Parent Teacher Conferences Part 2

Maggie writes her name:

Maggie draws her family:


Maggie's self portrait:

Parent-Teacher Conferences

We had our first Parent-Teacher Conference for Maggie at preschool today. It went very well. They really enjoy having Maggie in preschool. They did recommend keeping her in the 2 days a week next year as she is still small and a little less mature than the older kids in the class. She is about a head shorter than many of the kids and the majority of her class is already 4. However, they also told us that Maggie is very bright and probably could have passed the test they gave to the 3 day class. Her fine motor skills are very good -- though she won't try to write letters at home, she does love to draw on her "board" (art easel) and cut with her blue scissors.

Miss Kim and Miss Suzanne did an evaluation with her and I could just hear Maggie throughout. During the evaluation they asked Maggie her name and age. Maggie apparently doesn't know her last name -- even though when we were in Virginia she did, mostly because there was another Maggie in her class there. She also doesn't like to clean and tends to wander to another area during clean up time. I have NO idea where she get that from (couldn't possibly be me!). She counted to ten (on her fingers) and then to 20 for them, leaving out 15 as always. She could write her name following dots, but alone it was mostly circles, which she loves to draw. She answered all their questions very well, though forgot her dog at home Otis when asked about a pet and instead named her passed away goldfish "Orange." I will also have to scan in her drawings of us and her self-portrait.

They didn't seem too bothered by Maggie's poopy issues. And she did tell Miss Kim about the deal: if she poops on the potty 5 times, she gets a fish (and she will also tell you the fish is at the fish store). So far, we have 3 successes. I think it's all about control and stubborness. Again, I just don't know where she gets that from.

All in all, I'm very happy we did decide to send Maggie to preschool this year. She loves it and even has a song about her preschool art "I made it in preschoool; I made it in preschool."

Resolution Update

1. Find a new church home: We attended a downtown Methodist Church last weekend. It started out really well and rather exciting. The pastor (or who we THOUGHT was the pastor) was energetic, the music was fun. Then we found out this was just the opening act. We think he was the Youth Pastor, which begs the question: why are Youth Pastors the only ones trying to make church fun and creative??
2. Lose weight/exercise more: I took a few days off for the wedding and am back on track. I LOVE Wii Fit Boxing, but I need more work to get enough points for the trainer to stop telling me "You can do better than THAT!"
3. Eat healthier: I'm trying! Of course, I really really want to try this 5 cheese and Mac that was showcased on "Ultimate Recipe Showdown." And it doesn't appear to be "healthy" eating. I think it might be good with some spinach, but Rocky has already asked me if I'm going to make the recipe or if I'm going to attempt, but just use what I've got in the kitchen (if I did, it would only be 1 cheese, so I do have to get a couple more cheeses first).
4. Eating at the table: It's so nice to eat at the table. Maggie loves to help set the table and got a little upset with me the other night when I put the plates on before she could. We are working on manners and we are requiring Maggie to ask to be excused before she leaves the table. Usually it goes:

Maggie: I'm done! (starts to get down from her chair)
Rocky: Maggie, how do you ask?
Maggie: Please! I'm 'cused! I'm done!

Wedding Pictures

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The cousins had a lot of fun at the hotel after the wedding!

A Valentine's Day Wedding

Last weekend, we trekked back to South Dakota for my sister's wedding! We have been expecting this day to come for about 10 years and they finally took the plunge -- and in public. Rocky and I took the 13th off to drive to Watertown -- we saved some money by spending 2 nights with his folks. Of course, Grandma Bonnie and Grandpa Mike were more than happy to put up with us for a couple of nights! Maggie was thrilled to see Grandpa, who is her "friend." "Gwampa, are you my fwiend? Grab my hands! Grab my feet!" which is code for "throw me around a little thanks."

We drove down to Sioux Falls on Saturday and arrived with some time to check into the hotel and grab some lunch. Holly had warned us that Jeff's family is always late, but after talking with Dad, decided to head to the church around 12:30. Rocky had agreed to take pictures and had hoped to take a few before. He did have plenty of time to get the lay of the church :) Maggie enjoyed playing on the unplugged organ. She was excited to see her cousins because we were all going swimming in the pool after the reception. Cousin Jeffery was sound asleep when they did arrive and Maggie didn't mind me holding him at all. Jeffery is only about a head shorter than Maggie and 2 years younger! Maggie was not as excited to see Uncle Ardie and Aunt Jeanne -- Maggie is not a big fan of strange men.

The wedding was simple and beautiful! My sister attends a Bapist Church full of what my dad would call "Holy Rollers." It was the noisiest wedding I think I've ever been to. Growing up Presbyterian, there were not a lot of "Hallalujahs" or "Praise Jesus"es coming from the congregation or pulpit! Yet, Maggie fell asleep and napped through the entire wedding and most of the reception. Uncle Ardie jumped at the chance to hold Maggie while we took pictures after the ceremony. It was really nice to see all of the friends and family that turned out to support Holly and Jeffery. The church seemed to take care of everything and made sure very few had to get up to get some food. In my mind, this is exactly what the church is to do: give loving support to their congregants and be sure no one is left out (as a church home seeker, I don't see this enough).

Rocky took over 700 photos and is slowly making his way through them. The professional that he is, he is not going to just send out 700 photos without making certian they are top notch.

After the reception, Holly brought Jada and Jeffery to the hotel and Jada and Maggie had a blast playing in the pool. There must have been a lot of weddings that day as there were a lot of kids in the pool! Maggie started singing while we were swimming "Swim swim swim, bano bano, swim swim swim." It took me a while to figure out she was singing what she had learned from "Diego." (Bano is the Spanish word for Swim.)

After swimming, the kids played in the hotel rooms (Mom had an adjoining hotel room with ours) and watched movies. Grandma Alana had brought treats, so I'm sure the cleaning staff loved the Cheeto stained sheets when we left!

We went back to Watertown Sunday afternoon. Rocky's brother Joe was there, and soon Natalie and Dick and family arrived. Tammy, Alyssa, Haylee, Amy and Taylor arrived in time for supper as well. Maggie loved playing with all of her cousins. I enjoyed playing cards with the some of the family. And Rocky got his mom all set up on Facebook.

It was a good trip, short, but always fun. It is nice to be able to live close enough to make these trips. Once Rocky finishes with his photos I'll add some here.

The effin' key!

Maggie came crying up the stairs tonight. When I asked her what was wrong, she replied "Daddy broke the computer!" I thought that was odd, but assumed that Daddy might have taken the computer or an electronic toy away from her.

We went downstairs and Rocky said "Maggie broke my laptop." How? She pulled the F key off! Apparently, as Rocky was trying to fix his flash for my sister's wedding, Maggie decided to check out the laptop. She turned to Rocky and said "Daddy, I need some hewp." There she stood with the key in hand. She did eventually say "Daddy, I SO sowy" and will tell you that "I bwoke the computer" if you ask.

Disney Live!

I received an email late last week from a colleague at the Gazette asking if I would be interested in Disney Live tickets. I had been debating purchasing tickets as I knew Maggie would enjoy the show, but didn't buy any because of the cost. I figured to really enjoy the show, you need to be on the lower level -- and I was right. I took the colleague up on the offer and Maggie and I enjoyed Disney Live this afternoon (Rocky had class).

The show featured Mickey Mouse & friends, Winnie the Pooh, Little Einsteins and Handy Manny. Maggie's eyes just lit up when she recognized a character -- mostly those in full costume. Actors portrayed the Little Einsteins (they weren't the best match for the kids), Darby from the new Pooh show and everyone (but the tools) with Handy Manny. Both Darby and the folks with Handy Manny were pretty good matches. But Maggie knew all the songs and we sang and clapped along. I was surprised at what she noticed -- during the first scene with Pooh, she asked me where Buster the dog was. And she really got excited about Handy Manny -- they did a lot of dancing.

Maggie clung pretty tight to me through the first half of the show. The intermission was 15-20 minutes long. Maggie noticed the other kids with souvenirs and candy, but only asked for candy once. I told her if she was good through the rest of the show, we would get something after. If I had brought cash, I might have gotten her something then, but I didn't and she was very good. The second half of the show saw a lot of kids getting up and dancing, especially the "hot dog" dance. It only took Maggie a few minutes to join the preschool "mosh" pit.

As we left, I got her some Handy Manny cotton candy, which came with a sun hat. Of course, they had all sorts of toys there right at kid eye level and the concessionaire saw Maggie reach for the cell phone. I said no, and she seemed happy with her candy and hat (though she wouldn't keep it on long enough for a photo). I had hoped they would be selling balloons or the like, but it was mostly stuff that looked like you could get it at the Disney Store (not that we have one here, but I wasn't about to pay $30 for a stuffed Pooh Bear).

Maggie talked all the way home about the show. She told me "That was a really good movie/show" several times and has already asked to see Mickey Mouse 3 times. I'm very happy that we live where we have access to these kinds of shows. It was cheesy and silly and every thing that a preschooler will love. While she probably won't remember it (or much of it anyway), I will and I will always remember watching her little face light up at the sight of Mickey Mouse.

Maggie-isms

• Last night, Maggie was looking at some photos on the wall, which includes some wedding photos. She said: "Daddy, you look like a man! Mommy, Mommy looks like a princess!"
• When I drop Maggie off at day care, part of our routine is reading a story before I leave. This morning, we read a book about bugs. When we got to the snail page, Maggie said "Mommy, look! A snail! A snail slides on his belly, like a penguin!" When we got to the roly poly bug page, she said "Mommy, look! A roly-poly! He's like an armadillo!"
• We are still working on pooping on the potty at daycare. We think there may have been success today. Rocky picked up Maggie and she was in the same underwear as this morning. Rocky asked her if she pooped on the potty and she responded "Ya know, I really couldn't say." Usually she either tells us "I don't poop on the potty at daycare/preschool" or "Umm, Yes!" We are going to assume there was success today.

A shout out to my husband

I have a wonderful husband. He cleans the house. He helped Maggie with her "Shining Star" poster (because it had to be the best). I love him for many many reasons, but right now, number one reason is last night. I was in a bit of a mood last night. We ate leftovers for dinner in front of the TV and without a word to me, he took our dishes upstairs and cleaned up the kitchen. THEN, he let Maggie play in the office while he worked. THEN, he put Maggie to bed and snuggled with her. I really really love him and glad I married him.