Reading, Writing, Arithmetic... Homework Really Makes Me Sick!!!

Well sick may be a strong word, I guess overwhelmed is more like it. In my opinion the homework we are getting in 3rd grade is a lot for a typical kid, so with Austin's Autism it's like triple. His first big project of the year is over the scientific method. This is something I did not learn about until the 6th grade. (insert 20 years ago)

After the initial shock of a project this big we finally sat down and started brainstorming. (Which by the way is not the best word to use with Austin because he is scared to death of storms and I can only imagine the picture he saw.) So, after some Pinterest searching I came up with 2 ideas for him to choose from, the fewer the better. His options were A.)  Will bananas brown faster in the fridge or out on the counter? B.) Will glow sticks glow brighter in cold water or hot water?

He chose B, of course glow sticks are more fun than bananas!! Lydia was eager to put her 2 cents in as well and helped us decide on what all we need and how to go about conducting our experiment. More on how this experiment turns out coming later.


Speaking of Lydia, I am proud to say that she was chosen as the first Student of the Week for Kindergarten. We are so incredibly proud of her and her eagerness to learn and strive to do her absolute best. I can see already that she is going to have a competitive side, but I hope she always uses it for good!! She brought her first homework packet home last night which is not due until Friday. Within 30 minutes she had completed it all and then began trying to help Austin and I with his. I'm amazed at how much she learns and retains at such a young age and that she is going to be beneficial in helping Austin even if he is 3 grades ahead of her.

Hello School Year 2015-2016

Both kiddos started school last Wednesday August 12, 2015. Austin started 3rd grade and Lydia started Kindergarten. First of all may I ask where the time goes? 

I had been mentally preparing myself for 3rd grade all Summer. Knowing that it would be a huge transition year and a move to another building for Austin. I had already heard horror stories of the mounds of homework, projects, reading, writing, testing, etc... But, what I wasn't ready for was the fact of how often he would be changing classes and how many teachers he would have in 1 day. We went from 4 a day in 2nd grade to 7 a day in 3rd grade. Yes, I said SEVEN!! I'm still a little in shock over this, but we are hoping it may be a good thing for Austin to have the time to move around between classes. The time will hopefully allow him to release some built up tension and energy and get some hopping and flapping out of the way. The first 3 days of school were basically just the getting to know me stuff and what to expect. Yesterday was when the homework came home. And, boy it is already double what he had last year!! More on this will be coming when Mama here is more comfortable and a routine is placed.

Now to Lydia, my social butterfly LOVES Kindergarten. Of course she was ready to go the day after Pre-School was over. She has a wonderfully sweet teacher Mrs. Shannon (whom also had Austin in Kindergarten) and her aide Mrs. Cheryl. She will eventually have homework but so far just the getting to know me stuff for her. She says she is ready for homework and had to have something to work on while Austin did his work, so we worked on writing the letters. Things with Lydia are so much different that with Austin, not only because of the Autism, but the fact that she is a girl makes a huge difference as well.

I think with some time, adjustment and routine placements we will rock this 2015-2016 school year. Of course it's still early and my glass is half full!!