1st Day of 2nd Grade to a New School

When the news about us moving came to Matthew, we were still in the Philippines. I had been thinking for awhile about how to break the news to him, for I wasn’t so sure about how he was going to take it. But then, one day, he overheard about the move from one my conversations with Hubby over Skype.

I gave him the confirmation that indeed we were going to move to Florida and stay with Grandma and Grandpa for awhile, which also means he’s going to transfer to a new school. Surprisingly, he didn’t mind the move at all. And he was excited to transfer to a new school. He did, however, have a little bit of a concern –

Matthew, to Hubby over Skype: “Daddy, if I transfer to a new school, am I going to be Kindergarten again? Cause I don’t want to!”

Hubby, aka Daddy: “No buddy! You’ll be 2nd grade.”

And he was fine!

(I think, it was a valid concern!)

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Matthew, 1st Day of 2nd Grade to a new school

He’s already met his new teacher last week. He said he’s nervous, but he’s fine while he anxiously waited for the school bus.

He has grown so much, so fast! 1st Day of school always breaks my heart. Sigh!

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Turning 7 Years Old

So, today, the day before Matthew turns 7-years old, there are freshly baked cupcakes in the kitchen, all courtesy of Uncle Tom (Thomas).

Matthew, to me: “Are those cupcakes for my birthday?”
Me: “What birthday?”
Matthew: “It’s my birthday tomorrow!”
Me, continuing with my pretend denial: “Is it really?”

Matthew continues to make plans for his birthday, like decorating the cupcakes with lego toys. Matthew doesn’t know, but these cupcakes will be filled with chocolate pudding, frosted and topped with Oreo cookies, and they will be decorated with colorful candles and more … all for his 7th birthday!

Photo taken Aug. 13, 2013, Matthew, the night before he turned 7-years old.

Spring 2013

Such a crazy spring weather today! It’s freezing cold when the wind blows. It’s hot when the sun is out. The wind blows on and off. The sun is out and then gone. The weather just can’t make up its mind! And so, when we were out and about, on our flower-viewing today, we were dressed as if it’s Tacky day.

Photos taken on April 22, 2013.

Fine Day Biking

Fist published in Facebook on April 13, 2013:

Yesterday was a fine day, sunny with moderate clouds. Mark and I were outside. He pointed up and said to me, “Look! Mom! The clouds look like marshmallows.” I looked up. It was, indeed.

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Last night, at bedtime, Matthew was whiny, asked me, “When is my teeth ever gonna fall off? It never falls off.” I just told him – when it’s time.

At 6-years old and almost completing 1st-grade, he has NOT lost a tooth yet, while all his classmates already have. And he’s been really anxious, especially for that visit by the Tooth Fairy!

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This morning, after hearing a commotion between Mathew and Mark, Mark came to me crying, “I don’t like big brother. He made me mad.” Me, thinking – Yes Mark, use your words.

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Matthew (6) and Mark (3) on a gorgeous Saturday. Taken on 2013 Apr 13

It did take a lot of ‘aggressive’ encouragement from me to convince Matthew to practice his biking, but he ended up having a good time.

Mark was more willing. He’s the one with the most fun especially after I took out his tricycle. Mark’s legs are still short for his tricycle. He couldn’t pedal effectively yet, so I ended up pulling the tricycle (with Mark on it) with a rope… Me, tired!

Another Bus Incident

First published in Facebook, January 29, 2013:

Read “When I grow up…”

And once more, Matthew had another episode at the school bus.

Yesterday morning, according to the bus driver, Matthew missed his stop at the elementary school. Matthew, since Kindergarten last year, just like the other youngest/smallest bus riders, sits at the front of the bus at the first or second row. So yesterday morning, after the bus completed its route from the elementary school to the middle school, then to the high school, the driver found Matthew at the front seat right behind the driver seat. Matthew was sleeping!

Matthew still made it to the elementary school in time. Thanks to the school bus driver who didn’t have a choice but to make another round back to the elementary school, just for sleepyhead Matthew.

Matthew (6) and silly Mark (turning-3), Taken Jan. 29, 2013.

When I grow up…

Matthew and Mommy

First published in Facebook, January 18, 2013

While waiting for the school bus…

Matthew (6-yrs old, in 1st-grade): “When I grow up, I’m gonna marry you.”
Me, mortified: “No. Find a nice girl to marry.”
Matthew: “How about my grandma in the Philippines? She’s nice and I love her.”
Me: “No. Find a girl, who loves you, and you love her, and you are good for each other.”
Matthew: “How about Beth? She’s my best friend. Can I marry her?”
Me: “We’ll see.”

The bus arrived and I was left wondering – where this all came from; and if, when the time comes, when he truly understands what ‘marrying someone’ is, will he seek for my approval, will he even bother to tell me … I guess, we’ll see.

FYI, Beth is a 5th/6th-grader, who rides the same bus with Matthew everyday.

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Added on January 22:

It seems like Beth is more to Matthew than I have previously thought. Matthew came home today from school, came down from the school bus – CRYING, because the bus driver didn’t let him sit by Beth … “I only want to sit by Beth …“, he said to me crying. I am heartbroken myself over this, and that he kept crying no matter how I tried to cheer him up. Until he found a letter addressed for him with stickers inside it. The stickers cheered him up!

Is it Fall yet?

Originally posted in Facebook on October 15, 2012:

Matthew and Mark, Photo taken on Oct. 14, 2012

While we were outside yesterday to catch some fresh air…

Matthew (6): “Do you smell that?”
Me: “What?”
Matthew: “I smell something stinky.”

Then he came over to me and started sniffing – me.

Matthew: “No. It’s just a stinky smell in my imagination.”

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This morning, when Mark (2) woke up, he climbed to our bed, woke me up! So he and I had a few Mommy-and-Mark time in bed.

Me, pointing to his eyes: “What is this?”
Mark: “Eyes.”
Me, gently pinching his nose: “What is this?”
Mark: “Nose and boogers.”

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I just love my boys.

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Originally posted in Facebook on October 14, 2012:

Matthew and Mark, Photo taken on Oct. 3, 2012

Matthew, 1st Grade

The 2nd week of school is almost over. Matthew seems to be doing really well in 1st Grade! He’s receiving good-behavior remarks from his teacher consistently, so far. He has told me that, “1st Grade is easier than Kindergarten”, and that, “School is great!”. He has been mentioning a few names like Payton and Michael from his class whom he plays with.

Getting up in the early mornings for school is still hard, eventhough he has an eary bedtime the night before. Bedtime is equally hard, as he whines that he doesn’t want to go to bed yet! He still argues about doing homework. *Sigh! But other than these, which are normal stuffs with kids, it’s been great so far!

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Matthew and Mark’s After School Play

Photo: Matthew (6) and Mark (2), After School Water Play, Taken on August 30, 2012

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I think Matthew and Mark just miss each other during the day, that they play so well after school, not just this time with the water hose, but each time when Matthew arrives from school.

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Originally posted on Facebook, August 21:

Last night, I was tucking Matthew early to bed. For his bedtime prayer, I told him to pray about going to 1st Grade. And then he prayed, “Dear God, I don’t want to go to school.” and gave me a pitiful pout on his face. Shaking my head, in m
y mind, “Here we go again.”

I ended up dictating to him my own prayer – for him to have a wonderful time, a kind and supportive teacher and a good friend in school.

Last school year at Kindergarten, there was more struggle than anything else I could remember. I sincerely pray that this time around in 1st Grade, Matthew will have a much better time.

Originally posted on Facebook, August 23:

Photo: Matthew (6), Taken on August 21, 2012, on the morning of his 1st day of 1st Grade

Yesterday was Matthew’s 2nd day of 1st Grade. After school, when he came down the school bus, the first thing he told me was – he has a new girl friend. He said with glee that – he told her a joke and she laughed at his joke. (This just warmed my heart!) When I asked what her name was, he said, he forgot. (Oh no!)

This morning to cheer him up, I told him to find his new girl friend, and tell her another joke. And it DID cheer him up. (Sigh! He’s growing up so fast!)

Mark misses his big brother! The first thing he does in the morning is look for his big brother. He passes the time cleaning the house and scrubbing the floor with me. (He really does! He picks up some toys while I’m cleaning, and yesterday, while I was scrubbing the kitchen floor, he got his own brush and scrubbed the floor with me. I wish I have a photo to show …)

Photo: Matthew (6) after 2nd Day of school, taken on August 22, 2012 by Mark while playing with Mommy’s iPhone on his big brother Matthew.

Father’s Day

Originally posted in Facebook on June 17:

Father’s Day 2012, Daddy with Matthew (5) and Mark (2)

We got Hubby a hand-finger print painting of a tree for Father’s Day, made especially by Matthew and Mark. (I supervised by telling them where to press their painted little hands.) I think it’s worth mentioning that we made this while the babies were at the bath tub (for mess control!)

We are so blessed to have Hubby a.k.a. Daddy in our lives! Matthew and Mark ADORE him! He is … simply wonderful! He even got seafood (crabs and shrimps) for dinner tonight! 😉

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Originally posted in Facebook on June 19:

Pizza for Father’s Day 2012

or Father’s Day Dinner, Matthew helped me make this homemade cheese and pepperoni pizza! We had this with the seafood that Hubby got that day. #Summer2012-Dish9

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Originally posted in Facebook on June 6:

I was listening so some opera music …

Me, to Hubby: “Isn’t it mesmerizing, this kind of music?”

Hubby (makes a face): “Mesmerizing? Not really. It sounds like someone has a belly ache.”

I just love him to pieces, even MORE these days on his Summer break, when he is home and around us more … to make conversations like this.

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Originally posted in Facebook on June 5:

Awful night! Mark woke up in the middle of the night, again. But this time he was crying and very miserable,…

Then this morning, I woke up to an awful dream. I dreamt, Hubby kicked me out of the house and then I lived with Snooki and the other ‘Jersey Shore’ cast. :O (OMG, I don’t know where this all came from. Hubby and I are fine and I don’t even watch ‘Jersey Shore’.)

It going to be a long dragging day, but I hope not!

Valentine’s Day 2012

Our Valentine Loot!

Valentine Loot

Thanks to Grandma, Grandpa and Uncle Tom for half of these Valentine treats. The other half is from Hubby, a.k.a. Daddy!

At breakfast, when I was opening my Valentine’s card from hubby, which has a wonderful message by the way, Matthew asked, “Where’s my card?“. He has already got his Valentine treats from Daddy, and now he’s looking for a card he never cared for before. Good thing, I made him a heart-card, which I hid in his school bag. It’s for him, but he’s supposed to see it during their Valentine card exchange in school. He read the card. I got a big smile from him. We resealed it and back to the school bag it went. I also gave him the valentines card he and Mark got from Grandma and Grandpa.

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At school, Matthew’s kindergarten class has a ‘wedding‘ event. In order to teach the students that ‘Q’ and ‘u’ are always together in words, they had a wedding. The boys were Mr. Q and the girls were Miss U. I dressed up Matthew as a groom. Parents were invited. We were going to miss it as Hubby had to be out-of-town for his job, and I couldn’t possible get there on my own. (I still don’t drive by myself.) But hubby got back, and so we tried to reach the school in time for the ‘wedding‘. But, we arrived late. The wedding was over. The reception has just started.

At the school gym, when I saw Matthew amongst the crowd, he was clutching on to his teacher. When he saw me, he ran to me, and just about to cry, told me that I missed it. I was very sad, and felt so guilty! I gave him a tight hug, and told him I am so sorry that we came late, and that he looks so handsome with his cut-out top hat. He did and told his Daddy the same thing, with the very-sad-just-about-to-cry expression on his face. (I swear I will never forget that expression my whole life.)

During the reception, we let Matthew have a cupcake and some red juice. We let him play around with his classmates. I wanted to take a picture of Matthew and his ‘bride’, but with busy kids running around, it never happened.

And then we checked him out to go home with us. While Hubby and Mark waited in the car, Matthew and I went to his classroom to pick-up his school bag. At their classroom, he showed me his journal. He was so proud to tell me that he drew one-hundred hearts for Valentine’s Day! I looked at his journal, and looked at the previous days. His entry for February 10th is what caught my eyes, and gave me even more guilty feelings.

Matthew's Journal, February 10, 2012

On the morning of February 10th was ‘Donuts for Dads‘, where dads come over and visit their kids over donuts, and take pictures with their kids. It was a busy day for Hubby at work that day, the he missed it! I didn’t think much of it, and Matthew didn’t even mention about it. I am sure that there are other kid’s dads, who didn’t come, too. I am sure that day, it was a fun filled busy day and they had lots to do in school. But of all the things he could have written about on his journal, he wrote about his dad not being there. Sigh!

Being a parent is so humbling. I swear we try our best to be there for our kids, but it doesn’t always work out. Conflicts in time, schedule and others can be so unavoidable. As sad as this makes me, it’s not even the last time we are going to miss stuffs like these. Sigh!

Life’s conflicts … Sigh!

Matthew in Kindergaten, 100th Day of School

The 100th Day of School had passed weeks ago. Every morning is a struggle to get up and get ready for school, but we have made it to the 100th day with only a few absent days (5 maybe). Matthew has made it a halfway through Kindergarten. I am so proud of him!

Matthew in Kindergarten, 100th Day of School (Photo taken on Jan 27, 2012)

On the 100th Day of School in Matthew’s school, as requested by the teachers, Matthew and the rest of his class were supposed to dress like they are 100-years old. I dressed him up with what he has, a coat and tie! Who can argue that 100-year old people don’t dress this way? When we visited him that day in school, only two students dressed up. I was fussing about this for days, thinking about what he was going to wear. And it turned out that only him and one girl will dress up. Sigh!

Matthew in Kindergarten 100th Day of School

Matthew in Kindergarten 100th Day of School

Photos taken on Jan 27, 2012

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His report card is VERY satisfactory! Matthew comes home with most schoolwork done and mostly good behavior remarks from his teacher. But lately, Matthew had been having trouble finishing his schoolwork. Just in January, he got a ‘Yellow’ (Warning) remark from his teacher on a weekly basis. The reasons include running or being noisy in the hallway, but mostly for not finishing his school work, which is mostly coloring and cutting.

When we met with his teacher recently, she expressed how intelligent Matthew is. He is beyond the state percentile scores, which is awesome. But his time management and priorities are a big concern. He is not causing trouble or being distractive in class when he neglects his schoolworks, but his journaling takes too much of his time. Before this meeting, I didn’t even know that they are journaling, when the teacher would suggest an idea and then the students will try to spell them out, and then interprets this idea with a drawing. Matthew would provide a lot of details in his drawings, way beyond his classmates would, and thus taking so much of his time, that his other school work suffers. On top of that, he doesn’t like coloring and cutting very much to begin with. Sigh!

Previously, I have thought that Matthew doesn’t like doing schoolwork because he was being picked-on by his classmate for his lack of coloring and cutting skills. When Hubby and I visited their class during the 100th day, one of his classmates came over to me and said, “Matthew doesn’t color very well.” This was unprovoked and unsolicited. We were the only parents around that time, and this little kid just came over and said those to me. I just ignored him. But at the back of my mind I was thinking that if he could say that to me, I am sure, he could have easily said this to Matthew as well, a few times or more. This must have affected Matthew’s enthusiasm to finish his coloring and cutting. When I told their teacher about this, she said, she hasn’t noticed this, of Matthew being picked on. She continues to emphasize how Matthew doesn’t play much with his classmates, but would observe them and work on the details of his journal (drawing).

His journal, his detailed drawing, I honestly have not paid it much thought! I have seen him doodle stuffs, but I never really paid much attention to it. Sigh! I didn’t realize much of his thought process are reflected on his drawings, and how detail oriented he is, that he gets it and more! It’s so overwhelming to learn and realized these great qualities about him.

At the end of the meeting, his teacher and I have resolved that she is going to give Matthew all the schoolwork first, and then let him work on his journal. And for me at home, I will include and encourage more journaling in his homework.

Also, there is this lingering issue of Matthew baby-talking! His teacher discourages this! I do, too. But I have absolutely no clue how to make him talk more maturely, and not baby-ish. It’s not like we are baby-talking with him, because we are NOT! But of course, there are those baby talking between him and Mark.

Over all, Matthew’s teacher’s remarks and evaluation of him is very good! I couldn’t be MORE proud of him. And I am so overwhelmed learning about him from the teacher’s point of view.

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On a sad note, a few weeks back, Matthew told me that someone punched him in the stomach, a girl. This made me so sad. I asked the teacher about it. She said, Matthew and a girl from another class were playing around while waiting for the bus. The girl, who doesn’t realize that she’s a lot bigger than Matthew, accidentally hit him. Matthew was hurt, cried. She was disciplined for it, apologized and gave him a hug. I hope this doesn’t happen again.

Kindergarten Musical

Before the Kindergarten Musical Photo Ops

Click here to view more photos.

There was a Kindergarten Musical in Matthew’s class. I was so excited to see the show, where students from the Kindergarten class has songs to sing and poems to recite.

Weeks and days prior, I was worried. Whenever I ask Matthew about his part, he tells me, “I don’t know. ” This worried me! I don’t care if his part has only two word to say or that he is sheep#2 just sitting in the corner. What I care about is that he KNOWS his part. I REALLY don’t want him to look like the kid who looks like he doesn’t know what he’s doing. I didn’t want him to look clueless and confused.

When I told my mother-in-law about my worries, she said that if Matthew turned to look clueless and confused, she’s sure that he won’t be the only one. This was suppose to make me feel better. Although I laughed, it still worried me.

For the longest time I braced myself from not contacting his teacher and not asking her about his part. (And not asking for a copy of the program and details of Matthew’s part, so I can rehearse with Matthew. ) My reason is simply I fear that this kind of interference would backfire on Matthew. That there might be an added expectation from him if I interfered.

Thankfully, on the last few days before the musical, when I asked him again about the musical, he said that they practiced and mentioned a few song titles. Finally, a little hint about the musical, and a hint that somehow he knew what’s coming and what he is doing.

Finally, on the day of the musical, we arrived early! We got a good spot in the audience. Matthew, along with the other early birds, waited at the front by the stage. I am actually amazed at how he behaved while waiting for the starting time. He have minimal fidgetting and he sat there the whole time. Of course, he kept adjusting his santa hat, talking to his seatmate, but he was behaved!

Then the Kindergarten Musical began. I am SO proud of Matthew. He sang songs and recited a poem in chorus. There were a few time he yawned on the stage. There were a lot of times he was just mouthing the words, and he is usually the last one doing the actions. He also got a wardrobe-malfunction while playing with his long sleeves while on stage. But he was there, keeping up with his classmates and he’s got presence. He was right in front, and he can’t be missed.

Matthew (5)

I wish there was better lighting on the stage! I could have gotten better and brighter pictures. I am so disappointed at the awful pictures I took!

Thankfully, I brought with us the video camera. Hubby took videos religiously. It was so fun to watch. I can’t believe how much Matthew has grown and that we he survived his very first musical on stage.