Another Neighborhood House Fire = Good Deed

Thursday another neighborhood house went down in flames, just down the same street that a house about 2 years ago went down in fire. House was totally engulfed before the firemen got to it. Thankfully none was home at the time and the family dog was saved. We always pass by the house on our bike rides....see the kids and parents out there but never knew who the family was...until the next day. It was a classmate of mine. So without a second thought, I asked a friend of hers what sizes the kids were and what sizes of clothes they needed, including shoes. I went searching to see what I could find in the boxes and bags that were left over from the garage sale last weekend....and sent it off. Even with the money issues we have, some people don't have anything...just the clothes they had on their backs that day. And it feels great thinking I helped a family in need. Id do it again....Only if more would do the same.

School Germs Hit...Cold #1

It only took 2 days for Isaac to catch a cold from school. How he catches things so damn fast, I have no idea. No one in his classroom is sick nor his grade...well the kids who eat lunch with him at school don't(I ate lunch with Isaac Thurs, the day he caught it). So very annoying. Isaac's beginning to remind me of a character on iCarly..."Germy" (Jeremy).
I hope to GOD that this year isn't like anything last year....or else Ill be running for the hills. So if you see a mad woman running, that is I....and please don't stop me, LOL!

National average is 8 (or 8-10) colds a year. I think we rank 18-20. And call me crazy, like my husband thinks...but Im beginning to think he is allergic to school...any school. And call me even more crazier (again, like my husband thinks) that I think this HOUSE is making everyone sick. I have great evidence behind my thoughts.... Yeah, call me a lunatic.

Isaac the....FIRST Grader?!

Its officially official, Isaac's in FIRST grade. I can't believe it either. He was excited as ever to go back and had a fabulous first day (yesterday). He likes his teacher and likes all of his new classmates (but still bummed about having no one in his class from last year). They each have their own date book that they bring home each day for us took look at (possible homework and papers in folder) and sign. Yesterday he wrote in it to "look at my poopers"....LMAO... Poopers? No, PAPERS mom. Papers in my folder." Thought that Id only see this coming from Carson. Wrong.

But it didn't all go smoothly. Traffic. It was like hell battling the traffic in the morning....my comment about it even got into the paper the next day (today). Traffic took away the possible tears from me on his first day back (but they did come later in laughter about poopers...err...papers).

Just a look back to preschool...
Isaac entered preschool with a speech delay. Early in his second year of preschool, the teachers and staff didn't think he had a chance in Kindergarten and told us to think about putting him back a year. Whatever *rolls eyes* ....never underestimate the power of Kindergarten and its teachers!!! When he finished Kindergarten he was at a SECOND GRADE level in reading and a FIRST GRADE level in Math. He LOVED it and SUCCEEDED on time. Why on earth would they even comment that. Good grief.
***What many people don't know is that we pulled him late in his second year and home taught him, including once a week home visit from his speech teacher. He learned more in that half year, than the 2.5 years he was at preschool (started at age 3, actually 2.5). I think THEY should re-evaulate their teaching abilities. It just blew my mind.

First Grade Open House... and a rant

Isaac saw his new room, his own desk, locker (a MUCH skinnier locker), and met his teacher. Sadly, he knew NO one. Absolutely not one kid he knew from his class last year. Out of 21 kids, nobody (and there was 24 kids in his last years class). WTH?! And yet, another student had the same thing happen to her, but at least she had 1 she knew and her mom had the same reaction as we...WTH?! Knowing this is making us upset and sad. Isaac is also bummed about it but is excited to get back. The teacher was humbled and said that they try to have at least have 1 kid from the the same class. And then as we took a walk around the other classrooms we noticed that the other 5 1st grade classes EACH had 3-4 kids from his class last year. We know all about requests and such but that is wrong, not fair, and frankly,...NOT cool. Its making us think that the teacher he got is the teacher that gets the scraps...the kids of parents that didn't request or is the teacher no one wants. Stuff like this makes me want to homeschool more and more, would LOVE to, always would have loved to, but I know my husband and family wouldn't agree or understand and think that homeschooling is wrong and is the devil. I thought the same thing until Isaac went off to preschool (second year). I could go on and on about homeschooling but Ill leave it as that. We will see how the first weeks go. And if he doesn't like the surroundings, the teacher or her teaching, then maybe we'll think about switching teachers. I have a few in mind, but won't make any decisions right away. Isaac will tell us himself.
We would have requested IF we knew a teacher (we should have, and just pulled names of a teacher out of a hat, would have gotten a better chance that is for sure). Thankfully, for the next coming grades, we do KNOW, so this won't be an issue anymore...thank GOD!!!!! Just got to remember that we got the best kindergarten teacher last year and that you can't have everything you want. And of you do, life would be boring and youd never meet anyone new. And chances are, next year he may even be reunited with old classmates while having 'new' classmates as well. But still, pisses me off.