Kindergarten Graduation

Today was Sydney's Kindergarten Graduation.  It was so cute.  They got to parade in front of all the parents in their caps up to the front of the cafeteria to receive their diplomas.  I can't believe that Kindergarten is over.  It seems like it just started!!  I remember how sad I was once school started and my little girly wasn't with me anymore during the day.   It's been a fun year, but also a year filled with notes home for my little Miss Chatterbox's talking, not following directions, not staying on task, getting into her classmates' business, arguing with others, getting out of her seat, talking in line and redirection.  Her poor teachers, they are angels!!  I don't know how they do it all day long!!  Lordy, I think I am the one who needs the "I made it through Kindergarten" diploma!  Yes, I shed many a tear over this.  My sweet little Sydney has a mind of her own.  She is so strong-willed and wants to do her own thing.  She is so the opposite of my personality, but I love that she has taught me so much, especially patience!  Oh...the morning arguments before school, the crying because she didn't have the right outfit or shoes on, goodness.  She's a girl, and this is only the beginning!!!

I am soooo excited that Sydney has come home for the last 7 days in a row without ONE single mark on her folder.  I can already tell, she's growing up a bit.  She has been waking up before me for the last week and gotten herself dressed and fixed her hair.  All without her momma and all without a single tear or argument!  I am lovin' it and I love my girl to pieces!!  Congratulations my lil' graduate! 

 Sydney's friends

Sydney's BFF Brooklyn

Sydney's Teachers - she adores them and plays them after school every day!

The girls!

An E-mail Home from the Kindergarten Teachers

I hate smiling, I'm doing it my way!

Smiling, how stupid, it's more fun to stick out my tongue!

Today I went to eat lunch with Sydney, well actually, it was more like I ate lunch with her friend Brooklyn.  Miss Priss didn't pay a bit of attention to me or even sit next to me.  What a way to make a mommy feel!  I'm just the McDonald's delivery lady, that's all.  So I ran into one of her teachers as she dropped them off at lunch and got a little earful on her recent behavior, great!  Cringe!


Uh-oh...Sydney tells me when I pick her up from school that her teacher sent me an e-mail.  Well, I already know what it's about...her talking and lack of staying on task, it's the same stuff week after week from her weekly Tuesday folder.  Sydney and I have been butting heads since she was four.  Yes, four, way too young to do this, she's still my baby.  Our personalities are completely the opposite, I am more reserved where Sydney is bouncing off the walls, Miss Personality, strong-willed, a talker and a do what I want kind of little girl.  Take for example our mornings before school.  She wants to wear something I didn't pick out, something that is too small or doesn't match, shoes that are old and messed up, a bow that doesn't match, she wants to wear her hair down when it's dirty, her hair up when it's pretty and clean, doesn't want to brush her teeth and the list goes on and on.  I'm exhausted before the day even starts!!  I love my little princess to pieces but how do I get her to listen to me?  Help!!

Here is the e-mail from her teacher:
Just wanted to follow up with you about our conversation earlier. A few things we are seeing in class would be that Sydney is having trouble staying on her task. She wants to get up and see what others around her are doing. She has not been getting her morning journal and other work done due to her talking. I have tried to take her distractions (lip gloss, extra pencils, ID badge, stamper) so that she could concentrate on what is being asked of her. We have asked that she not bring things like this that would get in the way of her wanting to learn. We have really been working on following directions with Sydney. For example, when we were making the Pilgrims for our book, she went ahead and did the Pilgrim how she wanted and did not wait as we were going step by step and then hers was facing the wrong way and we had to redo it. I know you are dealing with this at home but we would love to find a way to help her out. We just need to get her to listen before doing as she wishes. We appreciate your help!

Maybe Sydney will learn to listen one day!  :-)  But in the meantime, she has taught me a great deal of patience and I only wish I could have just a portion of her personality!  She is truly a one-of-a-kind.  I love you my precious Sydney and I think you'll be famous one day!  :-)

Bring on the Lysol!

After a weekend full of sick kids and several missed days of school, I'm ready for things to get back to normal!

It seemed at the time like a great idea...going to the park after Tim got home from work last Wednesday! The kids couldn't wait. It was right before dark so we didn't get to stay for long. They played and climbed and swang and went down the slide. I should have known better!! Where was my hand sanitizer when I needed it!

Thursday after school Sydney told me she took a nap and Mrs. Lee had to wake her up. That's not normal for Sydney, Miss I stopped taking naps at 2 years old. We got home and she headed straight for the couch, WITHOUT a snack! I was shocked and knew something was up. We had open house Thursday night and an hour before we were supposed to leave, I checked to see if she had a fever. Sure enough it was over 103. That made me nervous thinking about all the Swine flu that has been going around, a few kids at our school have even had it. So, we skipped her first open house and stayed home while Tim took Blake.

Sydney stayed home from school on Friday - she missed her first day already. There goes the Perfect Attendance award! She played, slept, we read books, she took a bath, slept some more and took lots of Tylenol. I was her serveant and catered to her every whim..."Mom, can I have some water?", "Mom, can I have some soup?", "Mom, can you get me a tissue?", "Mom, can you come here?", "Mom, can you put a movie on for me?", "Mom, mom, mom!!" By the end of Friday night, I was all mommed out! Syd was better by Saturday and she was bouncing off the walls and ready to play with her friends.

Saturday morning, Blake woke up super early, which is rare since he normally sleeps until 10:30 or 11 on weekends or any day if he could for that matter. He now had a fever over 103 also. The kids have never had fevers over 102, so it made me a little nervous. A little later on, he started throwing up. It was awful and all day long, 5-6 times each time. Blake still likes for me to rub his back when he feels the watery mouth thing, so I was called to the bathroom like 20 times that day. He was feeling so bad that he thought something was going to happen to him and that he was going to die. Tim had to coach five baseball games over the weekend, so, by the time he got home, I was worn out and starting to feel sick myself (later I realized it was all psychological - there's only so much throw up a mom can stand)!!

Blake still had a fever on Sunday and Monday, so he had to miss school on Monday and Tuesday. Today was the first day of no sick kids! The house is back to normal and all Lysolified!

P.S. Kindergarten is so much fun for Sydney, they must keep her busy. She fell asleep on the couch at 6:00 and didn't wake up the rest of the night!

P.P.S. Thanks mom and dad for having us over for dinner so I didn't have to cook through all of this! :-)