Drew's 1st Day of Transition

Drew has done a 180 on me - by the end of the school year last year I was counting the minutes until it was over. It was a struggle every school morning to get him geared up for class, and he only went 2 days a week. Through the first couple months of summer he was saying he wasn't going to go to school anymore. Once he started seeing the girls get excited about school and riding the bus, he changed his tune. He doesn't get to go to big school yet, but he's excited (for the moment) to be back at Children of the Woodlands.

His teachers are awesome. Granted, I've only met 1 of them twice and the other once, but these ladies give an awesome first impression. I think he's going to have a great year!

He has an abbreviated schedule this week, he only goes from 9am to 12pm and doesn't take a lunch. They have a "gradual entry" program that eases the kids back into the routine. Jimmy picked him up from school today and took him to lunch. Here's the scoop he got:

1. Nobody cried
2. 1 kid got in trouble, but he couldn't remember who (let's hope it wasn't Drew)
3. He didn't make any friends, he just liked to play by himself
4. He got to play outside, but he couldn't swing because there weren't enough swings for everyone.
5. He got to put his hand in paint and make his hand print on a piece of paper. Jimmy couldn't get out of him if everyone in the class did this, or if it was just him.
6. He doesn't know anyone's name.

I'm excited to get home from work and see if I can get any additional information out of him.   Here are some pictures:

My big boy

His new backpack is on backorder until 9/5, so we had to make do with a backpack from last year.  There is nothing in it since he doesn't take a lunch this week.  When we got to his classroom he told Mrs. Galiunas "My backpack is really light!"

He wanted to take a picture with "this red rock" but he didn't think it showed up in pictures very well, so....

He thought this might be a better approach

A little naptime & thumb sucking before the doors opened

Waiting to see where his cubby is....

Shedding the backpack & ready to take on Transition!

If you haven't already seen - I posted his 5th birthday video below.  Deachi forgot to post it to her blog as she normally does!

Drew's 5th Birthday Video

Deachi forgot to upload Drew's 5th birthday video to her blog, & since they can't find their equipment to hook up their computer at home, I told her I'd upload it to mine. He is, afterall, my little maniac! Drew chose a few of the songs in his montage this year!

Make a video - it's fun, easy and free!
www.onetruemedia.com

The Brown Noser

Corry was beyond excited when she got home from school yesterday. After the teacher got back from going to the restroom the class was going to go on a walk. The teacher had instructed the class to clean up their area, get their things together, place their backpacks by their bus number, and stand quietly behind their chair when they were finished. When Mrs. Strassburg got back from the restroom, Corry was the only one who had followed the instructions. She got called out in front of the whole class and got to be first in line for the walk!

Such a fabulous thing for a first grader! Hope this doesn't label her with the other kids though :) Hopefully they're still a little young to recognize a goody two-shoes.

The 1st Grade

The first day of first grade was a little bit of a roller coaster for Pookies, I believe.

She was very excited to get to school & is thrilled to be a Powell Purple Panther. She's already filled with school pride which is really fun to see & experience.

When she got off the bus at 3:30 on the first day she was so hot! The buses aren't air conditioned. What on earth? This is Texas and its 100 degrees outside. Good grief.

She was a little emotional Monday afternoon/evening. She said the teacher kept yelling at everyone (but not her). She said she cried in the library because they were playing a game that she though looked scary.

For snack, I accidentally packed her a bread & butter pickle spear instead of a dill pickle spear, so she didn't eat her snack. At lunch she didn't have time to eat her turkey, so all she had the whole day was a cheese stick & a banana. They didn't get to play outside because it was too hot.

She didn't talk to anyone or make any friends.

She said she likes school, but she doesn't love it.

This morning would be her first day to ride the bus to school. She was very apprehensive at the bus stop & really didn't want to ride. Once the bus got there she put on her happy face and got on like a big girl. I had no idea what to tell her to expect once she got to school - I didn't know if there would be a teacher to guide kids to class, or if they had to find their classrooms on their own. Turns out she had to find it on her own, only the Kindergarteners get escorted to their rooms. She was VERY proud to be in the first grade and able to find her class on her own. She said she just looked for the sign that said "Strassburg" (her teacher) and went right in!

In music class she got to sit on a special rainbow pillow because this was her first year to go to Powell.

But the best part of all is that she told me she made a new friend today named Marissa! She said "I asked her if she wanted to be friends, and she said YES!!"

She was very happy and has stayed happy all evening. I'm so relieved!

We went to Parent Information night at the school tonight. I met the mom of the little boy in her class named Merek. I also met Jude's mom. I was surprised at how few parents were at parent information night. There were probably 8 or 9 of us and she has 23 in her class. How sad. I just don't get it.

Anyway, homework won't start until after Labor Day, so that's good! Hoping the rest of the week goes as well as today did.

Drew starts on Monday, so we'll have a whole new world opening up there as well! Exciting times at the Dautrich house!

1st Day of 1st Grade!

First day of school pics! Lots of smiles from the kiddos...will try to do a more detailed post this evening

5 year well child check up

Drew had his 5 year well child visit today - Drew did his darndest to embarrass me as much as possible.  Let's recap:

We started off our visit by Drew singing in the waiting room.  No biggie if he were singing itsy bitsy spider, or row row row your boat....Drew prefers this little gem:

"Great Big Globs of Greasy Grimey Gopher guts,

Mutilated Monkey Meat,

Chopped up Baby Parakeat,

Roasted Eyeballs Floating in a Pool of Blood,

And I Forgot My Spoooooooon."

Drew's father & I will have words later.....

We were called back to get weighed & measured & into a room.  He announced that he is 5! as soon as we got back there.  He weighed 42.3lbs and is 43inches tall.

We got into a room and they had the nerve to have the blinds closed so Drew could  not see the construction work on the new addition to the hospital.  He couldn't focus on anything until the blinds were opened and he could see "cranky" the crane at the site.

He really enjoyed watching the construction while we waited.  After watching for several momenets he turned to me and said "when I grow up, I'm going to be an artist."  I was expecting "a construction worker" or something of that nature, but an artist works too.

The nurse took his blood pressure.  After she got done she said "Do you know what your muscles told me?  They told me you like chocolate ice cream."  He looked at her like she was nuts and said ,"I like pink ice cream."

The nurse practioner came in to do his exam.  He answered all her questions - What is your mommy's first name?  What is her last name?  Where do you live?  Can you count to 10?  Then she asked me if he knew what to do if his clothes caught on fire.  He said no.  She said "you should stop, drop, and roll," and he added "yeah, and then scream, and get in the bathtub.

Then she told him she was going to need to check his boy parts, and that it was only okay because he was in the doctor's office and his mommy is right there with him, but he should never let anyone else look at his private parts.  He was laying on his back at this point, and she couldn't find what she needed, so she asked him to stand up.  She was explaining to him what she was looking for and that sometimes the testicles like to hide when you are laying down.  She pulled down his shorts & undies and went to work searching for the goods.  He was laughing so uncontrollably that his entire body was shaking.  I'm happy to report that everything is where it should be.  I tried not to hold the immaturaty of Drew's actions against him since he is, afterall, immature.  What's a 5 year old to do when someone is groping his goods?

No shots for little man today - he did get the flu mist up the nose, and got a sticker from the basket. 

In unrelated Drew news - we received a call from his teacher today!  He's going to be in the Otter class.  His teacher will be coming to our home to meet the family on Friday!  Really hoping this year's home visit is a little less mortifying than last years.  With Drew, you can never tell!

Drew's 5th Birthday

I'm slow - delayed, I won't make excuses! Drew is so excited to be 5! This dude is cracking us up these days. For so long we questioned Drew's abilities to keep up with Corry's sharp mind....all of a sudden Drew's brain is in overdrive. He wants to know how electricity works, he wants to build things ON HIS OWN, he's witty, funny, and exasperating! We can't wait to see what this year has in store for the little man.

Here are the pictures from his birthday party - you will notice a lack of Corry in these pictures - she started us all off with the plague, so she wasn't able to attend the majority of the festivites :(

Drew with the slip n slide we rented for the kid party.  I think perhaps the adults had a bit more fun on it than the kids!

Going in for a water balloon

Drew's friend Nicholas getting ready to launch a water balloon

Drew decided being IN the water balloon tub was a much better plan.

Pinata Time!

Opening some presents

Slip N Slide from the side

Drew's Smurfday cake made by Grandma Chebs

His very own left handed golf clubs!

Make a wish!

Drew on his actual birthday.  I made him smile before he could open a present

Birthday dinner with Aunt Lindsay & Uncle Olech at Willie's

Blowing out his ice cream candle at Willie's

My precious little 5 year old!