and Sylvan

School is still a struggle even though Thomas seems to be doing well at Sylvan.  Not sure what is going on there.   Thomas is in third grade and they are learning measurements using standard inches, feet, and yards plus they are having to learn the metric system of measurement.   They did all that in one week.  This week they are working on volume.  Using the standard gallons, pints, cups vs. metric; liters and milliliters.  Does anyone else think this is a little fast?  Or is it just me?  I would love to know your thoughts on this.  You may post anonymously and that is fine with me.  I would just love some feed back on the subject.  I do not remember Jack doing these in the third grade.  I was told today that the EOG could be given on the computer as early as two years.  Thomas is not doing well on the computer bench mark tests now and they are going to give them a test that they put so much emphasis on, on the computer.  I do not like this push of technology on these kids.  Sometimes we depend too much on technology.  I would love to know your thoughts on this one too.

Wrestling tournament

The boys competed in their first official tournament on Saturday.  It was interesting, I had only been to see one last year but it is different when you are competing.  Jack won two out of  the three of his matches and he was not that interested in going.  Thomas was ready to go but did not have success.  He lost all three of his matches but, he wrestled hard and did well.  I was terribly proud of both of my boys.  Thomas lost two matches by a pin and one in points.  The one in points he only lost by two.  He was so close.  They both had fun even Thomas.  I think they each learned something new.   Jack and Thomas were wrestling kids 8-10 lbs. heavier than them so that was a little harder.  Jack took the Silver in his weight class.  He was so excited about that and he didn't really want to compete.  They have a Takedown tournament this weekend that they are looking forward to.  
I was not really ready to be a "mat" mom but I guess I am.  There are a lot of life lesson that the kids can pick up with this sport and any sport really.  The one big lesson Jack learned was that it didn't matter how much bigger your opponent was you could still win.   He also learned not to give up and to keep trying and fighting to the end.   Thomas had a few hard lessons to learn.  His lesson was to keep trying and fighting till the whistle blows.
I am very proud of both boys, they held their heads high even when they lost and they kept their good sportsmanship attitude.  Thomas was disappointed but I think he will work harder next time.   It is easy to win and be a good sport, anyone can do that.  It takes character to loose and be a good sport.

Progress Reports. . .

Have the progress reports for both kidos.  Jack all A's  and Thomas 2 A's and 2 B's  Yeah!!   He brought his C in Math up to a B.  So glad for him.   He is having such fun and learning a lot at Sylvan.  I do recommend Sylvan if your child is struggling in any thing in school.   I have learned with Jack to never take the Schools' word for anything.  You have to do your  investigating, and never take anything at face value.   Don't get me wrong, our school system is better than most but they all have their issues and need to be checked up on.  So Moms stay strong and always look further into things before you accept someone elses word.  I took the bull by the horns and had him tested independently of the school and am glad I did.  His confidence is on the rise as well.  I am so glad for that too.   Our kids need confidence if they are going to go out in this big old world and stand against the enemy.  It takes confidence to say no to things. It takes confidence to resist peer pressure.  It takes confidence to stand up for what you believe in.  It takes confidence to step out of the box and make it in this world.  That should be number one or two on the Moms' job description, build your childs' confidence because without it they don't stand a chance.    Kids today must face more things earlier than when I was little.  My teachers were always loving, caring, and somewhat mothering of all the kids in class.  Today the teachers are a bit abrasive and they do not reassure the kids and some don't care how they talk to the kids.  Kids are smart and pick up on these things.    It is hard to explain to your child why his teacher is making fun of his writing.   When you know deep in your heart she should not be.   Encourage, encourage, encourage, Love, love, love those kidos!!!!

Everyone is sick. . .

Jack was home on Tuesday and Thomas was home on Wednesday and came home early on Thursday.  What a week we have had.   With all the tummy issues we still had several tests, projects, and pages of homework.  So glad it is Friday!!  Thomas brought home his data notebook on Monday which has all the work he had done the week before and their grades.  He had only 2 papers in there because of all the Cogat testing they did last week.  He had a 95 in reading and a 90 in math.  I am so glad to see that.  I know that Sylvan did not do that much in only two visits but, I do believe they are increasing his confidence in himself.  He did well on his visit on Tuesday he did not make his visit on Thursday since he came home from school early.  We will have to make that day up later.   I am hoping we have banished the sickness from the house.  I hope Mark and I don't get it.   There is a lot going on this week and weekend.

Leap Year. . .

A friend posted on facebook today about the fact we are in a Leap year and gave a good little exercise to do with your kids about Leap Year.  Here is what she said.
Have your kids write what they think they will be like in the year 2016, the next Leap year.   Have them tell about things they think they may be doing and what age they will be and how they think the world is going to be.  I know it is only four years,  but to kids that is an enternity.   Take a picture of them too.  Then take their note and seal it away to be opened on the next Leap year 2016.
My kids are upstairs doing this now.  I think it is a neat idea and it gets them thinking about their future.  Yes, you are only looking four years into the futrue but for Thomas that means teenagerdom.   I have taken my pictures of them and they are busy writing their thoughts. 
Jack says he will be in High School and driving.    Thomas has only said he would be 13 years old.    I cannot wait to read these.  We will seal them and put them away.  I only hope I can remember where I put them so I can retrieve them in four years.    Thank you April for sharing this great idea. 
Ladies good luck and have some fun.  If your kids are not old enough to write things down then help them out it will be fun even if you do it yourself.

Sylvan day 1

Thomas had his first visit to Sylvan for a class on Thursday.  He was very excited about it and I am so glad.  The ladies that run this particular center are really nice and they truly love what they are doing.   Thomas will go for one hour twice a week to get up to date on his math.   They started him out with learning cardinal and ordinal numbers.  This is something he should have gotten in the 2nd grade.  I do declare, I do not remember this from Jack or Thomas.   The kids earn tokens that they can use in the "Sylvan store," this is a little place at the center that has little items the kids spend their tokens.  They have toys, games, cards, t-shirts, and water bottles ect. . .  The night Thomas took all of the tests he earned 18 tokens and he spent them all that night.   They give tokens for different things.  They can earn them for having a good attitude, working really hard, doing well on a test, and if they have a Sylvan shirt and wear in to class they get 5 tokens.  Thomas earned 18 tokens again on Thursday.  He decided he would bank those and see what happens the next session.  They can bank their tokens and save for something big.  They get a check register to help them keep up with their tokens that they bank.  Thomas felt like a big kid when he got to fill out his bank register for his tokens.
Here is another tidbit.  They have a free online website called Book Adventure.  You can go online and search books for your child's reading level, they read the book and then take a test.  They earn points not associated with the Sylvan Learning center but online.  Have not looked real close at this yet.  Jack has logged in on it and has already earned 700 pts.  He was taking tests on the Percy Jackson series of books.  This is like the old AR reading tests the kids used to take in school.  Jack loved that and of course they have done away with that at school.  I think that was a big mistake but that is another post.  This little reading testing thing is good to get the kids ready to take the EOG and do the reading portion of it.  Thomas has not done it yet but, like I said Jack loved it.  It has over 70,000 books that you can test on of varying reading abilities.  I love anything that gets my kids excited about reading and learning.  My favorite quote, "Reading is fundamental"  http://www.bookadventure.com/
Moms stand tall and keep encouraging those kidos!!

The Work continues. . .

Today the 3rd grade is taking the Cogat test.  I am praying that all goes well.  I am praying that Thomas has a good experience with this since in May comes the EOG.   I do not believe that Thomas does well testing on the computer.  I found out that all of the benchmark tests are done on the computer.  I am praying that since the EOG and this Cogat is paper and pencil that Thomas will do well on them.   I know these kids have to learn to work with computers but, with something so important as a test that could pigeon hole a student I feel it should be done with paper and pencil.  Call me old fashion, call me behind the times, these kids will have plenty of time to learn to take tests on computers.  Let them practice taking them on the computers but don't rely on those computer test results to decide whether a child passes or fails. 
I did not realize how much a childs' confidence impacts their school experience.  Moms' here are your marching orders.  Build those kids up praise, praise and praise them.  Brag on them to someone else when they think you don't know they are listening.   A kid with confidence will go far.  I have seen what a lack of confidence can do.  It is not pretty.  We are working now to build Toms' confidence and it is not easy if it has been dashed.  If you are a teacher, I beg you praise those kids even if it is only for a small task.  Their little egos need it.   Please be in prayer for all of the 3rd grade. 

Sylvan test results. . .

I went today for my conference with the director at Sylvan Learning Center.  Very informative.  I was very concerned for Thomas in math because his teacher told me he scored a 50% on his math benchmark test.  These tests are done on the computer.  I know kids are more computer savvy than we are but sometimes I think we should be testing the old fashion way.  Good ole paper and pencil with lots of scratch paper to do your figurin.  Toms' teacher also said he was at risk for not passing the EOG (paper and pencil test).   This is what lead to the Sylvan Learning center.
The director sat me  down and first said what a sweet boy Thomas was and how much she enjoyed getting to know him and working with him the other day.  I sat there waiting for the shoe to drop.  She then said he was a very smart boy and that I would be pleased with his results.  Again, waiting on that shoe.  They did a test on the computer to test his vocabulary.  It was a point and click on the picture that goes with the word.  He scored 88% on that.  This equates to an 11 year olds vocabulary, Thomas just turned 9 this month.  I was thrilled with this one.  So we move on to the CAT test.  They only tested him in math and he scored very well.  He scored 90%, 81%, and 88%  in the different categories of math.     They also did the "Fast Fact" test in math that checks his addition, subtraction, multiplication, and division facts on a timed test.  He did awesome again.  He did have some trouble in division  he only scored 87% and 85% in that.  The others were 100% and 95%.
Needless to say I am very happy with the results.  He does still have gaps in skills from second grade and the first of third grade.  They have set up sessions so that they can work on these skills and get him back on track and help to build his confidence.  I am pleased with the results so far for the Sylvan Learning center.  Thomas begins his sessions on Thursday so I will keep you posted on how that goes.  He is very excited and so am I.  Stay tuned for further info  on our adventure.

Testing. . .

We went for testing at Sylvan learning center.   Thomas endured tests for two hours.  He did not complain at all on the way home.  He talked about how neat it was.  I will not get the test results back until Tuesday.  I go in for a conference with the director to find out how Thomas did.
They have a great set up and I think if he needs to be there it will be a good experience for him.  I had told the director how down Thomas had been so she really made him feel welcome.   She was very positive about everything and she showed us the "store" where the kids get to spend their tokens they earn for doing well in the program.  Thomas earned 18 tokens last night for various things and of course he spent them all before we could leave.   The director was very positive with both Thomas and myself which made me feel better.  I have to admit it is a scary thing taking your child in to be tested because you are afraid he has fallen behind in school.  I found out though that there are more kids doing this in our area than I realized.   Several of Toms' friends have told him they are going there.  I think that made Tom feel better too.
This will be an ongoing adventure here on my blog so stay tuned.

Kudos to all Moms

It is hard to be a Mom.  No matter where you are in motherhood it is hard.  As a Mom you have to be the cheerleader, disciplinarian, teacher, nurse, friend, and sometimes that Big Mama Bear you hear me talk about.  Those are hard hats to fill all the same time and only another mother can give you sympathy when you are going through such trying times. 
It is hard to watch your child struggle with something and knowing that they must struggle to learn.  We watch and hope and pray for the best.  This could be something as simple as learning to walk all the way up to dealing with bullies in school.   It is hard to watch your child struggle with the learning process they must go through in school too.   Your child first starts school and loves it.  They are making new friends learning new things and they love going to school.  Then one day that zest for school is not there.  They are not happy going to school and there is no spring in their step as they go out the door.  It is odd that a childs' confidence can be dashed by one bad grade or one not so nice comment by someone in authority.   A childs' confidence plays a big role in their schooling.  If a child looses their confidence, for whatever reason, it could affect their grades and their whole outlook on life.  I know, you say, they are only children they will get over it.  Well, as Moms' we need to be sure we keep that confidence high.  I know the difference it can make.  I have one child that is over flowing with confidence and one that is needing confidence.  The one with over flowing confidence does very well in school and could use a little humble pie at times.  The other is struggling.  I know they must find their own way but it is so hard when you see your child hurting and you cannot take that pain away.  It is not that physical hurt that you can give an Advil to help.  
Here's to all the Moms!  You keep praying, cheering and loving your kids. 
. . ."and lo, I am with you always. .   Matthew 28:20

School struggles. . .

I know I have asked this  before but, why is 3rd grade so hard?  It has been a real struggle with things from kids in the class to school work.  I am very concerned that Thomas is falling behind.  His grades have dropped and punishing him is not what I think I need to be doing right now.  He is trying, it is not that he is being lazy.  He really is not understanding the work.  I talked with his teacher at length yesterday and she is worried he will not pass his EOG.  That is not something a Mom wishes to hear.  Obviously I needed to hear it, especially if there is a problem.  I have called the Sylvan learning center and have not heard back from them.  I am asking for prayers with this matter, please?  He has gone from A's and B's to a C and borderline C's.  Thomas is a smart kid and I do not know what is going on.
Please pray for my guidance in this matter and for the Lord to show me a path to help for my dear sweet Thomas.

Wrestling. . .

The boys had their first scrimmage last night.  All in all they did ok.  Thomas won 1 and lost 1 and Jack lost both of his.  It is the first time they have faced kids other than their friends.  I think it was a little intimidating.  Jack went hard at his guy but got pinned quick the first time.  The second time he fought a little harder.  He really did not know what to expect. 
Thomas is good on defense he just needs work on his offense.  He can get loose from a hold but he is unsure of how to attack and pin someone.   Now the coach knows where he needs his help.
This was a learning experience for all of us.  I still don't know if I could go and watch a real match.  This scrimmage was pretty intense. 
The boys enjoyed it even though they lost a couple.  I think it built Tom's confidence.  I am proud of them I hope that they will continue.

Life in the Crater house. . .

Why is 3rd grade so hard?   Thomas is learning his clock stuff.  How to tell time, how to write it, and how to figure out the degrees.   I do not remember this degree stuff.   Mark was talking with a friend that lives in Wake county and he said his 3rd grader was just now learning multiplication tables and was up to 5's.   Thomas and his class finished multiplication before Christmas.   Not to say that he knows them all well but, he has been tested on them all.  
Mark will not be home for dinner tonight so we are having Alfredo (homemade) with whole wheat pasta.  Yummmmm!!  I do love my Alfredo sauce.  I have two different ones that I make.  One is very fatty, that is the one we are having tonight, the other is much less fatty.  Both very good just differ in calories and fat content.  Mark has been on a low carb to no carb diet since October due to his A1C.  It is now back under control but he is still doing the low and no carb thing.  This is frustrating since I love carbs, pasta especially.  The kids are excited since Alfredo is their favorite and we have not had it since October.

Confirmation. . .

Jack began Confirmation classes on Sunday morning.  I am very excited for him.  He is also very excited.  I dearly love our Interim Preacher who is teaching this class.  He is like a big ole teddy bear.  He knows the Bible inside and out and I think Jack is going to learn a lot from him.   I don't know a lot about confirmation since I grew up Baptist.  I converted to Moravian after Mark and I were married almost 19 years ago.  Since we have not had anyone go through it recently I feel a little lost.  Cameron was the last one to go through Confirmation and that was probably 15 years ago.   This is going to be an exciting journey for us all. 
Stay tuned. . .

Stay at home VS. Working Moms. . .

Ok, right before I was rushing out the door to get in that car rider line the other day Anderson Cooper came on with his talk show.  He had stay at home Moms VS. working Moms.  One of the working Moms said, "Stay at home Moms are lazy."  So needless to say, I was a little late for the line up.  Those of you that may not know I am a stay at home Mom and have many friends that work and many that stay at home.  I have been on both sides of this argument myself.  I do believe it is quite an assumption for this person to jump, that stay at home moms are lazy.  I admit I have my days when I could be lazy as I am sure we all do. 
I have been on both sides of this argument as I said before.  When I had Jack I owned my own business and Jack stayed with me for the first 7 months in my office.  That was very nice and I am glad I did not have to take him to daycare for those first months.  I am also glad I was able to go back to work.   At 7 months Jack got very mobile and had to go to daycare.  I was sad but he went to a nice place where he was the only baby and got all the love and attention he could stand.  Naturally I felt a little guilty and felt that everyone was judging me to be a money hungry, career oriented, neglectful mother.  These are my feelings and my projections about me.  No one ever said these things to me,  these were things I had floating around in my head.  Once I had Thomas three years later it was too costly for two in daycare so I closed my business and stayed home.  I loved what I did but I believe the choice I made was the best for me.  I am truly thankful, that money wise, it works for our family.  Now I have the other things floating around in my head:  What, you don't work?  Are you stupid? Can you not hold down a job?  Are you lazy?   Once again these are my thoughts no one has ever said these things to me.  Some days I wish I had my resume typed on a card so that when people ask; What do you do? I could just whip it out.  Some days I want to rattle off my resume so that people know I do have a brain and I can do other things besides take my kids to school and do laundry.
I do not judge mothers.  I don't care if you stay home or if you work.  I just hope what ever you are doing it makes you happy.  I think we, as women, put more pressure on our selves than anyone else would ever do.  Just like the thoughts I have floating around in my head  about me.  I am pretty sure no one would ever think those things about me much less say them to my face. 

School. . . today

Jack had a really hard day today at school.   He came home in tears and said, "my teachers hate me."  Now Jack is not my emotional child he does not cry easily.  I looked at him real funny and asked him why he thought that.  He said they all fussed and yelled at him today for no reason.  If you know Jack he does give plenty of reasons to fuss, I am not so sure about the yelling part.  I tried to go deeper to find out what really had happened.  He was accused earlier this week of calling a girl a "Freak".  He did not do this of course.  He and the young lady were talking and he said she was a "neat freak".  You can guess the rest.  Yes, someone over heard them talking and said, Jack called "Sally" a freak.  Well that just escalated and I got ambushed in the car rider line by the teachers.  The teachers told me Jack called a girl a "Freak" and they said the girl was visibly upset by it.  Naturally, my motherly instinct was to talk to Jack and get the whole story.   The whole story is he said she was a "neat freak".  I talked with Jack and explained that you do not call people names at all.  He understands this.  He is not a mean kid, he does not call people names except his brother.  I told him he should go to this girl and apologize to her and let her know he was sorry if he hurt her feelings,  The next day I asked him what she said.  He said she was fine and she was not upset with him and that she was a "neat freak".  I asked Jack if those were her words and he said yes they were.
Being the Mama Bear that I am and feeling my child got the raw end of the deal here I wrote the teachers an email.  I was very nice and I merely pointed out  the above.  I have not had a response from them but then of course why would they email me back to have to admit they were wrong.
Jack is a lot of things but, mean and a name caller he is not.  Certainly not to one of his friends, which this little girl is.
I ask you today to please pray for Jack and his teachers and that God will take this off of his heart and their hearts.  Jack and I have already prayed today for this but every little bit helps.  You know I am a firm believer in prayer.   Thank you.

Sunday Morning. . .

Thomas went to bed sick on Saturday night so it was a given he would not be going to Church on Sunday.  I had Godly play and Board installations so I was going and that meant Mark would be home with Thomas.  Did not get much sleep worrying if Thomas would be up sick during the night.  Needless to say we had a groggy start to our Sunday morning.
We are trying to grow our congregation so I have been working on getting to Church for Sunday School and setting a better example for my kids.  I get Jack up to get ready for Sunday School and the groaning begins, but Mom I don't want to go to Sunday School.  Most kids are like this.  Mine never want to get up in the morning.   Well, the groaning and complaining hit my hot button.  I began my rant with the fact there are people that are forced not to go to Church and are unable to worship their God in public or private for fear of death.  I told him he was being disrespectful to me and to God and that while he was in the shower he should pray for forgiveness.  Not from me but from God.  Yeah, I know, I may have been a little hard core.  I am just sick and tired of hearing the groaning over every little thing and when you start complaining about Church that is too much for me to take. 
So I did not hear any more of that for the rest of the day.  I had several things I had to get out of the car so I sent Jack on in the building and told him I would see him after Church.  Board members sit together for Board installation and then I had to go out for Godly play so Jack would be sitting with his Memaw during Church.  I had three of the sweetest little girls in my class for Godly play and I think I learned as much as they did.  After Church the parents or siblings come and pick up the kids from Godly play and Jack came to get me.  After the kids had gone Jack announces, Mom we have to be here every Sunday for Sunday School.  I had the best time.  I looked at him and smiled, and said, the Lord works in mysterious ways.   I proceeded to explain to the lady that had helped me with Godly play the whole story of our morning escapades.  She laughed and said the same thing.  Jack just sighed and said, I know mommy.
On the way home he talked about how much fun Sunday School was and how he had to be there every Sunday from now on.  He acted as if he would miss something if he was not there.  I am so thankful to the lady that is teaching his class.  I am also thankful for the other kids in his class.
I am so thankful that the good Lord is allowing me to see my child grow in this manner.  Whenever I am down or doubtful he shows me he is still there working as hard as he can.  For this I am truly thankful.