Big Meanie

I'm in a bit of a tizzie today.  I was THAT parent after preschool today, the one that got pulled aside and got the CHAT from the teacher.  Apparently my child is being mean.  And has been being mean to the other kids for weeks.  WEEKS?!?!  MEAN?!?!  OK, says I, what can I do to help?  The teacher, who for the two years she's know FFM has always been brimming with kind words about him, suggested a chat at home.  I'm not sold that a chat at home on Tuesday is going to stick long enough to help when he goes back on Thursday.  And I'm not sure he'll remember on Thursday what happened on Tuesday, so our chat about not doing the "mean stuff" may not have much of an impact.  

I wish the teacher had told me sooner (and been more specific, I did ask) so we could have nipped this in the bud. Meanness is pretty out of character for FFM so  I'm guessing she let it slide.  That's what I probably would have done - waiting to see if he was just out of sorts for a day or two.  He has been cranky, even at home, and it's partnered with lots and lots of sleep,an enormous appetite and all his pants getting another inch too short. Still, that's no excuse for knocking down kids and stealing toys.

So, we'll chat.  As we have been doing.  Any suggestions from my parenting audience on ways to get a 4.5 year old to remember to be kind and thoughtful to his peers?  Like the location of the magic switch?  I know it's there somewhere...

Hailing the Advent of Spring

I am hailing the advent of spring.  In my front yard.  The backyard?  We'll hail that in a few weeks after the snow melts.  Our front yard faces south, and it gets warm and toasty when the sun shines upon it.

 Our backyard is still celebrating full on winter.  There are generous snow piles,  no green sprouts to be seen at all, but there are some patches of grass peeking through in the spots where the winter sun is starting to gain a foothold.  Best news, the path between our house and Emma's house across the greenbelt is now passable by hearty young adventurers.

All three of us embarked upon a new gardening adventure last fall.  We were enticed by the lovely displays of bulbs at our local big box hardware store and succumbed.  Grown ups dug holes, FFM plinked and plonked bulbs.

Payoff this week, our first crocus shot through a skiff of snow which has since melted, and are now blooming.  Now I understand why gardeners love bulbs, what a payoff after dreary winter!  We had snow and sleet yesterday and they remain undeterred.  Tulips and daffodils are on their way, F and I check their progress and it seems we can watch them grow.  Flowers in early March are certainly well worth the backaches we all had back in October.

QOTD

Riding in the car listening to F go on and on...fondly remembering the days when we were worried because he was so slow to have any words....

F, "Blah, blah, blah, blah, blah, blah, blah, blah, blah, blah, blah, blah, blah, blah.  Chatter, chatter, chatter, chatter, chatter, chatter, chatter, chatter, chatter, chatter, chatter. Babble, blabble, babble, babble, babble, babble, babble, babble, babble, babble, babble, babble, babble, babble, babble, babble, babble, babble, babble, babble, babble, babble. Yak, yak, yak, yak, yak, yak, yak, yak, yak, yak, yak, yak, yak, yak, yak, yak, yak, yak, yak, yak,  yak, yak, yak, yak, yak, yak, yak, yak, yak. Jabber, jabber, jabber, jabber, jabber, jabber, jabber, jabber, jabber, jabber, jabber, jabber, jabber, jabber, jabber.  Right Mommy?"

Me, "F, why don't you slow down and take a breath?"

F, "I don't need to Mommy.  I took a breath this morning."

 http://mrmen.wikia.com  

Infectious

I'm slow on posting this, it got lost in the shuffle of computer transfer/holidays/etc so if FFM looks a little shorter then 1)you have sharp eyes and 2)you're right. Back before Christmas FFM went to his super pal Emma's birthday party at her Tae Kwon Do class. He had a total blast, I mean they cut the cake with a SABER, who wouldn't love that? The party included lots of activities, like kicking and hitting foamy stuff. FFM's was pretty cautious about this activity, witness:
 It took pretty much his whole turn for him to get into it. However, while waiting in line listening to the groovy music he has no problem getting busy. So busy he's a blur!
 
 And then, it spreads to the other kids to...infectious groovy energy! Yes, he's like this all the time. Yes, it wears us out. I'm wondering if I can task Travis in his role as Sustainable Water and Energy Solutions Regional Business Lead to somehow harness this energy to power our furnace this winter.

Look out Mozart

FFM started music classes three weeks ago.  I'd call them piano lessons but he learns so much more than piano in them that it's hard for me to call them just that.  His small group class sings, they dance, they beat tambourines and sticks, their wonderful teacher even has them writing notes on the staff already and expanding their musical vocabulary.  On the second week they were already going to the 'big' piano and playing in front of the class to pass songs in their book.  I'm floored by how fast these little kids are progressing and absorbing absolutely enormous amounts of information.  I'm not sure I can keep up!

The first two weeks FFM was so excited during class that he literally vibrated so much he couldn't sit still and the other kids complained that he was yelling too much when Miss Kelly asked questions.  By week three he could sit and had apparently been doing listening during weeks one and two because he managed to get answers out, this time without shouting.

FFM has requested that I make a video of him playing so that 'everyone' could see.  I cannot express how much he loves his music, and I'm a very proud parent and happy to indulge him by posting his performance of "Sugar Cookies."