Prayers...

In April, 2010, when Andrew was 2 1/2, a tumor was discovered behind his eye. The tumor was removed, but it was found to be an aggressive cancer. He endured seven months of chemo and six weeks radiation. In December of 2010, the day after his last treatment, he was rushed to the ER with an almost fatal bacterial infection. He survived.

He is now seven-years-old!! I don't visit here much, because during the ordeal, this is where I dumped everything--my rage, my fear, my sadness, my ugly, my hope, my everything. But I want all of you who supported and prayed for us to hear his updates. You helped me survive, and I am deeply thankful. Every once in awhile, I will check in to let you know how he's doing. Please continue to pray that cancer will never return to his body. Thank you.



Saturday, January 15, 2011

Are you as creative as a first grader?

Well, now that my life has not involved daily trips to the doctor, I don't know what to do with myself. 

Soooo, I have been throwing myself into my son's first grade homework.  Is it sad that whenever he gets a less than conventional assignment I can hardly contain myself?  When his homework says, "make a germ model" or "read a book and make a mobile" my eyes light up, my heart beats faster, and there is almost certainly a skip in my step and perhaps even drool in my mouth, but that is probably TMI. 

I've told you before.  I am a nerd.

His latest assignment was "make something new out of something old."  At first I did not feel very inspired, and neither did he.  So we just started by stringing old, previously punctured bottle caps together.  We were just going to make a bottlecap snake and call it done.  But as we were making it (um, I was stringing them, and he was sitting on the floor teasing his brother) I looked at it and thought, "if I bend this in half, these could be legs!" and then we used a water bottle for a body, a clear Christmas ornament for his head, wrapping paper for his clothes, old buttons for eyes, nose, and mouth, green Easter grass for hair, and then Aaron came up with the brilliant idea that he needed a cape.  And that is how "Super Recyclying Man" came to be.  He had a "Please Recycle" emblem on his green tissue paper cape, and was clutching an old Starbucks coffee mitt in his green pipe cleaner arms. I was so proud.  It's embarrassing.

Is it ridiculous that my smile extended from ear to ear and that I couldn't wait for him to come home from school so that he could tell me how the teacher liked it?  I'm telling you, I think something is missing from my life!! :)  I was like a starved animal.

I would show you a picture, but the teacher liked it so much SHE KEPT IT! She gave me him a 5+ and wrote "SO COOL" on the assignment page.   And, as sad as that is, it TOTALLY made my day.  If she ever decides that she can part with him, I will post a picture.

Please tell me I am not the only creatively-starved parent out there, reveling in the praise of their child's first grade teacher.  Or am I?

9 comments:

  1. Oh my! That made me giggle. Now you know to take pictures of any project that he (you) make in the future. I'm dying to see what this thing looked like!
    By the way, congratulations on getting (him) such a good grade! ... ya big nerd. ;)

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  2. Well, that does sound SO COOL. I'd have kept it, too. =>

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  3. I wish I could have seen a picture of it - it sounds amazing and it is SO good to hear you excited and happy - even if it wasn't your grade. I'd give you a A+ any day, every day of the week!

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  4. That's hysterical! I can't wait to see the picture of your.. I mean his project. ;)

    Looks like you're going to have to start doing crafts or re-decorating your house just to use up your creative energy!

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  5. You should ask the teacher if you can take a picture of him holding it (or of *you* holding it lol) in the classroom. I'm super curious to see it.

    I'm with you... My daughter (grade 2) had a project recently that I helped her with. (She wasn't willing to accept much of my help though.) I'm so starved, that praise exclusively for my daughter would even help my deficit (you know -- cause I had a part in making *her* lol...)

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  6. I didn't know how creatively starved I was, but not as a parent...for me! I'm taking an online course right now, and it's me who gets to slop paint all over the floor. It's great fun!
    I can't wait to see Super Recycling Man! I love him already. :)

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  7. Hi!

    I would like to talk to you about an article I wrote that, being a parent, I think you would enjoy (on early childhood education). I'd love it if you could drop me an email quick so I can give you more details if you're interested or if you were interested in new content for your blog.

    Emily
    epatterson@primroseschools.com

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  8. loved your post. I was feeling the same way before I started my businesses.

    www.touchofhomelearning.blogspot.com (activities for 3 to 7 year olds)
    www.custompartiesfromthebox.blogspot.com (custom party planning)
    www.thehickmanfour.blogspot.com (life)

    I am new follower.

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