I am now the mother of my fourth second grader.
That is right I have seen three children through second grade and I am currently on my fourth.
Second grade is an awesome year. The kids are reading and their learning is really taking off.
Happily, all of my kids have excelled in the second grade. I was pretty sure I had this second grade thing down. Like I said THIS IS my fourth time through (well technically speaking I was second grader once upon a time so it is my fifth time through).
Turns out I may have been a bit naive about second grade. Before I get to the current issue let's review.
First up S. second grade. We had been living in Utah for a whole year and she was thriving. At the end of first grade she had completed all the levels of swim lessons and was now on the swim team. She loved swimming and her only goal was to have fun with her best swim pal Sophia and to beat Sophia's big brother in the pool. Stupid boy was not going to swim faster than her. S. was an excellent reader and kicked AR butt racking up over a 100 AR points before the end of the school year. At recess S. and her friends played Kim Possible where they saved the universe.
Second up A. In the middle of first grade we moved into our current house. A. finished up first grade at his old school and started a brand new school in second grade. A. was a quiet kid who was enjoying his first year of soccer but his real love was reading. I'm not even sure how many AR points he earned by the end of the year but I do remember he loved BIG books. In second grade he read all of the Harry Potter books that were out and Eragon. He spent many, many, hours reading. In fact that year he won an award for reading the most hours in the entire school.
Third up Al. By the time Al started third grade I thought she was going to be the child to give me a run for my money. She didn't really like reading, she didn't like swimming, she didn't like dancing, and it was becoming increasingly obvious that soccer wasn't her thang either. However, she did like friends. Second grade was full of friends and singing. The surprise came when she took off in math. She was one of two students to pass off all of her fast math in subtraction and addition and start on multiplication before the year ended.
Now, before I move on to my fourth child let's review. So far all of the kids are enjoying SOME kind of activity, they are all doing well in school, and none of them have anything to do with the opposite sex. Well, except for S. who just wanted to beat them in races.
Fourth up H. Look at this boy! He is my baby; he has me wrapped around his pinky with just one look at those brown eyes. He is rocking the second grade. His scores are off the charts and he is a genius (I'm the mom I get to say this stuff). However, H. hates tests. HATES!! His current AR score is 9. Yup, 9 points! I would like for him to enjoy reading but Al has certainly taught me that not loving reading is not the end of the world. However, last night he came home and told me that a girl at school likes him.
(silence)
What?
A girl at school likes me?
(silence)
A girl at school likes you? (Said with much anxiety)
Yup!
Doesn't she know that you are only in second grade and she is too young to like boys?
(Looking at me Quizzically) I don't think so.
Well tell her you can't date until you're thirty, I mean thirty two, I mean thirty four... Tell her that I said you can NEVER date.
(Laughing) She chases me at recess but I'm faster she can't catch me.
Girls! Really, really do I have to think about this? Do I really have to deal with this?
You're thinking, no, he is second grade you don't have to deal with this it is harmless. But you don't realize that NONE of my other kids have liked girls/boys in the second grade.
I'm concerned that he is starting this business a little too young. What if this is just the beginning of this girl/boy nonsense in my house? Is it really beginning with my second grader?
As you can see I'm completely throwing my rule out the window. Well, kind of because H. didn't make me laugh so therefore I can freak out.
WHAT?
I can't freak out. Fine, I'm not going to freak out but I'm going to be watching this little girl and she can chase H. but she has to wait about 20 more years before she catches him.
That is right I have seen three children through second grade and I am currently on my fourth.
Second grade is an awesome year. The kids are reading and their learning is really taking off.
Happily, all of my kids have excelled in the second grade. I was pretty sure I had this second grade thing down. Like I said THIS IS my fourth time through (well technically speaking I was second grader once upon a time so it is my fifth time through).
Turns out I may have been a bit naive about second grade. Before I get to the current issue let's review.
First up S. second grade. We had been living in Utah for a whole year and she was thriving. At the end of first grade she had completed all the levels of swim lessons and was now on the swim team. She loved swimming and her only goal was to have fun with her best swim pal Sophia and to beat Sophia's big brother in the pool. Stupid boy was not going to swim faster than her. S. was an excellent reader and kicked AR butt racking up over a 100 AR points before the end of the school year. At recess S. and her friends played Kim Possible where they saved the universe.
Second up A. In the middle of first grade we moved into our current house. A. finished up first grade at his old school and started a brand new school in second grade. A. was a quiet kid who was enjoying his first year of soccer but his real love was reading. I'm not even sure how many AR points he earned by the end of the year but I do remember he loved BIG books. In second grade he read all of the Harry Potter books that were out and Eragon. He spent many, many, hours reading. In fact that year he won an award for reading the most hours in the entire school.
Third up Al. By the time Al started third grade I thought she was going to be the child to give me a run for my money. She didn't really like reading, she didn't like swimming, she didn't like dancing, and it was becoming increasingly obvious that soccer wasn't her thang either. However, she did like friends. Second grade was full of friends and singing. The surprise came when she took off in math. She was one of two students to pass off all of her fast math in subtraction and addition and start on multiplication before the year ended.
Now, before I move on to my fourth child let's review. So far all of the kids are enjoying SOME kind of activity, they are all doing well in school, and none of them have anything to do with the opposite sex. Well, except for S. who just wanted to beat them in races.
Fourth up H. Look at this boy! He is my baby; he has me wrapped around his pinky with just one look at those brown eyes. He is rocking the second grade. His scores are off the charts and he is a genius (I'm the mom I get to say this stuff). However, H. hates tests. HATES!! His current AR score is 9. Yup, 9 points! I would like for him to enjoy reading but Al has certainly taught me that not loving reading is not the end of the world. However, last night he came home and told me that a girl at school likes him.
A girl at school likes me?
A girl at school likes you? (Said with much anxiety)
Yup!
Doesn't she know that you are only in second grade and she is too young to like boys?
(Looking at me Quizzically) I don't think so.
Well tell her you can't date until you're thirty, I mean thirty two, I mean thirty four... Tell her that I said you can NEVER date.
(Laughing) She chases me at recess but I'm faster she can't catch me.
Girls! Really, really do I have to think about this? Do I really have to deal with this?
You're thinking, no, he is second grade you don't have to deal with this it is harmless. But you don't realize that NONE of my other kids have liked girls/boys in the second grade.
I'm concerned that he is starting this business a little too young. What if this is just the beginning of this girl/boy nonsense in my house? Is it really beginning with my second grader?
As you can see I'm completely throwing my rule out the window. Well, kind of because H. didn't make me laugh so therefore I can freak out.
WHAT?
I can't freak out. Fine, I'm not going to freak out but I'm going to be watching this little girl and she can chase H. but she has to wait about 20 more years before she catches him.
Comments
He loved her... he picked flowers from the yard for her every day before class, they exchanged numbers but neither her parents nor Russ and I were willing to let them call eachother. When summer vacation came early for Madeline, he saw no purpose in going to school any longer. KINDERGARTEN!!!
Now they are more than half way through first grade. Guess what... they still like each other. We've had a couple of broken hearted moments; she teased him at recess and he resolved to never speak to her again... but then he let her use the bigger white board and the pink marker, and she said thank you... and all was forgiven. Every morning they wait for the other before school and then race to class together. It's sweet... but it'll give you grey hair!!
Good luck with H. Just remember, you didn't marry your 2nd grade love so chances are H won't either.
Willow
p.s. Zach has been planning his marriage to Maaaaaadaalynn for more than a year. He said, "When we get married I will kiss her anytime I want."
I told him, "no sweety, when you get married you can kiss her anytime she wants." He's talked of marriage less since then. ;)
So I'm just pretending there was no note. Maybe it will just all go away. What is with these aggressive girls anyway? Sheesh. Keep running Henry!!!