Because she stirs me...

I want to share with you:

http://kissesfromkatie.blogspot.com/2009/11/we-have-had-one-of-those-really-great.html

Holiday Art Sale

Buy a pack of note cards, get one 1/2 off.

Buy a print, get one 1/2 off.

Buy an original piece of art ($35 or more) and get a pack of note cards free.

See my art blog for more details and to view work!

http://fineartbyhmk.blogspot.com/

*all sales will be helpful in paying off our remaining adoption debt.... thank you!

By Bereket

Just an example of how far she's come since the beginning of the school year, when she could only write and recognize her own name.

Parent Teacher Conference

We had Bereket's PTC last night, and it went well. No surprises, so that was good. At the beginning of the year we were worried a little bit about putting her in 1st grade; I wasn't really concerned that she wouldn't be able to catch up, but I was worried about her deciding she felt dumb or didn't like school because of where she stood compared to her classmates.

Thankfully, she has loved school from the beginning. We got to meet with both her classroom teacher and her reading recovery teacher last night. They both said that Bereket has made amazing progress since the beginning of the school year, and though she currently falls in the bottom 1/3 of the class in writing/reading/math, they do not see any reason why she won't be caught up to her peers by the end of the year, and be ready for the 2nd grade. They both love to teach her and said that she works really hard, wanting to do everything and not wanting to miss out on any activity. At times she lacks confidence in her writing and reading ability, but that she is starting to blossom in this area.

We didn't get to meet with her ESL teacher last night, but I did meet w/ her last week when I came to observe one of Bereket's ESL sessions. Bereket is no longer resisting going with Mrs. K for ESL services, so that's good. In the beginning she was crying and being very stubborn about going with Mrs. K. Her classroom teacher said she would have to keep her eye on Bereket until she was out the door with Mrs. K, or else Bereket would turn midway to the door and find somewhere else in the classroom to disappear to! Bereket was having a very hard time understanding Mrs. K because Mrs. K is from Venezuela and has a fairly thick accent. B's ears have since become attuned and she understands Mrs. K just fine now. She told me the other day: "Mom, I think Mrs. K is learning how to talk in English a little bit better now!" Oh did I get a good chuckle out of that!

So all in all, we're very pleased with how Bereket is doing in the 1st grade and with how much progress she's made in such a short amount of time. We're continuing to do our part at home with her as well... reading every night, practicing sight words, practicing a bit of writing and math too.

Table Manners

At our house we emphasize eating with your mouth closed.... waiting until you've swallowed before you speak... you know... the basics. When Bereket first came home, she ate with her mouth wide open, food falling out everywhere.. in her lap, all over the table, chair, and floor. It was amazing... like they say with a 1 yr old; more food ended up everywhere else rather than in her stomach. ;) Not only that, but she was LOUD, smacking her lips and slurping and in general having a grand time.

At first she was angry about our repeated requests to chew w/ her mouth closed, but before too long (a few months) she would simply close her mouth with a simple "oops, I forgot!" and it was no biggie. She quickly progressed and has become a fairly neat and quiet eater... I'd say typical of a 6 or 7 year old. *wink*

The other night she was excited at dinner time and began talking with her mouth full of food, little bits falling out, giving me a front row seat to the performance going on inside her mouth. I gently reminded her to close her mouth and finish chewing and swallowing before she continued on with her story. So she did... and then we had this conversation:

"But mom, why do I hear other kids at school chewing with their mouths open all the time?"

Because they haven't learned yet that they are supposed to keep their mouths closed when they are chewing.

"Does Jesus want us to chew with our mouth closed?"

Um. Um. Um. Well, the Bible doesn't say anything about that, but here in the United States, it IS the polite thing to do.

You just never know what your kids are going to ask you!