Parent/Teacher Conferences - our 1st grader

Ah, it's that time of year again when Babe and I must sit with the kids' teachers to find out how fabulous our kids are as well as what said kids need to work on. This is my favorite time because I have the teacher's undivided attention while I pick her brain about how she sees my kids in the six hours, Monday through Friday, that she has him or her. It is during this time that I find out how to help my kids as well as what we can do at home to push them even further ahead in academics. I've never been the Mom who just wants the kids to coast through school, I want them to excel in school and in their strong areas I want to do more so they can be ready for the next level of learning. There's just no reason not to.

I went to Nas's conference first - Babe was out of town on business so he had to miss it. If you don't know Nas you don't know just how unique his personality is. Well it seems his teacher is slowly peeling away the many layers of Nas but still hasn't gotten far enough in to understand how he operates in the classroom setting. Nas talks to himself. Initially she thought he might be playing a game or doing something he'd rather be doing than listening to her talk about writing. But when I considered it, I assumed Nas was probably working out - in his head - just how he was going to attack the assignment. He's a lot like his mother, he processes things a bit slower than others.

Aside from his quirky way of processing directions for a project, she said he's a strong reader (a grade level ahead!) and has gotten more confident in math. SCORE! Reading has always been so important to me - the kids need to be strong readers so that comprehension is not a hindrance to learning. And math?! Last term Nas really struggled with concepts, something I can relate to. I would "get" math, but boy the teacher almost had to BEAT it into me! This term he realizes he doesn't have to be intimidated by math - I'm so grateful for that!

He needs to work on writing, she said. And after I read some of his in-class writing work, I would say he needs to work on writing quite a bit! Nas has this great vocabulary - he has lived in a house with a writer and a sister who is a vocabulary sponge after all - so it seems that would pour over into his writing right? Not so much. So we're working on that along with telling time and counting money.

I love that Nas' teacher, who had Jay when Jay was a 2nd grader, realizes the importance of building on a strong foundation as well as creating strengths in areas of weakness. No need to just stay the same til next school year, let's get crackin' on next school year's lessons TODAY in areas where the kids are strong! So far Nas has had wonderful teachers who, although they may not always understand his inner workings, have always wanted the best for Nas and I pray every school year that the trend continues!

My Crazy Life

Lately I feel like I've been swallowed WHOLE by the busyness of Jay's life, Nas's life, Babe's life, and finally, my life. I've been feeling so scattered, my kitchen counters look just like what I imagine my brain looks like these days: papers from school, Nas's art projects strewn about, mail everywhere, just a chaotic mess! I thought working on myself would help me get things in order but it seems to have only flipped all-things-Natalie upside down!

Babe and I started working on our bedroom because it was just so boring. My final task was to paint ONE wall back in January. You think that's been done? We still have the tester stroke of sage-y green painted on our wall. We both love the color, maybe now, in March, I can get the REST of the wall to match that swatch!

My house used to be a mess - in my eyes - all the time when the kids were really young, but since they've gotten a little older I find it easier to keep things tidy...lol, tidy. Lately? This house has seemed to suck me under like quick sand just the way the rest of my life has! Just looking out of the office doors, where I sit, I can see a bunch of things that need to be taken care of! "Chaos isn't good for your health" says India Arie, well apparently working out to lose the "I put myself on the BOTTOM of my own priority list" weight isn't so healthy either! It's the very thing that is CAUSING the chaos!

Life is good, I really can't complain. But a house where I feel like everywhere I look there's a MESS to tend to makes me NUTTY! And that's just how I feel lately! Scatter brained, can't focus, can barely sit still long enough to blog or read, just crazy. Heck, I'm thankful I'm married to a man who doesn't hound me about cleaning up this and that - THAT would put me over the edge!

This month has to be different. I have to take the bull by the horns and control this life of mine. February felt like life lived me instead of me living my life. Something has got to give and an organized HOUSE is simply NOT an option.