Connor Turns Five

Kindergarten

Connor seems to be enjoying kindergarten. He seems happy enough to go there every day, though we don't hear a whole lot about what goes on. Today he had to do some work in order to go to the play stations. He cannot remember what the work was.
They started off with lines, shapes, and colors. They are practicing writing and spelling their first names. This week's letter is "L." Connor has some homework related to the /l/ sound. They have some basic sight words to learn. The phonics curriculum is the same he learned last year.
Every day they attend one activity. Monday is P.E., one day is computer lab, one day is music, Thursday is health and fitness, Friday is library.
In the morning he goes with a neighbor to school. We pick him up from after-school care. Next week he will start riding the bus home.
There is only one thing that I don't like. In a matter of days, Connor's speech changed in one MAJOR way: he is pronouncing his I's flat in the good old southern tradition. You know when you read southern vernacular in novels? "Ah" and "mah" for I and my? Connor's got that going on. And I just about died tonight when he said "I cain't." We're both correcting him, but it's not helping! I told him tonight it better change, or we're going to home school.

Rock n Roll Connor

Connor was recently delighted to discover that his father possessed a "rock star" guitar. I don't know where he gets his "rock star" ideas from. Now we are just waiting for Connor to turn five so we can tour the Gibson Guitar Factory.

First Week of School

Connor had a great first week of school, and Thursday was his first soccer practice. Here he is with his coach and teammates. See the four kids in blue jerseys? Quadruplets. There's a set of quadruplets on his team.

Riley accompanied us to the practice. I believe she took this picture, where you can actually see Connor to the coach's left.

And, it looks like Connor's team may soon get another new coach - Connor's dad! Twelve kids under the age of six proved to be a bit much for one coach.

First Day of School

Riley and Connor

Connor Starts School!

last weekend in his first day of school outfit

last night in his new classroom doing a puzzle

He met his teachers last night and really liked his classroom - he didn't want to leave! I promised him he could come back today.

Riley will be in another class down the hall. They are both excited about their first day of school. We are too!

Connor at Work

Connor's been put to work this month, especially in the last two weeks, as both parents prepare libraries and labs for students' return to school. Last week he was very helpful in setting up a new computer lab. He learned how to spell "student" (login password) and proclaimed it a "fun day!"

Another Day at the Movies

Last weekend Connor and friends went to see the movie "Ramona and Beezus." Over the summer Connor has been read or listened to on audio book most of the books in the Ramona Quimby series by Beverly Cleary. He is a big fan. (I can't remember if I mentioned on this blog that during our road trip, we listened to three of the books on CD at least four times each.) So when he heard the movie was released, he was very excited. And since the main characters are girls, we convinced the girls to go with us. Below are a couple of pictures taken in the car en route to the theater.

Incredible Pizza

Soccer

We made it back home, and Connor was elated to see his friends. The first morning he let his dad shave a lot of hair off, which is great now that we're back in the Deep South. "Mommy, it's SO HOT," he kept saying the first day we were back, while running errands. We had not experienced such humidity so far this summer.

I find the short haircut adorable- he looks like a little soccer player- and I know it is much cooler for him.

In fact he will begin playing soccer in August-he is so excited. Upon our return we found a package from Aunt Shannon filled with all kinds of soccer - 3 pairs of cleats (some for him to grow into), 2 pairs of shinguards, soccer shorts, and a brand new soccer ball! Of course he was thrilled. (Thanks, Aunt Shannon!)

In a little while we will have a belated birthday fete for Isabella- we missed her birthday while we were away. There is a pink cake with sprinkles, homemade ice cream, and a big bag full of sidewalk chalk supplies for her.

King Connor

Someone aided and abetted Connor in making a crown yesterday afternoon. Here he is sitting on his "throne."

On Vacation

New Mexico Museum of Natural History & Science

Albuquerque Bio Park

Yesterday Connor toured the Albuquerque Biological Park. This is near the entrance to the zoo.

Connor puts on his armband.

He observes a fountain near the entrance to the aquarium.

Connor feels stingray teeth.

Though it was a long day (9-3), he enjoyed it. His favorite parts were the train rides and seeing the sharks and stingrays at the aquarium.

Connor Hits the Road

Connor is currently on the road and cannot answer your phone calls, e-mails, texts, etc.

Books Connor Has "Read"

1. Charlotte's Web
2. Stuart Little
3. Sideways Stories from Wayside School
4. Wayside School is Falling Down
5. Wayside School Gets a Little Stranger
6. The Mouse and the Motorcycle
7. Ramona the Pest
8. Runaway Ralph

Next up: another Ramona book, or Ralph S. Mouse

Exciting Developments

Connor's parents have been exceedingly busy in the mad rush toward the school year's end, but that hasn't stopped Connor from having lots of fun. Last weekend he renewed family membership to the Memphis Zoo. He is also the proud new owner of a basketball goal that is just his size (photos to come) - something for which he bugged his parents until we finally assented. He is disappointed that he didn't get to play soccer this spring - maybe next year. With the pleasant spring weather as of late, Connor has enjoyed many fun hours playing outside with all the neighbor children. This afternoon a storm is brewing, so he is practicing his Mario skills on the Wii.

Three of them - Connor, Riley, and Mason - will be starting kindergarten in August. Toward this end, Connor got the last of his school immunizations yesterday morning. He was so brave. He got four shots, two in each arm, and barely winced. Later he told me in the car he stated clearly a couple of times that "they really hurted." But he was fine.

This morning, before the field trip departure, he registered for school. He met two of the kindergarten teachers. One of them administered a pre-assessment, and he did well. She said they use the Saxon curriculum, which is somehow related to the Beka curriculum he now learns. His current teacher's children attend this school, and she is angling for Connor to be placed with the teacher her kids had. No matter, it is nice to know someone who is familiar with the school. We have visited a couple of times and all the neighbors attend, but it is nice to hear things from another good teacher.

We have four or five weeks of school remaining. Connor's completion ceremony is in about a month. We can't wait for summer! This has been a tough year, one at least Connor's parents are eager to put behind them. And Connor is looking forward to a break from starting his school day at 6:30 - 6:30! Poor guy. His school next year won't start 'til 8:30; maybe we can work out a way to let him have a more restful start to his day.

Charlotte's Web

Today Connor's class went on a field trip to see the play version of Charlotte's Web. Remember this was his first read-aloud chapter book, and his teacher has been reading it to the class as well. It was great! Everyone's favorite character was Templeton, played by a 6 year-old kindergarten student. After the play, Connor got to get in a picture with him! He was thrilled.

Feb. 13: Birthday Party

A kid in Connor's class at school celebrated his 5th birthday yesterday, and these are some snapshots from the party. The theme was Bakugan. The kids you see here are in his class at school. They had a great time, and Connor crashed from exhaustion once we got home.

For more action photos of Connor this year, be sure to check his dad's Facebook albums.

Connor's Reads

This year in my new job as librarian/reading coordinator, I have been doing more research about reading. I found a book in my library by Jim Trelease, The Read-Aloud Handbook. In it he describes various reading success (some actually miracle) stories, and one notes a mom who was reading Charlotte's Web to her three-year old. "I bet Connor would like that," I thought, and found the three-book E. B. White set put up for him in the attic a couple of years ago. We started reading it before Christmas, but unfortunately forgot to bring it on our holiday vacation. No matter, we picked it back up in January. It took a while, but he really enjoyed it. His dad recommended the animated movie, which we found at our local library, and we watched that. It was really fun to see him so interested in a story that lasted for more than one sitting.

We continued with another book in the set, Stuart Little, which he really loved, and finished that last night. The movie is set to arrive tomorrow. Meanwhile we began Beverly Cleary's The Mouse and the Motorcycle.

Charlotte's Web was one of the books my fourth-grade teacher read to us (she read to us for about a half-hour every day after lunch recess), but this was the first time for me to read Stuart Little. The Mouse and the Motorcycle seems new to me as well, though I'm sure I read other Beverly Cleary books- a couple of years ago I found and read her biography, A Girl from Yamhill- charming. I think I gave it to my mom to read.

Anyway, we are already half through TMATM and have requested the movie. I am wondering what would be good to read next? Any suggestions? We could read more Ralph stories.

Jan. 30 - Another Snow Day

Again staying warm inside, Connor got out his train set and designed a track. He built this completely by himself and was very proud of it.

Jan. 23- Playdate

Last Sat. evening, after a few days of being cooped up inside the house, Connor hosted our neighbors Riley and Isabella for a playdate. You can see Connor writing on the board "the way Miss Sara [his teacher] does." His class was learning the letter "p" last week. This is in his bedroom.

Jan. 10, 2010 - Snow Days

These were our first "snow days" in January. (We were off school Jan. 7th and 8th.) We stayed warm inside. Connor enjoyed playing with his train set. The set began as a gift from the Rose family for his 2nd birthday and was supplemented by a Christmas gift from Maria. Thanks! It has been a favorite.