Parent-teacher conference...

Our Littlest Angels Preschool - 3-4 year old class

So, we had the opportunity to experience parent-teacher conferences for the first time this week. It was quite interesting to be on the other side of the table. Instead of sharing the information with curious parents, I was the curious parent. Let me begin by saying that we were not sure what to expect out of this meeting. Brian was expecting the worse because Hayden doesn't always remember to wear his halo to school...if you know what I mean. He has challenged his teachers a few times this year. As we were waiting for the conference before us to finish, we overheard them talking about kindergarten options for their child...hello...they're three!!! Brian and I just wanted to hear that our kid is of at least average intelligence and behaving. We aren't even thinking about kindergarten yet! Are we shooting too low? When it was our turn, we were usured to seats that were, I kid you not, 12" tall! It is a good thing that I'm not pregnant anymore or I'd still be there! Ms. Leann showed us a skills checklist that she compiled for Hayden. It told what he had mastered, what he was making progress on, and what was weak. Thankfully, he didn't have any weaknesses. He has mastered almost all of the academic and self-help skills. She pointed out that his areas that need the most work are his listening, following directions, and keeping his hands to himself. She said that if they could get him to quit arresting and pretend handcuffing all of the other kids during free play time, that would be a plus. She said that he also sings "Bad Boys" as he runs around the big room. Brian was cracking up! She also shared that Hayden has taken on the role of foreman in the classroom. For example, when the kids are told to clean up, Hayden says "Ms. Leann said that it is time for everyone to clean up. You need to clean that ___ up." When she asks Hayden what he is doing, he says "I'm telling everyone that you said it's time to clean up." He is finding it more enjoyable to boss people around than to pitch in and help. Wonder where he got that type A personality? One other cute thing she shared was that she asked the kids to show off their cutting skills by cutting on various lines that had animals standing on top of them. She said that Hayden started to cut and then stopped and told her that he couldn't cut on the line. When she asked him why, he said "I might cut the bear's foot!" He said that he thought he could cut under the line instead. When she showed us his work, all of the lines were cut about 1/4" below the line. What a compassionate little cutter he is! We left the conference feeling good about the progress he made this year. I'm not sure if any other parents were as amused with the report they got as we were, but we got some laughs out of the stories she had to tell. We know now that Hayden acts exactly the same at school as he does at home.

A quick update on Miss Lauren...she had a doctor's appointment on Friday and weighed in at 12.5 pounds. She is now 23.5 inches long as well. She is at the top of both the height and weight charts at this point. Guess she's getting enough to eat! I'll try to post a bunch of pictures of her soon. She is just as cute as can be!

We hope you are wrapping your week up well and enjoying today's sunshine!