2nd Grade Complete!

He's done it!
Michael is finishing his last day of 2nd grade today!

I truly believe that the incredible teacher Michael had last year changed school for him all together.

Michael now knows that he's capable of succeeding in school.
Is it easy for him?
Nope.
Never will be.
But he knows he can do it.

His teacher this year told me "Michael's the type of kid that would get straight A's without ever opening a book if he didn't have ADHD." And I think she's right. He's incredibly intelligent. Unfortunately, he just has to work a little harder than his friends to get the same results.

But he's doing it.
And he's excelling!
And I'm so overwhelmingly proud!

And he's growing!
Fast!
Michael is growing out of pants in a matter of weeks. (Thank god we're into shorts season now!)

Here's a quick montage of Michael's year of 2nd grade!



















3rd grade here we come!!!

Family Update (Yes... It's Been A While)

This pregnancy's been tough.

Not tough in an "I'm having complications" way... but hard emotionally and physically for me.

Let's face it.

I had Michael when I was 25. Prime baby making age.

33... not quite as easy.

But my family's been asking me to update so here goes...

I am 33 weeks pregnant this week.

Here's my handsome little boy:

:

He's ridiculously cute already and I am beyond eager to meet him.

We're down to two (sometimes three) names so we're getting closer.

Physically, I've been through a month long sinus infection, thrown my back out and worked probably way too many hours.

Emotionally, it's been harder.

This pregnancy's been depressing for me.

It started with losing two high school friends in one week.

That sort of thing has sadly just continued throughout the last 8 months.

I've actually worried that my beautiful baby is going to cry non-stop because I've cried so much throughout this pregnancy.

But look at those ultrasound pics!

He's smiling in there and probably having a blast.

So I can only hope that I haven't rubbed off on him already.

Michael is having a great year.

He's doing great in 2nd grade and made the honor roll for the first trimester.

That might not sound like much but it's huge for him.

He worked his butt off for it and I'm so proud of what he's accomplished.

He's getting a new bedroom this week.

Kevin laid wood floor in his room and they painted the room in his color of choice.

Well... he actually chose navy blue which would have been ridiculously dark and dreary.

So he's got a lovely navy blue stripe with a warm and neutral tan as the main color.

As soon as Michael's moved... we're going to start on the nursery.

I know... we're probably very behind. Things have been busy. Enough said.

Kev's been incredibly patient with me.

I can't say that I'd be capable if the roles were reversed.

But it will be over soon and we'll both be so busy with feedings and changing diapers and trying to get a nap in that hopefully the last 9 months will be a distant memory.

Until then... we wait.

I'm planning on trying to work up until the end.

We'll see how that goes.

But I do know that I am totally looking forward to maternity leave.

It will be much needed.

I promise to keep this updated.

I know I've been driving my Dad and Jonesy crazy with the lack of updates.

7 weeks and counting!!!

1st Week of 2nd Grade... Complete.

Well we survived week one of 2nd grade.

Michael was more than a little nervous the first day, whining the whole way to school that he was sure that he wasn't going to have any friends in his class this year.

Of course when we found his class, the first person he sees is his best friend Jake from kindergarten.

Michael was relieved and suddenly seemed ready for 2nd grade.

As for his teacher... well... I really don't know.

She doesn't seem very big on any sort of communication with parents.

I introduced myself on day one and that was it. Not one word the rest of the week.

Michael tells me he's been out of trouble, not having to write his name on the board once. Jake confirmed this. So I'm assuming things are fine.

It's just difficult going from a teacher who was such an amazing communicator to one that seems to have no desire whatsoever to tell me how Michael's doing.

I'm sure everything's going to be fine.

Michael is a changed student after a year with his first grade teacher.

Here's some photos from the big day!

Walking to school.

He was so nervous on the way.


He was even nervous once we got in.

Okay! I can do this! I'm all good Mom!

Michael the Poet

Michael's last day of school this year was a big deal for him. He had a big performance and he couldn't stop telling us about how great he was going to do and how he'd written this great poem that he was going to recite for the audience with a microphone.
He kept it a secret...
only telling us that he
a: wrote it himself... and
b: knew he was going to get a laugh.

On the day of the performance, each child had written a poem about themselves using the letters in their names as the beginning of each sentence.
Some of the kids stumbled, forgot the lines, etc... (normal for 6 year olds & normal for some adults I know.)
But not my Michael.
He did great and got the laugh he was looking for.

Here is the lyrical prose my son created:
M - Magic is cool
I - Interested in science
C - Comedian when he tells jokes
H - Having fun playing video games
A - Available for $6.99 (this would be his guaranteed show stopper)
E - Every now and then a little crazy
L - Loving for my mom

Well, everyone loved his availability for the surprisingly affordable price of $6.99.
But me? I was too busy trying not to cry at "L" - loving for my mom .

An Honor Roll Student? Yep!!! I've Got One!

By the end of kindergarten one year ago, we were in a bad place with Michael academically.
His teacher, sat my husband and I down and told us that the way Michael was going with school and academics, there was no way that he would pass 1st grade the next year.
She explained how much more difficult it is for the kids and how the demands were so much higher and she just didn't think that Michael was going to be at all successful moving forward.
This was tough for us to swallow (and if I remember correctly, there were alot of tears from me).
Kindergarten had been so traumatic and difficult and painful for Michael that he was actually dreading going to 1st grade. You can see from the picture below, he was actually upset on the first day... begging us to take him home.




I had specifically requested his 1st grade teacher due to overwhelming recommendations from every mom I knew at his school. From what I understood, there were parents actually still fighting with the office 3 weeks into school, trying to get their kids moved into her class.
Still, I had never met her, and so when the call came on day 2!!! of 1st grade to set up a conference with us and her... I was nervous. "She's going to tell us all the same things his kindergarten teacher told us... She's going to tell us there's nothing she can do... It's all happening again" I complained to my husband.
Michael, on the other hand, seemed happier about going to school, even though he had been on red and gotten into trouble.
By the time we met for the conference, I had absolutely convinced myself of the worse case scenario and was certain that I was going to have to defend my son and went into the meeting prepared for the worst.

That meeting changed everything. We met the most compassionate, passionate, positive thinking teacher ever. She put us at ease and told us that she absolutely believed the Michael could and would be successful. She asked for our support and promised that she would communicate with us if there were any issues, but basically told us, "leave this up to me... he has the potential, I believe in him, everything will be fine."
And she was right. I have never met such a patient, caring, respected, trusted teacher in my life. She is a bonafide gift to the profession. She brought out the best in Michael and I am forever grateful to her.
Here is the kind of work Michael was able to do in his first month of 1st grade:




He was unable to write the entire alphabet. He couldn't grasp sounding out words phonetically. He couldn't sit still long enough to write more than one sentence.


His "super teacher" used his "special needs" and made them advantages instead of disadvantages. There was nothing she wouldn't try for Michael, giving him two desks if needed, having a special signal just for her and him, etc... But she was tough on him and had high expectations from him. She held him accountable if he got in trouble and absolutely refused to treat him differently than his classmates when it came to discipline.


Here is what Michael completed this week, on his last week of 1st grade:


And to top the above incredible story of Michael's love for Tony Hawk, he made the Honor Roll for the third trimester! I wasn't sure that I'd ever see the words Michael and Honor Roll in the same sentence!
But when it's all said and done, I believe all of his academic success this year was due to one amazing, incredible, gifted teacher.
(I only wish I could figure out how to keep her as his teacher straight through high school!)