When your child starts kindergarten, you begin to notice the differences and similarities in kids. With Avery, I noticed that he was shorter than some others … I noticed that he was shy, yet popular … and I noticed that he hadn’t lost any baby teeth. While others began doting toothless grins around Christmas time, we remained perfectly aligned and no wiggles in sight.

In first grade, it seemed that we were the only ones that still had our baby teeth. A trip to the dentist confirmed that all was well. X-rays showed a beautiful set of permanent teeth that were formed, just not yet ready to ascend. My fears were eased … especially when our dentist mentioned that there should not be a need for braces. (Little sister, on the other hand, will buy a local orthodontist a new home!)

First grade came and went … as did the summer following. Then it happened. The first day of school, Avery said that his lower gum was hurting. I looked inside and there was a permanent tooth that had popped through behind his baby tooth. I felt the baby tooth assuming that it would wiggle, but it was tight as could be.

I called the dentist to see if we should wait for it to come out naturally or come in for a visit. The nurse assured me that we did need to come in, but the dentist was on vacation and we couldn’t get in for two weeks.

And so we waited.

Waited for the dentist …

And waited for wiggles.

Nothing.

Today was the day of the dentist appointment. My husband agreed to go, so that I wouldn’t have to miss any more work than necessary. I called to make sure that he was going to make it on time to the appointment (sorry, babe … I was just checking). All was well and the next text I got was “The dentist is going to pull the bottom two teeth ”

Suddenly, my baby boy’s short little life flashed in front of me. Those two teeth were the first to make an appearance in his mouth six-and-a-half years ago. So cute and so precious. I couldn’t imagine them not being there any longer.

Like any overly-emotional mother, I called Don and asked him to take one last picture of Avery with a mouth full of baby teeth. It’s not like I don’t have thousands (literally) of pictures of him with these same teeth. But there was something about knowing that it would never be the same that just hit me.

Thankfully, he took the picture … and didn’t even say “Are you kidding me?”

I appreciate that.

Within 5 minutes, I was receiving pictures of my little boy … and the teeth were gone.

Avery did great. He didn’t realize that there were shots to numb him (thankfully!). The dentist even put a glove on Avery’s hand and allowed him to help with pulling it out. He was so proud … and didn’t shed a tear.

So, tonight, the tooth fairy comes. Our tooth fairy has a lighter pocketbook than some other fairies in our neighborhood, but it doesn’t seem to matter. We broke out the tooth fairy box – loaded it with teeth and wrote the dates on the bottom.

And all was right with the world.

And another milestone is completed.

One of the hardest parts of being a parent is making a decision that you know will affect your child. We’re dealing with that right now. The kicker is that the decision is somewhat out of our control which makes it even harder.

You see, it all started three years ago. When Avery was in Kindergarten, he began bringing papers and homework in each night. Piper was very interested in what he was learning, so Avery started teaching her. It was precious. He was so patient and used the exact words that his teacher used.

At the first Parent-Teacher conference, we mentioned to Avery’s teacher that he was doing this. From that point on, the teacher sent home an extra set of papers for Piper. So, Avery would teach her … and then she’d complete the appropriate worksheets.

We found out none to soon that Piper wouldn’t be eligible for Kinder the following year. We were so upset. Having her sit in a traditional daycare setting for another year would be so boring for her. Not long after, we found a private kindergarten program that allowed children with birthdates up to 3 months later than the traditional public school program.The cost of the private program was exactly same amount as having her in a daycare. It was a no brainer! Private Kindergarten.

So, we did it … or I should say, Piper did it. She had a wonderful year. All “+’s” and “A’s” for the whole year. She was reading at Thanksgiving, doing math – actually everything that Avery was doing in public school

Then it comes to the end of the year and all the rules start changing. The school told us that they had never had a child NOT test into first grade. Come to find out, they don’t track the kids – they have no idea where the kids end up or the results of their testing. They also led us to believe that testing was in the spring. Nope. It takes place during the first 3 weeks of school. (A point which I still think is ridiculous. What child retains everything over the summer?)

F-U-R-I-O-U-S.

The night of kindergarten orientation, I got the impression from the principal that they aren’t really fond of testing kids.  The testing process couldn’t be explained by anyone there – the principal, the Kindergarten lead teacher, the Registrar … no one we came in contact with. I left that night feeling very discouraged and extremely disappointed.

So here we are … it’s the first week of school. I still have no more answers than I did 3 months ago. Other than the fact that they began testing Piper yesterday. I found out by a phone call from a classmate’s mom and a note in her backpack. They announce testing dates for all other things (i.e. TAKS, etc.) well in advance. I was a little miffed to find out about it after the fact.

In the grand scheme of things, I’m the biggest fan of my school district that there every could be. There is no where else in Texas that I would rather live. Those schools run like well-oiled machines and I fully trust that the best interest of my child’s education is their number one goal. I think that’s why the “mystery” of this ordeal has been so hard for me.

Their decision (which we have no say in, nor can we submit supporting documents) will affect her educationally for many years to come. And, yes, I understand that it’s only Kindergarten, but it affects how old she’ll be when she graduates. It affects her behavior. (Will she be able to handle the boredom of sitting through Kindergarten again?) It goes far below the exterior.

I probably wouldn’t feel so strongly if it weren’t for Avery. With him just finishing first grade in the Spring, it’s fresh on my mind. He was a very high-performing, identified as gifted first grader. I know what to expect and what is expected. It’s on my radar. Piper is ready and could do it. Socially, emotionally, and intelligently.

Now …. this is the point that I think some parents miss and what I have vowed. I will support the decision of my school. After all, they are the professionals and I think at some point, you have to just trust. That doesn’t mean that I won’t set an appointment with the counselor if they deem that she needs to repeat the year – it just means that when I do, it will be for information and not out of anger.

Who ever knew that sending kids to school was so dramatic? Thanks to all that will comment and tell me that this is the worst it gets

PS – I’ll do an Update Post when this all plays out.

You may remember back earlier in the summer when I posted about Piper’s first sleepover. She was so excited and I was scared to death because she couldn’t swim & her friend has a pool. I worked myself into a good ol’ Southern tizzy.

Well, I’m proud to announce that ….

… I now have two children that can swim!

In mid-May, the kids took semi-private lessons at the YMCA. (Semi-private means that the kids took lessons together – just the two of them – with one instructor.)

We had a great experience at the Y. The price was $160/child and included 5 lessons. By the third lesson, Piper was swimming alone.

Avery had two left fins and took a little longer. My sweet friend happened to mention that her son really took off after he began swimming with goggles. I was desperate and decided that we’d give it a shot. Holy Moly …. can you say “what a difference”? It was miraculous and by the end of the 5th lesson, he was swimming independantly as well.

Thankfully, there have been numerous times this summer that they’ve been able to swim and keep their skills in shape. They also know (and feel free) to put their life vests on when they get tired. I’m happy that they feel comfortable with that, and we’ll continue to encourage it as well.

Although I know that there are still risks associated with the water, my heart certainly feels more at peace knowing that they can swim if they slip in accidentally.

It’s always been really important to me that I’m involved with everything. Being as social as I am, I like to be in the center of the action. I’m a planner … I’m a list maker … and although I don’t have to be the “HBIC” (that’s KY speak for “in control”), I do like being part of the process.

If you’ve read this blog for more than one hot second, you know that I’ve struggled {tremendously} with not being able to be a part of the PTA at my children’s school. Work schedules on my end and meeting schedules on their end are not a match made in heaven.

Last fall as I was browzing my school district’s website, I saw that they were looking for community members to take part in a night called “Conversations That Count”. I didn’t really know what it was about, but it was very clear that it would only be for one night and it would be at 7:00 PM. I registered and was chosen.

All interested parties were divided into groups. My group of 8 met in someone’s home. The hosts provided a full meal and we spent the evening discussing topics that were chosen for us by the district. (One of our members was the moderator and was also charged with reporting back to the main office regarding our conversation.) Our only rules were to be completely honest and be respectful of other people’s opinions. My group had a city councilman, a teacher, a district professional, a community member and 4 parents. It was an awesome experience.

From that point on, I have kept a close eye on the district website. It holds a wealth of information and a plethra of opportunities for parents. Many parents miss these postings because they are only looking at information for their campus and not the district as a whole!

In April, I served on an 8 week committee to put together organizational strategy (district-wide) for the next 5 years.  Talk about really learning the inner workings of our schools. And, in getting to set priorities for the future, I feel like I’ve done a great thing for my community.

Last week, Don and I attended a meeting that gave an in-depth discussion of the buildings and maintenance that will be funded in a November bond election. To be honest, I didn’t know much about a bond election. I only knew that one means (usually) that our taxes are about to go up. The only thing I was absolutely sure of going in was that new schools would need to be built and that we would, more than likely, be rezoned.

The presentation that they gave was incredible. A team of 30 community members have served since December working alongside board employees to make sure that our suburb continues to have not only great schools, but also high functioning facilities with as little waste as possible.

I was so angry when a man seated across from us bashed the process the entire time. He huffed and he puffed and he complained until I nearly had to smack his hand. (Don did great in keeping his mouth shut to this bully, by the way.) The man came in with an agenda that was self-serving and with a bad attitude. Although they answered his concerns several times in the presentations with facts, background information, and projections that went out for the next 12 years … he couldn’t seem to break free of the fact that he was outnumbered.

I really wanted to say to him “Everyone had an opportunity to be on the committee. If you felt THIS strongly about what was going on, why did you not take part?”

I’ve learned through this process that if you REALLY want to be a part of something and if you REALLY feel strongly about your position, there is always a place for you to serve. For me, I thought the PTA was the only place that I could have a voice in the schools. Little did I know that there was a place – a perfect fit for me – where I can have an even greater impact. I just needed to look outside of what I already knew.

And now that I’ve been able to be part of the process, for not only my child, but for every child in my community, I’m even more convinced that I live in the greatest school district in the US.

My kids have always gone to daycare … I mean, they practically went from the hospital nursery to the daycare nursery. For them, it’s been a constant in their life.

I can only remember one time where we seriously contimplated me staying home and that was when we moved to Texas. But for the lifestyle that we enjoy and want to lead, both parents working is the only option. And, truthfully, I have always believed that working makes me a better mom. I’m much more appreciative of our hours as a family in the morning and at night. I believe that I would take that time for granted more often with babies on my hip 24/7.

Our decisions are not everyone’s … and that’s fine. Each family has to decide what is best for them as parents, for them as a family, and for their child. But, for our kids, we have found that the lessons they learned in daycare have made the transition to elementary school so much smoother.

I have parents ask me quite often “How do I pick a center?” I wanted to take a moment and tell you the top 5 things that I would consider:

1. In our case, we have found “You get what you pay for.” That’s not always true. But in our experience, it really has been that way. Although the prices for daycare are daunting (especially with more than one child), remember that you don’t want to skimp on who is responsible for your child all day.

2. Ask about “bumping”. This was a new term to me until I did a short stint in the daycare world. “Bumping” is terminology for moving your child to another class temporarily while teachers take a break or if the number of kids in a class goes over the state maximum. My kids had been in a center for 2 years before I found out that this was a common occurrence. I, personally, only wanted my kids to be with the teacher that I knew. In an emergency, ok … no problem. But, I did not want my kids bumped because the center didn’t plan for adequate staff.

3. We didn’t run into this until we entered the after school world, but ask about the plan for after school care. Is it strictly a childcare service? Will there be a time to complete homework? Is there a curriculum for the after school children?

4. Know the teacher. Know their name and be friendly with them. If they feel comfortable with you, they will feel led to share more and communicate more. The same goes for the rest of the staff. We have had great relationships with the vast majority of our teachers. It works in the favor of your child and in the favor of the teacher.

5. I strongly recommend, if at all possible, choosing a center with cameras in each class. We have had that for the last 3 years. I log in constantly (as do my inlaws). There is a huge level of accountability for the teachers that way. Every thing is on film. Not only is it a safety net for me, it’s a safety net for them. Once I thought I saw something strange with my daughter on the camera. I called the center immediately and asked them to check. It turned out to be a weird shadow and we were able to get the mix up cleared on the spot. It was so nice for me to have that piece of mind. Transversely, my kids  know that I watch those cameras several times during the day. They know that I can see them chatting or not doing their work or being unruly. It keeps them in line too.

Although it’s not for everyone, daycare is a great option for many. If you ask the right questions, stay involved, and do your homework on the center – it can be great for your child.

If you have additional questions, feel free to email me personally {stephanie (at) stephanieclick (dot) com}. And, if your kids are in daycare, use the comments section to share your advice for other parents!

I prayed for this child, and the LORD has granted me what I asked of him. 1 Samuel 1:27

Dear Avery,

I can not ever remember a time when I didn’t want to be a mom. Like so many little girls, I was rarely found without a baby doll on my hip. I had dozens of them … all named and each with their own pretend personality. I prepared myself as a child for the day that you would arrive.

And so it came, June 9, 2003 … the day that I’d waited my whole life for. The birth of a baby to be all mine. Would you be a boy or a girl? Only the ultrasound technician knew – you were a gift from God and our big surprise.

You entered this world so peacefully and easily. I’m not the least bit surprised when I look back now … that’s exactly how you are. Calm, well-behaved, and controlled - even 7 years later.

Little boy, your personality is so much like mine. I can look at you and read you from cover to cover without you uttering a word. I feel your pains and your joys. We have a special bond and friendship because of that, and although it makes me carry your weight a little heavier than I might otherwise, I wouldn’t have it any other way.

I love every little thing about you. Your smile can light up an entire room. I love that when you tell a story, you are so engaged that you can block out the entire world around you. I adore that you pick out the harmony parts to songs on the radio and don’t understand why other’s can’t do that too. I smile when I think about the fact that when you really LOVE something … you love it forever. (How many times have we watched the movie “Cars”? Or listened to the song “Fireflies”?) You love with your whole heart … nothing less.

Most of all, I thank you that even at the age of 7, you are already the glue of our family. It’s you, sweet little boy, that invented “Click Family Game Night”. And even when your dad and I would rather just watch you and Piper play, you are the one that insists that we can only play a 4 player game or it doesn’t count as “Family Game Night”. And, in the end, I’m always glad that you did.

You, Avery, are my joy and light. And, although I shutter at the mere thought of you being 7, I can not wait to see where you go in the future. The world is yours and I’m behind you wherever it takes you.

Happy Birthday, Punky … you’re the sweetest child I’ve ever known.

I love you,
Mommy

First Day of School

The last day of school, as a mom, is always so bittersweet. It’s like a child’s birthday – the end of another milestone. This year was the first time that both of my kids were in school. Avery was in 1st grade and Piper in Kindergarten.

Each child had their sets of challenges and successes. Overall, the year ended on a great note. Avery received several awards at the end of the year and was accepted into the Challenge program. (Our district’s equalivant of a Gifted/Talented program.) Piper is reading like a champ and has completely exceeded all of our expectations.

Over the past few days, I’ve thought so much about this year. Mostly it’s been “where has the time gone?” But, more than that, I have loved looking at the pictures I took on the first day of school compared to the last day of school.

I love how confident the kids look on the last day. I’m so proud of them … they’ve come a long way!

As the school year comes to a close, it’s time to see my baby girl wrap up a year of Kindergarten. It’s been interesting to watch this year play out, because she has been in a private school whereas Avery did Kindergarten in a public school. There are definite advantages and disadvantages to both, but in the end – paying for Piper to enter school a year early has proven to be the right decision. She has blossomed and it has been so fun to watch.

Piper is a social butterfly … or more accurately, a busy-body. (I have NO idea where she gets that.) She has to know everyone’s business. She reports to us each night about who got their work finished on time, who got their name on the board, what boy kissed what girl … she tells it all. It’s so funny to hear her speak all the day’s adventures from a Kindergarten perspective.

If you are at all interested, I made a video of the graduation. I cut out all the deadtime and the singing of the national anthem. (No offense to the gal that sang it – she was very good.) But, the little poems and the song sang by the children … oh my … it’s the cutest thing ever.

This is a book that Avery wrote to me as a class project regarding Mother’s Day. You can learn a lot about how your kids see you from these projects!

I’ve copied this one exactly how it is written:

HAPPY MOTHER’S DAY by Avery

Dedication: To my mom bekaus she is nise to me.

My mom likes puppys, Valentine’s Day, and Christmas. She likes puppys bekus they are cute. My mom also likes Valentine’s Day bekuse she gets lots of cards. And last but not liest she likes Christmas bekus she gets to hafe lots of time with me. My mom likes puppys, Valentine’s Day, and Christmas.

My mom does not like rats, bugs or violent TV. She doesn’t like rats because they are scary. She does not like bugs because they bite. She does not like violent TV because I might watch it. My mom does not like rats, bugs, or violent TV.

My mom looks mad, clean and happy. She looks mad when I get marks. She looks clean when she puts clean clothes on. She looks happy when I clean my room. My mom looks mad, clean and happy.

My mom helps me read, organise, and play video games. My mom helps me read when I can’t read a word. My mom helps me organise when I don’t know what goes were. My mom helps me play video games when I need help getting her email address. My mom helps me read, organise and play video games.

My mom makes me feel happy, sad and loved. My mom makes me feel happy when she takes me to fun places. My mom makes me feel sad when she says no. My mom makes me feel loved when she snuggles with me. My mom makes me feel happy, sad and loved.

About the Author: Hello I am Avery. I like puppys, animals, and my frinds.

Photo by Jackdog2508

We’re having a small summer storm tonight. Light to my suburb, definitely a bit stronger just north of here. 

Like most kids, mine aren’t particularly fond of the storms when they come at night. I always remind them of how good we all sleep when it rains, but they don’t buy it.

As I was putting the kids to bed tonight, Avery asked if these were the same storms that caused all of the flooding in Nashville. Since we have a large circle of family and friends there, he had seen the pictures and devistation of that area. I assured him that these were not the same storms.

Then he asked if these were the same storms that caused the earthquake in Haiti. Obviously, he doesn’t understand the true difference between an earthquake and a thunder storm – but the fear is all the same.

Once again, I assured him that it wasn’t.

This was the first time that I’ve noticed Avery putting together things that he sees on the news with things in his life. We’ve seen so many natural disasters lately it’s no wonder that it would bring up questions. He and Piper pray every morning for the people of Haiti, Chile and Taiwan. I never have to remind them and I love that they remember long after many have forgotten.

I remembered tonight that we had some age-appropriate weather books from last year’s book fair. They covered snow, hurricanes, tornadoes, floods, etc. I think I’ll lay them out tomorrow and give them a look. If they are good, I’ll post the information here. This is one of those cases where the explaining is better left to illustrations!