Bath time...question time

So, this past week, during two of the little man's baths, I got some interesting questions. The first was about goosebumps. He said "I have goosebumps....mommy, what are goosebumps?" and then a whole conversation ensued about them. This question was cake compared to the one that came two night later.

His second question, asked very seriously, was "mommy, when am I going to die?" OH. BOY. I told him I didn't know and that no one knows when they'll die. Then he mentioned that he couldn't see things he did in the past, which I didn't quite get. So next he asks "Where do you go when you die?" Luckily, I had just asked a friend who lost her dad what she told her son and I went with it, since I was raised in a Catholic family and she was too. I told him that when you die, because your body stops working, your soul, the part that makes you the person you are, goes to heaven. Next questions was, "Do they have phones in heaven?" "No, I don't believe so" was my answer. So he goes, "I think there should be phones in heaven so that they can call and tell you if you can see things in you past when you're in heaven."  I told him that sounded like a good idea, but I'm still not sure where this "seeing what you did in your past" thing came from.

I asked him if something happened at school, like a classmate having a death in the family and he said no. Then I asked if it was because I had been talking about my company's president's wife, who had just passed away and he said I guess.

The things that kids think sometimes amazes me.

First Week of School and Soccer Update...

I am very happy to report that the first week of 1st grade has been really good. Just this morning, JD said "Mommy, I really like Ms. Mason!" He's still excited that he has a "grandma" day on Thursday, since they have the day off, but he really seems to like going to school this year. He tells me when he gets to see kids who were in his class last year at recess and lunch and again he really loves Ms. Evans' art class. One thing he is very excited about are First Grade Fuzzies. What is a First Grade Fuzzie, you ask? Well, this is how it's described on the class website:

"Each student is given a cup that will hold their fuzzies in.
All students will begin 1st grade with 5 Fuzzies!

One BIG fuzzie equals 5 little fuzzies.
So to get a big one is kind of a HUGE deal to a little one.

Students work to earn fuzzies throughout the week.
Fuzzies can be lost when a poor choice is made. 

Fuzzies are traded in at the Fuzzie Store on Friday mornings. Students can buy a Coupon Reward of their choice. Coupon prices will vary and students can save fuzzies in order to buy a more expensive Coupon Reward.

Students are responsible for the Coupon and must turn it in before morning announcements in order to claim the reward."

 

He was able to buy a coupon last Friday which allowed him to bring in a furry friend (stuffed animal) for the day. He used it this morning to bring his Torrey Smith bear to school. He is however thinking of bigger things, because he was wondering this morning how many fuzzies it would take to get lunch with the principal.

 

So far homework has been a combination of papers for parents to fill out and 10 minutes of reading each night. 10 minutes of reading is cake! We read every night, so I'm liking that kind of homework. We'll see what the coming weeks hold. His teacher said they like more hands on homework rather than just stuff done on paper.

 

As for soccer, he can't wait to get to practices and all he wanted to do this weekend, when we were visiting my parents, was play soccer. His first game is this coming Saturday and I'm hoping the enthusiasm continues. I think the coaches for his team really have something to do with his attitude this year. The head coach, Scott, really has a love for the game and wants to pass that on to the kids and most importantly, make it fun for them. They haven't come up with a team name yet, but should have one by Friday night's practice. This year the uniform colors are white with blue trim and JD's choice for a name is "Blue and White Ninjas". We'll see how the vote goes. LOL  

Homework Station

Oh homework, how I hate you. My son does to (at least that's what he says), but it's inevitable and we need to find a way to conquer it.  We had issues with homework last year in kindergarten...2 pages came home on Monday and had to be returned on Thursday. It would take an hour to do it, mostly because of the whining and carrying on. My suggestion was to turn it in unfinished and talk to the teacher about it, but he insisted on finishing even when throwing a fit. UGH! We found a solution in taking him to the library on Monday nights and doing it there...in 15 MINUTES! DONE!

 

We now have nightly homework in first grade and we just don't have the time to go to the library everyday and I needed a space for the little man to sit and do it with out distraction. Looking through a link someone posted on my FB page, I found something similar to the picture below. It's the same concept (presentation board from the office supply store, that's been cut and decorated), but theirs had little bins and magnets and clips on it. Since the little man likes Minecraft, I got a poster, glued it to the board and cut the board across at the top of the poster. We then used angry bird duct tape to finish the edges the poster didn't cover and trimmed it in green. I didn't add the bins since we have a box all set up with his supplies (you can see it in the picture). It's perfect, folds flat, and can be taken down easily if we need to use the whole table.

 

He used it last night to finish up his bridging the gap to 1st grade book that needs to be turned in tomorrow. He didn't even notice that his grandparents arrived, because it makes his space that closed off from the rest of the area (the dining room is open to the living room and front door area).

 

The Tooth Fairy Has Visited...

In my post at the end of July, I mentioned JD had his first loose tooth. I though it might come out before grandmom and grandaddy came home from their trip, on August 4th. WRONG! It took almost all of August for that sucker to come out.

I picked him up from daycare last Thursday and it was really wiggley...he said it bothered him becsaue it was moving around so much. He made it through the Ravens game with daddy that night (they went to the preseaon game thanks to a friend of ours who gave us her tickets) and grandmom's on Friday. He got up Saturday morning and wiggled it a few times and it came right out. He handled it really well and was super excited about the tooth fairy! (Luckily the "tooth fairy" remembered to get some cash back at the grocery store Friday night, just in case this happened. LOL)

First Day of School 2013-14

Here's our little man, all ready to head out on his first day of 1st grade!

 

JD Gem from yesterday...

JD's been going to daycare two days a week this summer and they always have someplace to go. Yesterday, they went to the Science Center in Baltimore. So, we're getting ready to leave and we have this conversation:

Me: Do you want some money from your jar upstairs in case you want to get something at the gift shop?
JD: Yeah, cause I know we're going to the store...(pause)...and I have more money than you.
Me: *sigh* Yes, you do.

I actually had a few dollars in my wallet, which is like a teasure to me...I hardly ever have any actual cash on me. LOL

I even predicted what he'd get...a webkins, probably a cat. So last night, we welcomed BW Boots, the black and white cat to his webkins family. LOL

JD Gem - August 1st, 2013

Getting ready to leave the house that morning, my son channeling my mother:

JD: Those shoes aren't good for driving.
Me: What?
JD: They'll slide off.
Me: No they won't. (pull up pant leg to show him they have straps around my ankles)
JD: Oh, I thought they were slip on ones...that kind can come off so they're not good for driving.
Me: Can we go now?