October Updates - Spencer

Spencer has grown so much since school began. Not that I didn't expect that, but wow. He loved playing soccer and being part of a team.

He would cheer for any goal his team made as if he'd made it himself (he did a few of those too). I got such a kick out of watching him celebrate. It's a good thing it wasn't football. They would have given him a celebration penalty every time. Not taunting the other team, never that. Just abounding happiness for his team.

I love our football home field. A friend of our is the "voice of the Beavers," at least at our games, and he and his wife choose some great music to play. Spencer became very good at "YMCA" dancin':

I had the opportunity to be one of the Mom's to go on the Apple Orchard field trip with Spencer's class. I forgot how much fun it is to go with kindergartners.

This is Bollo (the first o sounds like an "O" and the second sounds like an "A"). She barely speaks a word of English. I remember her great big crocodile tears on the first day of school. She looked so frightened. Mrs. Pearson put her in my group, wanting her to be in a group with someone she would recognize. That was me, since I'm in the classroom once a week for the entire afternoon. As we left the classroom, she was in tears again, not knowing what to expect.

Of course, they had discussed all things apples for weeks leading up to the trip. It made my day when, while on our hayride through the orchard, she lit completely up, pointed, and distinctly said, "Apple!" It made her so happy, and it made my heart melt :)

Enjoying fresh apple cider. Yum!

Everyone got to take home their own pumpkin, provided they could carry it! Love those smiles!

Trunk or treat:

(yes, that's Abbie, hiding behind one of our YW)

This is a: yes, I'm happy. I get to be Mario, and my favorite person in the world is coming to go trick or treating with me. Enough said.

I love this picture. It tells a story of the fascination with Ember. I didn't take this picture. I think it came from Jen's camera. . .but I had to steal it. It is the perfect description of how enamored my children are with Emmy. Rightly so!

Spencer is so much fun to watch when he is in full play mode. Did you know that he comes with his own theme music? He provides his own, and it varies, but it is always original! 

As I expected, his teacher has been perfect for him. While at times I think she is a little too abrupt, the students are well aware of what is expected of them. I am so glad I have the opportunity to be there so often and see how she is in the classroom, and not just at pick up time. Somehow she is able to expect them to stay on task, but still make the classroom a fun and exciting place to be. Spence started the school year with a lot of work to do on the fine motor side of things. Pencil control was very hard for him. I am amazed at how far he has come. The other day, as I was getting out of the shower, I called out to him that we would be starting homework soon. He had already begun. He'd just pulled it out and started it on his own.

He went through another stretch a few weeks ago of "button pushing". It seemed like that's all he did and those in our home with a bit less patience were really struggling with it. I was at a loss as to how to help him change. . .how to know when to stop teasing (as in the "He means it good naturedly" type teasing). I found that every time I tried to talk to him about it, he wouldn't listen. I mean REALLY wouldn't listen. So then, he'd find himself in time out for not listening to Mom. It got old. Fast. And nothing changed. I was just about at my wit's end, and I remembered what they use at school to reward for good behavior. It is called a "Pawsome" (their mascot is a dog) and any adult can reward them for respect, responsibility, safety, determination, integrity, or effort. I started using those kinds of words with him. Simply asking him to show respect, or to remind him of his responsibility in this or that. Or mentioning that his behavior was not "pawsome" worthy. Holy cow, it worked like a charm! Since Mrs. Pearson utilizes these so much in the classroom and has described what each mean, he gets it when I remind him. What has resulted in the last week particularly is a still energetic and fun five year old, but one who keeps using this word that sounds like "please" and quickly corrects behavior when it's gone a little too far.

His prayers, too, have suddenly evolved. You can tell that he is thinking about his day, and what tomorrow may bring. I feel like he has made the huge maturity jump in the last couple of weeks. While I love what I'm seeing, it is weird and a little sad for me to see my baby moving even further away from being the baby.

I've always found it interesting that he is so well behaved everywhere else, but home. Not that he's not well behaved, he just pushes the envelope a lot. I'm so grateful for this boy who entered our family at exactly the right time and while he knows how to tease every one of us in the way that with "get our goat," I know that is part of why he is so good for us. He will always remind us to laugh and to have a good time. He wouldn't have it any other way, and for that, I am forever grateful.