Tuition money well spent!

First, I want to say that I met C's Rebbi and he is wonderful man who clearly loves his talmidim and teaching the important building blocks of learning to the boys.

Anyway...

C comes home from school today and turns on the stereo, blasting Shabechi by the Yeshiva Boy Choir.

(Press Next for Sample)

He calls out to me, "Hey Mom, look! I am playing the guitar!"

It was true. He was playing a mean air guitar.

Stunned that my 5 year old (who has never, according to my knowledge, played Guitar Hero) knew how to do this, I asked, "Where did you learn that?"

"Rebbi."

Melting the coldest hearts

Planning how to get the kids to school this year was a challenge.  Since district based busing doesn't kick in until Pre-1A (child must be 5 year old by Dec. 31 that year), most people with kids in Kindergarten (called 4 year old Nursery in many places) have to carpool.  At the start of the school year, I was working full-time.  Having 3 kids in 2 different schools, we knew this was going to be a difficult situation. 

Luckily, there are other people in a similar situation, and a group of parents got together to arrange for a private bus for the boys' school.  So since September, C have been going to school on a private bus. 

I am pretty happy with the busing situation. The guy organizing it is great. The monitor, who is a teacher in the school, is responsible and nice.  The bus driver is...prompt.  However, she is not friendly. At all. We have yet to get a smile or a "Good Morning" out of her. This is a known problem, and was explained to us in an email the first week of school: 

 I will also mention concerning the bus driver, she is a nice lady, I do apologize that she does not smile, or greet you in the morning, I have made mention of this to the bus company. The reason she is the driver for this route is because she knows the neighborhood, and is an extremely safe driver, so she will get our kids to and from school in a safe and timely fashion. So please bear that in mind.

Okay, so I try not to let it bother me.  But I do wonder, how she  can not laugh when C's sisters follow him to the door shouting things at him like little mothers? "Slow down!" "Have a good day!" "We will miss you!" "Bye, C"

Or, when they open the door and scream "He'll be out in a minute, he's in the baaaaathrooom!!" I am, of course, in said bathroom with him, supervising wiping. 

Not a grin, giggle, or gasp.

Today was the girls' school's Purim Carnival and they had to go to school in costume. Since the new Purim costumes have still not arrived from Hong Kong, I dressed them in their fairy costumes from last Purim.  

I guess the site of 2 little girls in tutus, wings, and these on their heads really moved her, because when A waved at her...

She waved back!!!

Winter Wonderland Workshop

This morning the girls had a Mommy &  Me workshop in their class.  Each child was able to bring a parent to school to see the class in action, do some projects, and schmooze with other mothers. The instructions we received were to bring your daughter(s) to school at 9:30.  We were a bit late (shocking!) due to the snow on the van, parking, and us just being the Trip'n Family. 

First on the agenda was davening, which was very cute. Each girl had a little siddur that they made with the different tefillot and songs that they sing each day.  The girls sat on the shatiach (carpet) where they have ma'agal (circle) time.  The parents formed a circle around the girls and had the choice to sit on the tiny little kindergarten chairs, kneel, or stand. Thank G-d we were late! Those chairs are awful and I was just as happy to stand. 

The girls' Morah is a wonderful, dynamic, and engaging teacher.  Even though she has years of experience, you can tell that having all these adults in the room throws her off her game just a bit.  My heart went out to her as she tried to get through the morning routine and keep the girls focused on impressing us. 

After that there were four stations set up for us to do projects with the girls.  

1. Snowman Station: Each girl got a little bag of Crayola Model Magic  to mold into a snowman.   This stuff has a really interesting texture.  It is not sticky and kind of spongy. Then there were all types of trimmings to decorate and dress him up. Beads, felt hats, mittens, scarves, little sticks for arms, red macaroni for mouths.  B put her macaroni in upside down, because her snowman was sad, and dressed him all in purple. 

2. Cookie Station: Pretty similar to the Snowman Station but with cookie dough and edible fixings.  Instructions were for the girls to do some sort of winter themed creation.  A made a butterfly, carefully considering the placement of each piece of candy and licorice rope.  B made an abstract piece with candy mashed into it.  When I asked her what it was, she said "A smiley face, Mommy. With a  lot of candy." I am sure that is why he was smiling. 

3. Snowflake Station: This one was a parent favorite (right!). On the table were a handful of dice and 9x13 tins of flour with foamie snowflakes hidden in them.  The instructions were for the girls to roll the dice, count the dots, and then sift through the flour to find that many snowflakes in the tin.  Let me tell you, I was REALLY happy that I didn't have to go to work after that!  (You could tell which mommies had to go straight to work, they stood a few feet back from the table.)  My girls really couldn't care about counting, they just wanted their hands in the flour.  

4. Matching Mittens: Each girl got a sheet of card stock with eight mittens on them.  Each mitten had a little snowflake type icon on it, make 4 pairs. The girls were supposed to cut out the mittens, match them, and color them.  Then they would have a cute little memory game to take home.  What was really interesting with my girls was the different ways they tackled this project.  A was more interested in cutting out the mittens and writing her initials on the back of each one. She didn't care about matching them or coloring them. B cut them out in pairs and then colored them so that the mittens matched EXACTLY. She has 4 perfect pairs. 

The there was what A called the 5th station: Refreshments! Chips, pretzels, corn pops, fruit, rugelach...quite the spread. 

I really do love the chance to see the girls in their classroom environment, schmooze with the teachers and other mothers. I can't wait to go back next week for their in class birthday party.

Preschool (Mommy) Homework

So this is a pet peeve of mine, but probably because I am a working mother and don't have hours in the afternoon to brainstorm WITH MY KID, get the items together, and be ready on time.

From an educational standpoint I can make a ton of arguments in favor of most of these activities. As a former teacher, I know how hard it is to get your act together and send this stuff home with more than a few days notice. However, in my life, it is just ONE MORE thing this Trip'n Mommy has to do.

Here are some highlights of Mommy Homework:

1. Show and Tell - In Kindergarten it is themed by letter of the week. So we have it EVERY WEEK! At least the girls have the same letter because they are in the same class. C's class in doing Aleph Bais in order and ABC's out of order, so I never know what letter will be the next week. This how I handle S&T. IF I have time, I discuss the letter of the week and brainstorm with them about different items that start with the letter. If I don't have time, I brainstorm with H, Savta, co-workers, anyone who'll listen. After the kids are in bed, I search the house for different and varied items that start with the letter of the week, including at least one book. Then in the morning, the kids get to pick an item from the pile. (Then I leave the pile for the babysitter to put away...)

2. Shabbos Ima, Abba, Saba - Mommy has to go and by either a Parve, nut-free snack for the whole class or a Challah or two as per the Morah's instructions. (water, egg free, no seeds, large, medium, unsliced, etc.) Never mind the stress of trying to come up with a snack that is Parve, nut free, cool for the kids, and not so sugary, expensive, or inappropriate that the other mothers will hate you. (Special shout-out to the mom who sent in a Fruit by the Foot for each kid! That's like 4 boxes!)

This particular assignment is usually given on Wednesday, due on Friday. Since I usually don't see these notices until after 8pm on Wednesday (or even worse Thursday morning!) that means I only get one night to prepare. In an effort to squeeze a little more time, I am constantly asking the kids if they have a note from Morah. Honestly, I may be more Shabbos Party obsessed than the Trips.

3. Recycling, toilet paper rolls, grocery flyers, OJ containers and other project items - At start of the year, the girls' morah sent a note with items that she uses throughout the year and a request for us to send them in regularly. Great! I try to do this. It is her unanticipated requests and the requests from C's Morah that throw me.

First of all, these requests come in the Classroom OR Preschool newsletters on Friday. For the uninitiated, these are wonderful little weekly PR pieces where the Morahs and Preschool Directors share what has been happening in the Parsha, the class, the school, other classes, the world at large, etc.

Yes people, I have 4 newsletters to scour for information and Mommy assignments!!

THEN I have to remember to prepare the items for Monday. THEN I have to remember how many I need and which kids need them!!

4. Family Pictures - Seriously, in the digital age?! I have to sort through files to find the right one, get the damn photo printer to work, and print a copy. This week the girls needed ONE picture with EVERY member of the family in it. Yeah, right. The only one I had was a portrait from 2 summers ago. So then I had to perform copyright infringement, scan and digitize the image, fight with the photo printer and get 2 decent copies.

5. Aleph Beis Machberes - C's class is making a really lovely notebook throughout the year. At the start of the year they made a stick puppet for each member of the kid's family (with a separate picture of each, see #4) that live in the machberes. It is filled with activities, songs, stories, etc for the puppets to do. Most Fridays, C brings home his machberes and puppets for us to see what he's done, review, and play with the puppets.

It is Mommy's job to make sure that A, B, and Trouble do no harm to the precious notebook or and of the 5 puppets, and ensure that all 6 items are returned to school Monday morning.

6. Costumes - Okay, so these are fewer and further between and you usually get a little more notice. This week, C came home on Monday with a note that for Friday's siyyum Sefer Bereshit. He needed not only to bring in a Parve, nut-free snack for the whole class but also needed to dress up in a costume as a character or item from all of Bereshit.

Luckily, I was on the phone with the brilliant and more experienced AM, who said "put a robe and sandals on him and he could be anyone!" Since C shares a name with one of the Shevatim, and has a blue bathrobe with his name in Hebrew, this gave us a platform to really jump off. We added a laundry bag for a sack, and hyped it up for C. It worked. He really looked cute getting on the bus today.

Now I must stop, because I must tend to another crucial Mommy assignment - providing nourishment for the family through shopping and cooking!!

The Report

Okay, so the Parent Teacher Conference wasn't ALL that surprising. Here is the summary:

1. My girls really look alike and sometimes the Morahs call them by the wrong name.

Our reaction: NO, they don't! We also call them by the wrong name all the time. At least she never calls them by the dog's name (we do!)

2. They are VERY close and loving, and the Morah has to make an effort to make sure they go to different work centers and sit separate at Ma'agal (circle time.)

Our reaction: Awww. We didn't realize they love each other so much. It makes us feel so good as parents. Thank G-d she separates them!

3. When one is absent, the other really shines. She recommends splitting them up next year.

Our reaction: Damn! It makes it MUCH harder on us, but if it is best for the girls....

4. A is very verbal.

Our reaction: Really?!

5. B is very, umm, determined, opinionated (insert any nice word for stubborn and bossy)

Our reaction: You don't say?! Actually, we see her as a bit Type A... But how is it affecting her socially?

Morah's answer: B is doing fine socially. She is not so bossy that the other girls don't want to play with her. She is also open to mediation when then Morahs step in.

Our reaction: Baruch Hashem!

6. A is more easy going, has a generous nature (will give things up if someone else wants it)

Our reaction: We see this at home (have for some time) and are trying to teach her siblings not to take advantage.

7. B needs practice writing her name, and give positive encouragement and don't let her become frustrated.

Our reaction: Oh, is she easily frustrated?! No problem, we will work on this.

8. The Morah sees no issues for them academically.

Our reaction: Baruch Hashem!!

We also heard how well-adjusted and sweet they are from the Preschool Director.

The entire experience was humbling, encouraging, and generally painless.

We really do thank Hashem everyday for the multitudes of blessings that he has bestowed on our family. We pray for his goodness and blessing to continue and our children continue to grow and flourish and follow in His ways and the ways of Torah.

Parent Teacher Conferences

Tomorrow is going to be a historic day in the Trip'n house. H and I will be attending our very first official Parent Teacher Conference.

We have two appointments, scheduled consecutively, to discuss A and B with their lovely Morahs.

I am a pretty in-tuned, realistic mother. I think I know my kids with all their pluses and their faults. I am pretty sure I know what is going to be said.

So why am I so nervous??