I asked Hayden what kind of birthday party he wanted, and he went into great detail describing a surprise party (where people hide and jump out and yell “Surprise!”). Which was kind of a surprise to me, but I wanted to make it happen, if I could.
So I invited a couple friends and we went down to Chuck E. Cheese while Ryan and Hayden ran some errands. Once we were ready, Ryan blindfolded Hayden with a knit cap and drove him to CEC. Once they were in the doors, Ryan took off the hat—but the friends were still hiding.
When Hayden passed the kid check, finally we let the other kids run out and shout . . . okay, so they didn’t actually say “Surprise” but they ran out as a surprise.
Hayden . . . wasn’t that surprised? After about 10 seconds, he realized who these people were and was very excited. But it seemed like the biggest surprise was when he saw me with the camera—before he saw his friends.
Ah well. A surprise visit to Chuck E. Cheese makes any six-year-old’s birthday, r
Hayden isn’t just reading—he’s writing, too. He was rambling about putting a period at the end of a sentence, and I stopped him long enough to understand that he knows what a period is.
Then I found this in his backpack: illustrated and written by Hayden himself.
It says “I ate spagetti.” AKA “I a A.” Note the table, plate, and fork in the picture.
So I promptly sat him down at the table and had him write a sentence, using two sight words, a word from a story we’d read that afternoon, and a word he could sound out.
Then we sounded out/practiced his full name on the back and left the note for Dad on his pillow. He was pretty pleased (and surprised!) to get it.
I’d post a video of Hayden reading, but I still don’t have a way to upload videos from my video camera to our newer desktop. Barring that, here is a list of words Hayden read (yes, READ) one evening last week:
Sounding out
bat
black cat
block cut
pin
pen
pan
cob
cap
cub
cup
pup
up
yup
nap
Sight words
like
see
can
no
go
am
he
and
at
it
yes
I
love
you
challenge word: pumpkin
Sentence: I can see like you.
(The sight words came from a school list, and from words I know he knows already; everything else I made up. They’re working on sight words at school, which mystifies me to some extent. When I hear “sight words,” I assume you’d focus on words that aren’t phonetic, and then focus on phonics for the rest of the words. The first sight words Hayden learned [I, am, can, see, like] follow regular phonetic rules. While there’s definitely something to be said for the feeling of accomplishment at reading a whole word, it seems more worthwhile to focus on teaching broadly applicable phonetic rules. I mean, the only reason the kid can read is because I’ve been teaching him his vowel sounds. </rant>)
I’m suitably proud of him. I might be praising him a bit too much. The other night, after he put together a toy, he sighed in satisfaction and said under his breath, “I’m always a genius.” He turned to me and added more loudly, “I’m always thinkin’, Mom!”
Riding to school (It’s just a couple blocks from door to door.)
Saying bye
(The little boy behind him is the one mentioned below)
Walking in
His teacher is the woman leading the line. Ryan said the yellow-shirted man had a college ID, so he might have been a student teacher? I didn’t see him today.
Naturally, Hayden can’t give me a minute-by-minute account of the day, but I’ve gathered that he got to play with play dough, draw a picture of himself, sit criss-cross apple sauce(d) on the multi color carpet with our neighbor in his class, make a new friend (Who greeted him today by saying, “Hey! You! With glasses!” and holding out his arms as if to say “DUUUH, I’m right HERE!” [Ack, I can’t believe my son is “the one in the glasses!”]). Also, there are stars decorating the classroom. Hayden did his screening interview in this room, and at the time he asked if he could write his name on one of the stars hanging from the ceiling. He tells me he doesn’t have a desk, but a table. Tonight is his back to school night, so we’ll get a better idea of what school is really like.
But he was glad to see me at noon:
And I’m not sure when he picked this trick up, but this was the first I’d seen it:
Rachel slept the whole time. Rebecca loved having me to herself: yesterday, we played games, including one number game (the fourth one here), the entire time. I spent less than half an hour straightening up/on the computer. Today, we laid on the floor and snuggled for 2 hours while we watched Curious George and Toy Story. Every time I even sat up, she’d roll over and say in a perfectly innocent voice, “I thought you were going to duggle me.”
I think she needs a picture:
And Rachel, too. The first time she climbed up in the stroller on her own (I think):
She was very adventurous at the park after school today. She was very upset to leave!
Oh, and what you’re really wondering: how did I take it? Ryan actually took off work and we all went down together, and I teared up, but didn’t cry. My friend/neighbor (mother of Hayden’s friend) pointed out that this is kind of the beginning of the end: from here on out, our sphere of influence will only shrink in their lives. Ouch. But I still managed to keep it together. (Another friend’s son told her that “It was the worst day of my life because you left me,” so I think we all handled it pretty well, eh?)
Hayden has now had his teeth inspected, cleaned, and root planed/scaled, his body checked out and shot up with vaccines, and his eyes examined. Yep, he’s all ready for kindergarten.
Yep. Once they get these made, the kid’s got a life sentence. And (almost) clear vision, so we can’t complain too much. He picked out these frames himself. And for evening prayer, he prayed for his glasses to get here safely.
Rebecca saw this picture and laughed. “Why Hayden so c’asee?!” (Crazy) “Why do he weah he g’asses?”
I blame his daddy. Hayden holds the dubious honor of being the only child this optometrist examined for kindergarten screening this year who needed a full exam (and, thus, glasses). But that’s why we do these things, right?
How old were you when you got glasses? And if the answer is never, just wait.
Every so often, I’ll hear one of the kids say something hilarious or adorable while I’m sitting at the computer, and straight away I open up a new post to write down those cute things. Here are some recent things Hayden has said:
“Mom, Rachel just smells like some weird vampire. Those guys are funky!”
“If you break this fourf wall . . .”
Hayden was playing with a truck and announced that it sold “Chocolate fondues!” Rebecca asked “I haf a chockit fonnu?”
Hayden pulled up a picture of Disney princesses on the Internet and called for Rebecca to come over to see “your favorite blog!”
I mentioned last week that Hayden rode bikes with the neighbors. Back and forth on the sidewalk. It’s cute how much they loved it. (It’s also been cold and rainy, so they haven’t had many chances to do this). Over the weekend, I walked Hayden and his bike across the street to play with the little girl his age over there. She got her scooter out and again, they rode back and forth on the sidewalk till we had to go in.
He needs a helmet and really likes his friend’s bell, so I started him on an incentive chart. He can get up to 4 smileys a day in each category: no whining/fits, be nice to sisters, obey quickly, and extra/misc. He’s just about got enough to earn his helmet (horrible that I made him earn his own vital safety equipment, I know—we did have one, but he’s outgrown it). Next on the list to earn: the bell!
He’s very excited about kindergarten in the fall. He’s working hard on his letters. We’re learning letter combinations now, including ck, sh, st and more—so Hayden has actually read his first words this month! (It was see, in case you’re wondering.) I’m so proud! He drew a cow (when we were learning “ow”):
I’m also proud of this adorable picture he drew of Rachel’s lovey, a caterpillar named Cally (both shown here).
He loves to create awesome buildings out of his block sets and cardboard boxes. We’re regularly impressed by the symmetry and balance of his creations. Here’s one of his buildings: the sign on the awning was dictated to me and our friend Brianna. It reads, “Hayden’s Toy Story 3 [it’s a movie theater, but he and Rebecca insist they’re showing Cars 2 on both screens]. Hayden’s Bookstore. Everything is $18. Hayden’s Fanciest Candy Store and Also Necklace Store.”
The gratefuls! Monday:
Our freedoms.
Those who have sacrificed (and are now sacrificing) to preserve those freedoms.
A day off!
Rachel going from hands and feet to just feet without support.
