Mom's Homework

Now that Mitchell is in Kindergarten, he feels terribly grown up.  So far, he just loves getting his folder out immediately after school and digging out all his papers and gets started on his homework before I even get a chance to see it!  While Ben waits until he eats a snack, goofs around, complains a bit, claims he can't find his folder, goes to the bathroom, changes his shoes, and stares off into space a bit before finally getting down to homework, Mitchell is done before I get his snack ready!  I love the differences in my boys.  Always humorous to me.

Well, yesterday was a busy day and we just didn't have time to get homework done.  So we did it this morning.  I think I may do that more often!  Their focus was better and, for Mitchell, it got him into his hopping up and down, can't contain my ideas and creativity mood.  I love it when he is so amped about something he just can't stop hopping.

After finishing his homework, he immediately got out some paper and pencil and designed a special homework assignment for me.  

At the top was a picture of a jack-o-lantern.

Followed by some "writing/instructions."

Next was a line to write my FULL name, "not just mom, ok mom?  Your REAL name!"

Then a picture of a person, a door, and steps to another door.

The assignment was to write my FULL name, then count how many steps it took to walk from the front door to the family room.  But it didn't end there.  Once I completed that, I had to count how many hops it took.  Then skips.  Then giant steps.  Then baby steps.  Then crawling.  Then backwards steps.  Then  spinning.  

When I finally finished my homework, I got an enormous hug, a huge smile, and a hair bow.  

I think I'm going to have to plan some extra time into my morning if this is going to become a regular thing.  But it would be worth it for the amount of giggling and quality time all four of us spent hopping, skipping, crawling, spinning, and generally acting silly.

Fun With Dick and Jane

My biggest boy seems to get noticeable smarter every day. Not knowing many (or any, for that matter) kids older than Ben, I don't have anyone to compare him to, but I am pretty impressed with him.

One area he has just improved remarkably in is his reading ability. Although I think he took to it rather quickly, it still seems like not long ago we were struggling together through the simplest of books; he can now read completely on his own and will even read to his little brothers.

Part of his daily homework (from me, not from school) is to read a few chapters from a non-school related book. With his increasing ability to read quickly and comprehend at the same time, plus the promise of some sort of small reward for finishing a book, he is reading a lot now. I have him read to me while I make dinner. He reads to his brothers while he is playing "teacher" and they are the "students." He cracks up when something funny happens in the story and always chooses to read one more chapter if something exciting is left unresolved from the previous one.

For him, it is an issue of confidence: the more he reads, the better he gets, the better he knows he is, the less supervision he needs from me, the faster he can read/comprehend, the more interesting books he can read, the more exciting and fulfilling it becomes. He's blowing through all the chapter books I've gotten him.

His reward for finishing his last book, my old, battered Fun With Dick and Jane, was to go see Rango at the theater. I love taking Ben to the movies. It is just so rewarding: he literally sits on the edge of his seat, laughing and asking questions and repeating funny lines. While it was not my favorite movie, he loved it. "Mom, this movie is so perfect for me! It has all my favorites: lizards, snakes, bats, hawks... all it needs is a dragon!"

I realize that all kids learn how to read, and all parents, past and present, are impressed and proud of their own children's progress, but I just can't help thinking he is something special! Keep up the good work, my biggest!