Eli's Weekly Recap

We started out rough with 'green' and 'yellow' behavior at school on Monday and Tuesday, but last three days of the week were blue. (It's been a looong time since we've had three consecutive blue days!) We celebrated big time at home each day. One of those days even warranted a trip to the car after school so she could gush about how well Eli behaved that day. Apparently they were practicing for their graduation ceremony and there was a lot of misbehavior. Eli steered clear of it and stayed on-task the whole time. (He told me later, "Mom, some of the kids would come over and try to mess with me, but I did what you said and went somewhere else.") YAY!!

Today was the end-of-year party for both kids. Eli's class played outside after having ice cream sundaes for snack. I arrived just as they turned on the old school sprinkler. The kids loved it! They all had spray bottles to squirt each other with also. That was enough to entertain all ten kids for 45 full minutes. I may not have believed it if I were not there to witness it! Even when it was time to go, they were still all begging to stay with the sprinkler. Eli had a great time. Before they left, the teachers gave him a bucket with a few gifts inside, including a game of Old Maid. After we put Maddux down, the two of us played a quick hand. He loved playing, until I won. (And I really wasn't trying to!) He cried while I tried to explain that it's a game of chance, blah blah blah...first of many tears over a game, I'm sure. I think he was just really tired....bubbles and squirt guns will do that to you!

Also before we left, I got a GREAT report from Eli's teacher. She did her end-of-year evaluation for each child this week. Eli only missed one question on the whole 'test'. (Lower case 'b' vs. 'd'.) She spent a lot of time bragging on Eli, telling me that he is the only child in the class who writes his first and last name correctly, and she said he is constantly reading words she writes on the board. I love how much he loves to learn! Eli is forever asking me questions about math or reading or spelling. At this time I feel like we have a pretty good balance of teaching him at home without going overboard. Eli likes to read, but I don't spend too much time on it. I made a handful of place mats a few months back, all with words he chose written on them, I read to him at least twice each day, and I sit with him while he reads a few times a week. That's it. The fact that Eli has taken it and run with it is ALL him. Same with math. I throw a general concept at him from time to time ('Hey Eli, how many shoes do you and Maddux have on your feet all together?'), but what Eli knows about numbers and fractions (very limited) and recognizing numerals is because he is constantly looking for it in his world. When we drive, he asks me about every number he sees. And if he doesn't see numbers, he makes them up. It usually goes like this: "Mommy, what is one-two-five-seven-one.......three-two?" I guess it's true that kids are who they are, regardless of what you do or don't do. And for now, Eli is interested in learning!