Fingerpaint and Folders

School started August 25th for ALL three of my girls. Edie returned back at school with a shiny new IEP, and the twins had their assessments so they would be placed in the correct classroom. I chose to separate them.

They are their own unique person with different likes, different interests and they each have their own way of learning new things. I think it's one of the best choices I have made for them.

This past week Todd and I had the twins first parent teacher conferences.

I AM SO PROUD!!

Aubrey is a great student, she is sponge soaking up all the information Mr. Ward can give out. She is always taking that extra step to learn more. She has great social skills and is a good friend. He was impressed with her knowledge of geography ( I shared the bargain globe story, he got a good chuckle). He also said she has strong leadership qualities, and that he will positively reinforce, encourage and feed that drive she has.

Reagan is a great student as well. She is a very compassionate and creative child. She is a great role model and helper to her friend in her class that has special needs. Mrs. Dyer went on to say most six year olds want to mommy classmates with special needs. However, she helps her in a way that is assisting her not doing the task for her. She has also learned some sign language from her classmates handler, and uses that to talk to her friend. She has not moved her seat in the classroom because she is such a positive influence on this child. She is a good listener and a pleasure to have in class.

We have Edie's first IEP review of the year on Wednesday. She did go back to the same classroom with the same teacher from last year. She has a classroom teacher and 2 assistants, as well as a speech pathologist she meets with twice a week, and an OT specialist that comes into the classroom.

I have so many papers from school between the three of them I don't know what to do with all of it! We've got a daily work bulletin board that we display daily work that comes home, but each girls is bringing home three or four pages of work, one of two art projects and the school handouts (x3). I'm flooded.

After we admire their papers and work for a few days I file them, but before I file them I take a quick photo. I'm not sure how long I can keep stockpiling papers. Of course I keep the 'special' projects, books and drawings, but ALL of it? By the time I have two 5th graders and 4th grader I'd be coded as a hoarder! Have you seen that show....eeeek! .

Commuting to Burlington has created a lot of close calls while driving. The most memorable has been the matrix like moment on 128 when a tire iron flew off a dump truck going about 80mph, in THE SLOW LANE. It whirled at me in a weird slow motion. I cringed waiting for the thing to blow through my windshield. It bounced off my bumper and went over the windshield and rattled across the roof rack. Phew.

But statistics say most accidents happen within a mile of home.

For us, it happened in the our own driveway!

Last night a gust a wind took down the basketball hoop and guess where it landed?

DAMN IT!!!!

Bargain Globe

My endless search for a globe for Aubrey brought me to Goodwill. I hit most major retailers, bookstores and found some pretty amazing globes, but the price point blew me away. On a whim I stopped at my moms favorite Goodwill.

HOT DIGGITY!!!

I found one for $7.99!! It was in great shape, brass longitude and latitude. I dusted it off and proudly paid for my purchase. A clerk made a comment, 'Goodwill has something for everyone.' I stuck it in the back of the truck and hid it out of site for two days.

Birthday morning came.

She was thrilled!

She told us all about North America, South America, the equator, the poles. I was amazed at how much she knew. As we sat there spinning it I noticed this...

DANG!!!!

So it expired in 1991, it'll give us a good opportunity for a history lesson as we play.

Aubrey and Reagan are 6!

This day could be like no other. So it started off with cupcakes for breakfast. Hey, you only turn six once ;) By 2:20pm (second snack time ) Aubrey 'string bean' Fischer had consumed 3, yes 3, cupcakes!

Todd and I both had the day off and spent it between the two classrooms. The girls had baked cupcakes with Meme on Thursday. Even Edie was excited to celebrate 'sisters' birthday. She had a special batch made for her classroom too. Thank you Meme! The girls had a lot of fun baking with you. However, the other K teacher stopped me on the playground and asked me why she was the only classroom NOT to have cupcakes. We'll have to make her class a special batch on Friday.

After visiting each classroom for snack time we decided to do something that only happens once in a blue moon. We made the drive to...'the toy store'... They had sent each girl a $3.oo coupon so we turned it into one our 'adventures'.

Those of you that have shopped with two 6 year olds and a 4 half year old know this kind of shopping takes time.

We spent TWO HOURS at 'the toy store'. They roamed every aisle, touched, played with, and pined over each toy, some we/I had never even heard of before.

Choices were made.

Aubrey picked out a camera. Talk about cheap! It's been returned, and she has a nice little purple Polaroid now.

Ray chose some tiny little toys that look like vending machine balls with little people inside I call them 'Twinkies' but I know it's not right.

Even Edie had some dollars saved in her sparkle wallet. She picked out a travel size 'Perfection' (my favorite as a kid!)

Then we were off for a family dinner. Chinese food. They were so caffeinated from the free Coke-a-Cola it was mind numbing, but hey they stayed awake for the ride home.

Then it was time for movie night. We watched Toy Story III.

Disturbing. Watch it before your kids, Please! (This is my personal opinion. My girls were not ready for the content) Poor Big Baby :(

Daddy made them a one of a kind zebra cake!