Wednesday, October 15, 2003
I'm behind a bit because Benny's been a little sick. He is now firmly recovered so here is the catch-up. September 31 Benny had preschool and he made the following art projects:
A leaf rubbing.
Some colorful paint.
When I went in to the office to get in line to pick him up, the teacher went back to get him, and then came out looking chagrined. "He won't come," she said to Mr. Steve. Mr. Steve said, "Just give him time, and he'll come out when he's ready." Well, he did come out after a few minutes, and proceeded to hug NOT ONLY MR. STEVE but also both the teachers that were out there, also someone's little brother, me, and then asked to be let back in to the school to hug the other teacher. "Need to hug her in there?" says he. Ahhhh... the child that people used to call "aloof." :) :)
That evening he went to his first big group class in Suzuki violin. His teacher was Ms. Stevens and she was MARVELOUS. I cannot yet understand how these brave souls march into a classroom with a swarm of toddlers (in this case there were 8 I think) where all of said toddlers are armed with a fragile, complicated instrument, part of which is sharp and pointy and shaped like a rapier -- AND YET THEY DO NOT GET FLUSTERED AND FROTHING. They just calmly deal with things as they arise and the children do learn and nobody's violin gets stomped into paste and nobody gets their eye put out with a bow. They are, truly, a breed apart.
Here's a picture of him on the way; he likes to play with my seatbelt.
Here's a picture of the group lesson itself.
In our homeschool we are learning how to write some violin words...
This is what happens when Benny gets to pick his own spelling words. I have been reduced to the level of "studio audience." I appaud when he does something, but that's my only function. He numbers his page and puts the lines on, then he gives himself the word, then he spells it. When we go back over the words, I correct his spelling verbally but that's it. Here are the words: Mama, Benny, Dade (Daddy), clip, clip, teip (tip, and this is becoming a trend when he doesn't know whether to put I or E he puts both), grip, frog, bow, stick. Apart from the first three, these are parts of the bow -- from his favorite song in violin class... called "Where is the bow?"
A leaf rubbing.
Some colorful paint.
When I went in to the office to get in line to pick him up, the teacher went back to get him, and then came out looking chagrined. "He won't come," she said to Mr. Steve. Mr. Steve said, "Just give him time, and he'll come out when he's ready." Well, he did come out after a few minutes, and proceeded to hug NOT ONLY MR. STEVE but also both the teachers that were out there, also someone's little brother, me, and then asked to be let back in to the school to hug the other teacher. "Need to hug her in there?" says he. Ahhhh... the child that people used to call "aloof." :) :)
That evening he went to his first big group class in Suzuki violin. His teacher was Ms. Stevens and she was MARVELOUS. I cannot yet understand how these brave souls march into a classroom with a swarm of toddlers (in this case there were 8 I think) where all of said toddlers are armed with a fragile, complicated instrument, part of which is sharp and pointy and shaped like a rapier -- AND YET THEY DO NOT GET FLUSTERED AND FROTHING. They just calmly deal with things as they arise and the children do learn and nobody's violin gets stomped into paste and nobody gets their eye put out with a bow. They are, truly, a breed apart.
Here's a picture of him on the way; he likes to play with my seatbelt.
Here's a picture of the group lesson itself.
In our homeschool we are learning how to write some violin words...
This is what happens when Benny gets to pick his own spelling words. I have been reduced to the level of "studio audience." I appaud when he does something, but that's my only function. He numbers his page and puts the lines on, then he gives himself the word, then he spells it. When we go back over the words, I correct his spelling verbally but that's it. Here are the words: Mama, Benny, Dade (Daddy), clip, clip, teip (tip, and this is becoming a trend when he doesn't know whether to put I or E he puts both), grip, frog, bow, stick. Apart from the first three, these are parts of the bow -- from his favorite song in violin class... called "Where is the bow?"
