Life in our Shoes

Archive for the ‘proud moments’ Category

It was a big week for Thing 1. We had her first real parent teacher conference this week. Her Kindergarten one didn’t count in my brain. The teacher saw me in the hall and said “We don’t really need a conference. She’s doing great. There’s your conference.” I’m glad she is out of that school.

I was met in the hall by Mr B. I had no idea who he was. Mrs. L (the teacher) informed me that he would like to “sit in on Thing 1′s conference”. My brain immediately went to the bad. I assumed it was the principal and he wanted to talk about her behavior, or her school bus probation, or something of the sort. I was zipped back to my school days and the whole “what did I do?” mentality. My fears were quickly dissolved when he introduced himself as the music teacher. He informed me he likes to sit in on conferences of the students that seem to really enjoy music and show a great potential for it. Whew. We talked about the guitar she is getting for Christmas, and that she will be starting School of Rock in January. He said if she learned a song, and wanted to, he would have the school hold a special assembly for her to play on stage. Wow! She would eat that up. Such a Diva.

Then we moved onto the educational stuff. Mrs L went on and on about how she talks about Thing 1 all the time. She told me she has a wonderful foundation for learning. She always knows every new book, new song, and new country they talk about. Before they even learn about it in class. This girl retains everything she ever hears. Even if she only hears it once. I know I had to be beaming with pride the whole time.

The class is split into five different reading levels. She is in the highest, with only two other kids. That’s a third grade level, folks. She is in first grade. The beginning of first grade! You have no idea how happy that makes me. Providing the kids with their own libraries (thank you Scholastic!) has certainly paid off. Her stories are incredible, full of detail, and always make sense. She is learning to expand on the sentences she writes, and I can already see a huge difference in the stories she wrote in the beginning of the year, as opposed to now.

Moving on from school stuff (even though there was a ton more said at the conference). We loaded the bikes up into the car and went to the park today. It was freezing but Thing 1 and Thing 2 needed to get out. Up until now, Thing 1 has been terrified of trying her bike on her own. Today, we got out there, and when I let go, instead of freaking out, she laughed. Hysterically laughed. As she zoomed around. And around. And around. Naturally, the laughter ended when she fell, but that led us into our next lesson of using the brakes. She picked that up and was skidding around in no time. The final lesson of the day was for her to launch herself instead of myself or The Squatch running with her and letting go. I thought that one would take more time, but boy was I wrong!

OK, so this post totally sounds like I am bragging about my daughter, but I’m really not. I’m just so stinkin’ proud! And maybe I’m bragging a wee bit. What can I say? She’s awesome!