Teacher + Parent = Child Success

Have you heard the saying it takes a village to raise a child? I never knew that saying was so true until today. Maybe the saying should be it takes a parent and a good teacher to lead to your child's success. While we may have the no child left behind act my son could of still fallen between the cracks if I wasn't such an annoying parent I think. But my son does have speech, and learning disability so when asking him how his day went its kind of confusing. So it made sense that I want to know everyday how his was? Right? I would of seriously done that, but I didn't...well I tried not to. I didn't want to come off too OCP that stands for Obsessive Compulsive Parenting.

My boy now is in first grade, and at progress report/report card time last year it was not good. If he didn't improve in second quarter he probably would not pass 1st grade. My heart sank and I felt I failed him. The school can only do so much. I need to work with him at home too, and I got a cold reminder of this. I knew this and I slacked on my parental duties. No way was I going to let my son fall behind. I was not going to yell at him either, or ground him.We were in this together. His biggest worry was Reading at the time or progress report/ report card last year he was way way below his level. He also would throw tantrums at the sight of a book like it was his kryptonite. I devised a reading method where got him books I knew he could read which were his kindergarten books. He would read two of those so he was feeling pretty confident. I'd then sneak in a harder book. I did this till we are now reading full bigger books. I am now proud to say as of current in the latest progress report my son is now reading at first grade level. Could even be the best reader at the end of the school year out of the whole class. "Seriously?" My son beams with pride. I just can not believe it. To me this shows that it take both a parent and a teacher to teach our children how to truly soar in education.

*** Parenting Confession*** To be honest there have been times where I just didn't want to practice writing, or reading with my son. I just did not want to put up with the rebel. It be a lot easier to just let him watch TV. Could not do that though we had to conquer the reading beast! Oh while he is doing so good in school still does not stop him from being grounded when you do wrong so mama says!

How Single Motherhood Going so Far

Motherhood is an amazing experience and you never stop learning. You never become a pro at for at every age you encounter new experiences, new obstacles. It doesn't matter if you have done it all before for every little human life is different and filled with new surprises. Our children come from us but they are NOT us. They are not our clones they are their own individual with hopes dreams and ideas all their own. SO how is being a Single Mother so far? Being a single mom has kind of lost all meaning. It is all just about being a new mom. I am still a new mom for every age comes with new challenges and experiences. My little individual is now in first grade, and he is soon going to be 7 years old. I stop and take a look outside myself to see this person that has sprang from me. I just can not believe it! This little boy came from me I made him! I nurtured him inside me for 9 months. There are days I love him to bits, and then there are days where he challenges me oh so much and I wonder what I was thinking! Then as I tuck him into bed and he says. "Mom I love you." I am then reminded perhaps that is why. I wanted someone to grow and take care of. Leave legacy of me perhaps.

As Summer Comes to and End

Ahh summer vacation is coming to and end and school will be starting again. Been awhile since I blogged. The summer has be non-eventful really. Though we did get to go out of town to the lake. I am not sure why I did not enroll him into some summer fun activity because its been a VERY LOOOONG summer. I thought me, and my son could have a nice family summer together. Things never work out like you planned in your head do they? Still the lowly single mom writer that I am(that's me!) we have no Internet at home anymore so I go to the local coffee shop everyday to get my work orders and business been busy, and slow then busy again. Why did I not enroll him in some summer camp I do not know. My son is a people person unlike me. As my Mother once said I am like Greta Garbo with "I vant to be alone." The boy is an only child you's think he'd be used to this by now, but he is not.

He is a child who would do well with many siblings. He has even asked for a sibling. While other kids may be fine with just them and their parent(s) but then Mom goes and ruins it all by having another kid making them feel left out. I think my own brother was that way, but I digress am a tired mom who can not wait for school to start again.

Okay with Single Motherhood

After weeks of rain the sun has come out today, and as I got my son ready for school for some odd reason I reflected my on my life a bit as the morning sun streamed through the windows of our home. I am okay with single motherhood. It's like second nature to me. My mom was a single mother, my sister was a single mother too till she found her husband. Now I am a single mom, and I really can not image my life any different. I did for awhile hope to find love again. I did dream about getting married maybe someday. I guess there still is that little hope in me, but to be honest I am kind of fine if I never do. After so many attempts of trying to "date again" It is really stressful, and I got a happy level of stress in my life right now so I do not want to add more. Me and Zachery are doing just fine just me and him. At this point I am not sure another person in our lives will be a good thing. Zachery is happy with just him and Mom. For a male presence he has forever his beloved uncle who gives him money when he does good in school, and he has his cousin Mark who wrestles with him(much to mom's distress). He has got the balance that he needs.

Zachery has also stopped asking me to find a husband too so he can have a daddy. I think he now knows now what it entails, and he does not want to share mom. He does not even like when they family cat crawls up on my lap! When I was growing up I did not have a Father really either. He did pop in and out which probably has impacted me, and made me the neurotic person I am today. I really did not have a male figure really in my life like my son does, though I did have an older brother. We were apparently close too. In fact his name was my first word. Our closeness was when I baby and very young. He was much older so I was still young when he moved out out to have his own life. So I am okay with single Motherhood, and even though I feel alone in certain areas of this life I do still have my family by my side. Even though they do not see the world as I see it we do agree on the love and raising of this little boy that I have been blessed with. To my Lord I say thank you.

Hearing Your Child Read for the First Time

I wondered if I was the only mother ever to get teary-eyed when hearing her child read for the first time? Will any other mothers confess? Either way I did, and I feel a bit dorky that I did. I thought I could blame the hormones but the calendar was proof hormones did not play a factor. I guess I'm just an over emotional mom great!

Nothing I should be ashamed of though, and it really was just a mother being proud of hearing her child read for the first time. A mother's recognition that her child is growing up, a mother being proud that he has accomplished so much. Little Z does have some learning delays so hearing him read was really amazing. He is has improved so much since he started at the beginning of the year. I know he is going to have some struggles maybe forever or perhaps he will overcome it all. I am just so proud of him. He has really beaten the odds, and It really is the school and parents working together that can make sure our children succeed in life and be ready for the world.

My Son Lost His First Tooth!

Everyone celebrate my son finally lost his first tooth! I do admit I did get a little teary-eyed cause well hes my baby! As a mom I felt proud my son lost his first tooth! Plus the tooth came out OUR way. Auntie grumbled at us that the tooth should of come out sooner,and my son should of played with the tooth and kept wiggling it to make it come out. He is 6 years old and a loose tooth is the farest thing from his mind at the moment especially it being it the holiday season. Also we upset Auntie cause I did not apply a good enough explaination of if I was going to do the tooth fairy or not. Of course I was but my lack of again proper response made her blow up for I was apparently not going to be doing it right. Still no matter what we did it OUR way. And Yes Zachery will wake up having been visited by the toothfairy there was no doubt in that.