Killing Me Slowly with His Cries

 He looks happy enough doesn't he?  Don't be fooled.  This kid has done more crying than I thought was humanly possible in his first months of kindergarten....and I think it may possibly be harder on me than him.  In typical male fashion, he's over it pretty quickly, and I'm left analyzing everything wondering the whys, hows and what ifs of situations.  This picture, by the way, is his coloring of his sack lunch that he colored in the morning of his field trip to the pumpkin patch, in my classroom (pay no attention to the clutter in the background please...;)  

S show and tell day...I'm sparing you from every
letter's picture but S was a good one!

So, back to the crying...First he was absolutely petrified of p.e. class and stretching...which I don't remember if I've mentioned on the blog before, but I'm too lazy to leave this post page and look.  He was upset to the point of making us wonder if there was something medically wrong with the kid.  And then when we suggested that he just not stretch as far as everyone else and just 'pretend stretch' he got real whiney and just said, 'no...I don't want to' and then we realized that maybe it WASN'T medical it was just him worrying about it.  UGH!!!  

Chad, the runner, protected by Captain Rex
and yes, he went a run through Rochester like this

Then we conquered P.E. and we moved on to lunch time....apparently kindergarteners have trouble walking in line (psssh!  what?!) and all of them had to sit for five minutes at recess because of it...and he was so distraught his teacher sent him down to me absolutely bawling because he wouldn't tell her what was wrong.  I tried to explain and make it better, but he still would have tummy aches before lunch and ask me every morning 'what if I have to sit on the line for five minutes?'  Then that somewhat went away, and by somewhat I mean he only asks me about it a couple times a week....AAAAHHH!

Then we moved onto writing.  He fell apart during a 'writing assessment' where his teacher explained they could 'write'whatever they wanted...it didn't even have to be real words, but she was looking for a 'sentence' and he lost it again.  Had to sit in the classroom safe place to collect himself, and just from the time that we walked out on the bus lot at the end of the day and the time it took for her to explain to me about his afternoon he was WAILING so loudly that everyone within the length of a flippin' soccer field could hear him.  We explained and re-explained several times that no one expected him to be able to write a perfect sentence (except himself) and he cranked out a 'I can s(n)ap.' sentence totally independently.

This week he had two fun 'assignments.'  One was to disguise a turkey so he would be protected during the Thanksgiving season.  Landon, of course, wanted to do a Star Wars turkey...so I give you, Turkey Obi Wan....complete with 3d light saber fashioned from a post it note and aluminum foil.  ;)

He also had to decide on an Indian name.  Chad wanted to name him Cries A Lot,...which I thought was fitting, but we didn't suggest it to Landon.  Would've resulted in more crying and bad parenting.  ;)  Landon chose Swinging Jedi.  Ugh.  So not cute and creative but it's his name not mine.  Dern.

I can write about this now, because dare I say...eek!...it's getting better.  He didn't cry at all last week (granted it was only four days because he was out on Friday for his appt. in St. Louis...and we're not counting the time where he 'almost cried because (he) dropped his applesauce cup on the cafeteria floor' which I'm not counting, because a) he said 'almost' and b) that IS a big disappointment).  

I DO have to say however, that this gives me so much more perspective on my job as a first grade teacher.  I mean, what KINDERGARTEN teachers accomplish in the course of nine months is nothing short of miraculous people.  If you know a kindergarten teacher personally, you should revere them....and buy them a  nice gift (or possibly some alcohol).  I say this knowing that my kid is a bright kid...he can read, he can write, he's loved, and supported at home....seriously.  There HAS to be a special badge or SOMETHING God gives kindergarten teachers as they pass through the pearly gates.  I'm not kidding.  

I am extremely encouraged by the past week, and the words of one of my good friends who is a kindergarten teacher who said, 'just give him til Christmas.  Everything will be fine, I promise.'  Lord, I hope she's right.  

So apparently, crying and being emotional at school has not deterred the ladies in the class from loving Landon....beCAUSE upon emptying his backpack today I discovered two, yes TWO love notes, from TWO different girls.  I wanted to put a picture of one of them on, but he looks at the blog regularly and I promised I would 'put it in the trash!' immediately.  :)  And I also said I wouldn't put this video on the blog, but I'm gonna give on this...and only because it's so adorable.   BUT WHOEVER READS THIS AND WATCHES THIS VIDEO MAY NOT UNDER ANY CIRCUMSTANCES SPEAK OF IT TO LANDON.  Because if he finds out I PUT this on the blog, he'll never tell me anything again.  But seriously....LOL people!!!  How cute is this?!?!