The dentist told us more than a year ago that a couple of Alex's bottom teeth were loose. Nothing happened though, but now his combined kindergarten/first grade class is a hotbed of Tooth Fairy gossip. In January they learned about calendars and they counted how many classmates' birthdays were in January and how many teeth were lost in the month. Seven teeth lost thus far.
Well, finally, the Tooth Fairy is nigh. Alex told me that one bottom tooth was wiggly. I try not to stick my fingers in his mouth, and discourage him from doing so, too, but I made an exception here. Then, one night I happened to catch him open-mouthed near a lamp. The permanent tooth is all the way in, right behind the baby tooth. I can't imagine how he didn't notice it. I called Art in for an inspection. I was afraid that it was going to scar him for life, at least orthodontically speaking. So, the next afternoon we trekked to our dentist, Dr. John. Before he came in the hygienist inspected Alex. He wouldn't sit back in the chair, but he did let her look in his mouth. (She bribed him with Toy Story 3 on the TV in the room.) From the array of tools she put on the tray I could tell she was planning on pulling the tooth that day. It normally takes two to three people holding Alex down for them to clean his teeth, so I was not looking forward to telling him they might pull his tooth out. Thankfully, Dr. John came in and told me we had nothing to worry about. He thinks the tooth will come out on its own soon without any interference from a professional. I could tell he was weighing the options and how much ensuing chaos each would cause. We decided to give it a couple of weeks. So, if the tooth's not out on its own by March 1st, we need to get it pulled. EVERYONE, CROSS YOUR FINGERS!
I asked Alex if I should get to work and make him a little pillow to put the tooth out for the Tooth Fairy. He explained what happens if it falls out at school. "Well, you go to the nurse, because it WILL bleed. Then, she cleans you up and you get a little treasure box or necklace shaped like a tooth to put the tooth in and carry it home. And you get a prize." If a prize is involved, all his teeth may come out at school. Of course, if that's the case there's only at 50/50 chance we'll ever see them, considering the jackets, lunch boxes, etc., that get left at school regularly.
Monday, February 21, 2011
Tales of a Kindergarten Snob
My child is a snob, specifically, an ageist. Today is a rare holiday when Art, Alex and I are all off. It's a beautiful day, except for the wind. So I promised to take Alex to the park today. I'm in the midst of a cooking frenzy due to a combination of a day off and decongestant. (It came down to sleeping or breathing, and I chose breathing. Mainly because Art was suffering so, at least that was his complaints from the couch.) Anyway, I penciled in the park for a half hour between baking Chocolate Chip Peanut Butter Banana Bread (which is wonderful) and a double batch of lasagna, an apple walnut cake and taco filling for the freezer. I must stress again, that I'm working at 1 1/2 times my regular speed because of the Claritin D. According to my husband I am also overly ambitious about my cooking schedule and my ability to multi-task when the stove is involved. Have no fear - nothing is currently on the stove top and the timer is set for the cake in the oven.
Alex and I set off for the park. I had a book to read, he was wearing his jaunty red Crocs. When we got to the park, it was packed. There seemed to be a group of stay-at-home moms with their preschoolers and a couple of school-aged kids. Alex had unbuckled his seat belt and was about to get out when he surveyed the playground situation. "I am NOT getting out." Why not? "I am not playing with those kids." Again, why not? The gist of it - they're babies. I pointed out two boys who seemed to be about 5 and 7. He studied them for a moment. "More like 6 and 4." I told him that he was 6 also, and 4 was not that far away. "4-3-2-1: baby!" So, we could not possibly play with them. I decided to drive home past the next nearest park to see if the in-crowd was playing there. Nope, all girls. We just went home.
It was probably for the best. After we got home he played outside for 5 minutes then announced it was too windy to stay outside. I'd force him to get more fresh air, but he's really right. It's blowing very hard now and we've lost several dead branches. Knowing my luck, if I made him go outside he'd get brained with a branch and never play outside again. We've almost talked him into getting a bicycle. We tried a couple out at Walmart yesterday. We'll need training wheels and a new helmet, too, and Art decided that we needed to research the bike brand before making a decision. (Decoded message: I will go home and forget about it and hopefully my wife will do the legwork.)
Alex had a really good week at school last week. Granted he was only at school two full days and two half days. But he didn't even make it to the first anthill on Thursday and Friday. That was amazing. I'm pretty sure it hasn't happened twice in one week before. This is the kid who when I got to his classroom to volunteer at 9:15 AM was already on the third anthill a few weeks ago. I was horrified. I thought it took him most of the day to work up to that much misbehavior. When I asked him what was going on, he told me, "It's okay, Mom, I've already gotten in all the trouble I can today." Like it's a quota system and I should be happy that he got it over with early. I'd like to say that he saw the error of his ways but I think the loss of television on 3rd Anthill evenings convinced him to behave.
Alex and I set off for the park. I had a book to read, he was wearing his jaunty red Crocs. When we got to the park, it was packed. There seemed to be a group of stay-at-home moms with their preschoolers and a couple of school-aged kids. Alex had unbuckled his seat belt and was about to get out when he surveyed the playground situation. "I am NOT getting out." Why not? "I am not playing with those kids." Again, why not? The gist of it - they're babies. I pointed out two boys who seemed to be about 5 and 7. He studied them for a moment. "More like 6 and 4." I told him that he was 6 also, and 4 was not that far away. "4-3-2-1: baby!" So, we could not possibly play with them. I decided to drive home past the next nearest park to see if the in-crowd was playing there. Nope, all girls. We just went home.
It was probably for the best. After we got home he played outside for 5 minutes then announced it was too windy to stay outside. I'd force him to get more fresh air, but he's really right. It's blowing very hard now and we've lost several dead branches. Knowing my luck, if I made him go outside he'd get brained with a branch and never play outside again. We've almost talked him into getting a bicycle. We tried a couple out at Walmart yesterday. We'll need training wheels and a new helmet, too, and Art decided that we needed to research the bike brand before making a decision. (Decoded message: I will go home and forget about it and hopefully my wife will do the legwork.)
Alex had a really good week at school last week. Granted he was only at school two full days and two half days. But he didn't even make it to the first anthill on Thursday and Friday. That was amazing. I'm pretty sure it hasn't happened twice in one week before. This is the kid who when I got to his classroom to volunteer at 9:15 AM was already on the third anthill a few weeks ago. I was horrified. I thought it took him most of the day to work up to that much misbehavior. When I asked him what was going on, he told me, "It's okay, Mom, I've already gotten in all the trouble I can today." Like it's a quota system and I should be happy that he got it over with early. I'd like to say that he saw the error of his ways but I think the loss of television on 3rd Anthill evenings convinced him to behave.
Tuesday, February 15, 2011
Shark Tooth
We noticed last night that Alex has a new tooth growing in behind one of his front bottom teeth. (He's been wiggling that one and telling us it was loose.) We had no idea that the new one was there. Alex thinks it's cool that he has two rows of teeth there, like a shark. Now he's hoping that the rest of his permanent teeth grow in like that. Actually, he wants five rows of teeth - best case scenario. I pointed out that would be hard to do without biting his tongue, A LOT. He agreed.
Guess I need to get to work on the tooth fairy pillow. I've got the pattern, just need to start sewing.
While handing out candy to my officemates today Alex told them his valentine was Gretchen. (Of course.) In class yesterday they were supposed to draw a picture of themselves with their valentine and write a sentence that began "My Valentine is." I was across the room working with the candy hearts so I couldn't see Alex's work. Their teacher told them it could be their mom, their dad or anyone else. She walked past me and said, "Alex's is so going to be Gretchen." When I asked him later who his valentine was, he looked at me as if I was crazy, "Gretchen." Duh!
Guess I need to get to work on the tooth fairy pillow. I've got the pattern, just need to start sewing.
While handing out candy to my officemates today Alex told them his valentine was Gretchen. (Of course.) In class yesterday they were supposed to draw a picture of themselves with their valentine and write a sentence that began "My Valentine is." I was across the room working with the candy hearts so I couldn't see Alex's work. Their teacher told them it could be their mom, their dad or anyone else. She walked past me and said, "Alex's is so going to be Gretchen." When I asked him later who his valentine was, he looked at me as if I was crazy, "Gretchen." Duh!
Fistful of Candy Hearts
Exciting happenings around here. Alex has been sick off and on for the past week. First a 24-hour stomach bug, then 3 days of intermediate mild fever. The doctor's office thinks he might have picked something up when he came in for his check-up, or at school. Lots of help, there.
But yesterday was Valentine's Day, and we had 44 hand-made Valentines to deliver to school. The teachers asked that they make the valentines and that they sign their first and last name on them. If Alex can't spell Holbrooks now, he'll never learn. I've got to give the teachers props. It was a great super-sneaky way to practice writing their names.
Monday dawned bright, beautiful and fever-free. There was a family exchange of boxes of chocolate. Then, Alex and I prepared for a field trip with his class. We were going to the university's theater for Aesop's Fables. Since there was a half hour or so before loading on the buses, I offered to help with classroom prep work. I got to put candy hearts in small bags for a math project they are doing sometime this week. Little candy hearts by NECCO (the real ones, not any cheap knock-offs) may be my favorite candy in the world. They're definitely in the top 5, along with Junior Mints and Necco Wafers, which are the same thing as the candy hearts, just thinner and without the cutesy sayings. However, filling 70 bags of them and the attendant smell (and candy dust) may put me off of them until next year.
At 8:30 coats were gathered (after a debate over who needed them - if you had a sweater, you didn't need a coat but if you were only wearing a t-shirt, you had to have one), then we went in a long line to the bathrooms. Everyone was encouraged to go, just in case. I went. You don't have to tell me twice to use a restroom when one is available. Then on to the buses. It's funny because even with three kids to a bus bench, you can barely see them. Almost all of them are too short to see over the seats. So, you can hear them (most definitely) but not see them. We made the 5-minute trip to the theater, memorized our bus number and got in a long line of children to make our way into the theater.
On the less than 50 yard trip:
Do not touch the berries, they could be poisonous.
Yes, you can stomp the berries.
No you cannot pick the leaves, or stomp the bushes.
I do not know why she is beside you in line.
I do not know anything about the 3 of you having to be separated. Get in the theater and the teachers will sort it out.
No, I did not know you lost a tooth.
No, I do not think the tooth fairy will bring you $50.
Yes, it is Valentine's Day.
We are seeing Aesop's Fables.
A fable is kind of like a fairy tale but with animals.
Yes, they may have people dressed at animals.
If you only step on the bricks between the cracks we will never get in the theater.
And so on. We got inside and the place was packed. I don't think there was an empty seat anywhere in there. All of the first graders from Alex's school were there, several buses from the neighboring county and I saw several home schoolers there for a field trip, too. Alex's teachers handed out books to keep everyone busy until the play started. Alex was unimpressed because he got a book with Sesame Street characters. They are way too babyish for sophisticated 6-year-olds like himself.
Finally, the curtains parted and a lady came out to introduce the show. Since it was Valentine's Day, they'd decided to add a couple of ballet numbers before Aesop's Fables. Hmmm. Okay. The first was nine teenagers dancing en pointe. The kids were interested, for a while. No open rioting yet. It went on for quite a bit, then they left the stage. The lady came back and said there'd be another number from the Nutcracker. The principal dancer from the Carolina Ballet Theater was there along with one of the teenagers to do the Pas de Deux from the Nutcracker. At least the kids knew the music - they studied Tchaikovsky and the Nutcracker Suite in music back in December. The kids were impressed with some of the turns and jumps. Then, halfway through, Alex leaned over to me, "That guy needs to put on pants." I agreed.
It turned out that the Aesop's Fables portion of the show was modern dance. This was something the teachers had not known or prepared for. The kids handled it pretty well but I don't know that they understood much of it. Oh, well, I guess they need to learn now that sometimes theater is confusing.
Today we are off to the dentist. Alex has a bizarre tooth situation going on with a permanent one coming in behind a baby tooth. They're just going to look at it. Since he had fever yesterday he's not supposed to go to school for 24 hours, so he's going to help me at the office a while. We have to get germ-free. There's a new baby across the street that we're dying to meet!
But yesterday was Valentine's Day, and we had 44 hand-made Valentines to deliver to school. The teachers asked that they make the valentines and that they sign their first and last name on them. If Alex can't spell Holbrooks now, he'll never learn. I've got to give the teachers props. It was a great super-sneaky way to practice writing their names.
Monday dawned bright, beautiful and fever-free. There was a family exchange of boxes of chocolate. Then, Alex and I prepared for a field trip with his class. We were going to the university's theater for Aesop's Fables. Since there was a half hour or so before loading on the buses, I offered to help with classroom prep work. I got to put candy hearts in small bags for a math project they are doing sometime this week. Little candy hearts by NECCO (the real ones, not any cheap knock-offs) may be my favorite candy in the world. They're definitely in the top 5, along with Junior Mints and Necco Wafers, which are the same thing as the candy hearts, just thinner and without the cutesy sayings. However, filling 70 bags of them and the attendant smell (and candy dust) may put me off of them until next year.
At 8:30 coats were gathered (after a debate over who needed them - if you had a sweater, you didn't need a coat but if you were only wearing a t-shirt, you had to have one), then we went in a long line to the bathrooms. Everyone was encouraged to go, just in case. I went. You don't have to tell me twice to use a restroom when one is available. Then on to the buses. It's funny because even with three kids to a bus bench, you can barely see them. Almost all of them are too short to see over the seats. So, you can hear them (most definitely) but not see them. We made the 5-minute trip to the theater, memorized our bus number and got in a long line of children to make our way into the theater.
On the less than 50 yard trip:
Do not touch the berries, they could be poisonous.
Yes, you can stomp the berries.
No you cannot pick the leaves, or stomp the bushes.
I do not know why she is beside you in line.
I do not know anything about the 3 of you having to be separated. Get in the theater and the teachers will sort it out.
No, I did not know you lost a tooth.
No, I do not think the tooth fairy will bring you $50.
Yes, it is Valentine's Day.
We are seeing Aesop's Fables.
A fable is kind of like a fairy tale but with animals.
Yes, they may have people dressed at animals.
If you only step on the bricks between the cracks we will never get in the theater.
And so on. We got inside and the place was packed. I don't think there was an empty seat anywhere in there. All of the first graders from Alex's school were there, several buses from the neighboring county and I saw several home schoolers there for a field trip, too. Alex's teachers handed out books to keep everyone busy until the play started. Alex was unimpressed because he got a book with Sesame Street characters. They are way too babyish for sophisticated 6-year-olds like himself.
Finally, the curtains parted and a lady came out to introduce the show. Since it was Valentine's Day, they'd decided to add a couple of ballet numbers before Aesop's Fables. Hmmm. Okay. The first was nine teenagers dancing en pointe. The kids were interested, for a while. No open rioting yet. It went on for quite a bit, then they left the stage. The lady came back and said there'd be another number from the Nutcracker. The principal dancer from the Carolina Ballet Theater was there along with one of the teenagers to do the Pas de Deux from the Nutcracker. At least the kids knew the music - they studied Tchaikovsky and the Nutcracker Suite in music back in December. The kids were impressed with some of the turns and jumps. Then, halfway through, Alex leaned over to me, "That guy needs to put on pants." I agreed.
It turned out that the Aesop's Fables portion of the show was modern dance. This was something the teachers had not known or prepared for. The kids handled it pretty well but I don't know that they understood much of it. Oh, well, I guess they need to learn now that sometimes theater is confusing.
Today we are off to the dentist. Alex has a bizarre tooth situation going on with a permanent one coming in behind a baby tooth. They're just going to look at it. Since he had fever yesterday he's not supposed to go to school for 24 hours, so he's going to help me at the office a while. We have to get germ-free. There's a new baby across the street that we're dying to meet!
Loose tooth
Alex has his first loose, or "wiggly", tooth, as he calls it. I asked him if we should get some sort of cement to hold it in so it won't fall out.
Alex: No! I want the tooth fairy to come!
Me: Why?
Alex: So she'll bring me money.
Me: Money for teeth?
Alex: No, money for toys!
Ladies and gentlemen, my son, the comedian.
Alex: No! I want the tooth fairy to come!
Me: Why?
Alex: So she'll bring me money.
Me: Money for teeth?
Alex: No, money for toys!
Ladies and gentlemen, my son, the comedian.
Word of the Day: Sabotage? #@$*?
For those of you not familiar with kindergarten education these days, let me introduce you to "popcorn words". There are 42 words that kindergarteners have to recognize by sight before the end of the school year. So, Alex's class all got Crystal Light canisters full of teeny flash cards of these words. He carries them back and forth from school and is supposed to work on them there and at home.
Alex's biggest problem is himself. He knows more words than he will admit. And, if he stops and thinks about them and sounds them out, he knows almost every one. To get him to go through all of them, though, is pure torture. We were struggling through words like "go," "up," "you," "me" and so on when we got to "said." Alex eyeballed it a minute then came up with "sabotage!" Yeah, 'cause that's a good word for kindergarteners!
Later on we were watching a video that Brad did for a band called People On Vacation. It's pretty cool. He filmed the two guys in the band in front of a green screen, and then added animation behind them afterwards. Most of the lyrics appear on the screen as they sing them. Which was fine until mid-way through the song when a four-letter word appeared. I threw my hand over Alex's eyes. "Mom, I can't read." Well, I'm pretty sure you could sound that one out. So far, he has not. At least not when I could hear him. Thanks, Uncle Brad!
Alex's biggest problem is himself. He knows more words than he will admit. And, if he stops and thinks about them and sounds them out, he knows almost every one. To get him to go through all of them, though, is pure torture. We were struggling through words like "go," "up," "you," "me" and so on when we got to "said." Alex eyeballed it a minute then came up with "sabotage!" Yeah, 'cause that's a good word for kindergarteners!
Later on we were watching a video that Brad did for a band called People On Vacation. It's pretty cool. He filmed the two guys in the band in front of a green screen, and then added animation behind them afterwards. Most of the lyrics appear on the screen as they sing them. Which was fine until mid-way through the song when a four-letter word appeared. I threw my hand over Alex's eyes. "Mom, I can't read." Well, I'm pretty sure you could sound that one out. So far, he has not. At least not when I could hear him. Thanks, Uncle Brad!
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