Today was one of those days. I have been selling carnival tickets before & after school each day, the kids have been hanging out with me, Boston playing his iPod & Madi "helping". I was getting everything together to leave school this morning & couldn't find Boston's iPod, the kids had just gone to the gym for morning announcements & the Pledge of Allegiance before heading to their classrooms, so I went in to make sure he didn't have it. As I walked in they were talking about the Character Counts awards, every Friday (they don't have school tomorrow), they take all the names of kids that have been nominated for a Character Counts award and draw a name, that student wins donuts for their entire class. I was almost to where Boston lines up with his class & they say, "Boston Bruce, come on up here!" Boston had been nominated & won! He also got a medal & tickets for the Harlem Ambassadors game that will be next Monday! And I got to be there to see it!
He was nominated for helping another student tie their shoes. The Character Counts awards are based on the six pillars of character: Trustworthiness, Respect, Responsibility, Fairness, Caring, & Citizenship.
Just when you think you might be completely screwing them up, you get to witness something you must have been doing right!
We went to El Dorado the weekend of Easter and while we were there Amy, who is with The Studio El Dorado (and our Willie's business partner) took some fantastic pictures of the Bruce Fam!
Madi has never been real fond of a little girl in her same grade level, but has never been a big issue until this year when they were placed in the same class. It has been a constant struggle all year as to what to do about the situation. We have the same conversation over & over as it seems the situation is never going to go away.
Be nice to her, no matter what.
You do not have to be friends with her, but you must be kind.
Ignore her.
Don't talk to her.
Just be civil.
Well, today the situation hit me in the face & I am OVER IT.
I was at the school this morning helping with popcorn (they have popcorn Friday once a month & I with a few retired teachers and a couple other moms pop popcorn for 900+ students & all of the staff) and while I was out delivering to one of the grades, the girl in Madi's class stops me & says
for this blog, let's just call the little girl A
A - I need to talk to you about your daughter
me - OK (I immediately knew where this was going, because she had already said something to me at the last class party)
A - Your daughter is bullying me
me - How is it that she is doing so?
A - She's mean to me & talks about me all the time & I can hear her
me - Well, that's not ok & I will talk with her about it, but do you think that maybe it's a two way street, that you need to also be nice to her?
A - I am, she's just mean to me
me - I think it would be best if the two of you just agreed to not be friends
A - I just want her to be nice to me
me - I agree, she doesn't need to be mean, but I think it would be best if you two agreed to not be friends, have a good rest of the day
I felt completely uncomfortable having a conversation with Madi's classmate in the hall where no one else can hear. I did not like the idea of my words being twisted when the story was retold to her mother later. I really didn't like the idea of my daughter being labeled .
I went to Willie's for lunch to discuss it with DJ & his parents were there, so we all discussed how my ANGEL (sarcasm) could possibly be bullying someone. While we all agree that Madi is most definitely not innocent we just don't see how she could be bullying "A". Anytime any of us are around when the two of them are in the same place we've witnessed Madi trying to avoid "A" at all costs. I was going back to school after lunch to hang some posters for the school carnival so I was going to check & see if Madi's teacher was available to talk to. I asked in the office & she had just finished free time (of course!), so I decided to email Madi's teacher & copy the principal. I don't want this coming back that somehow I am not taking this serious. I have already requested that the two not be in the same class next year and I do not want the other mother feeling it is her job to talk with Madi (like I saw her do to another girl at our last class party). I asked if there was an issue in class that we need to address, or if we need to get the girls together with the school counselor to discuss that the two don't HAVE to be friends ("A" feels they need to be) and they can be civil to each other without being hateful to each other.
The principal emailed me back first cc'ing the school counselor. He thanked me for sharing the information & thought it would be good to get the girls together with the school counselor or at least make him aware of the situation and could he use my name while speaking to the other parent to ask for permission to get the girls together to talk about the situation.
Next was the school counselor, with nothing but kind words to say about Madi and that he has been working with "A" a few times this year with her interpersonal relationships and he would like me to call him on Monday to discuss further.
Lastly, Madi's teacher. She said there are a few minor reports of dirty looks & exclusion from "clubs" but those reports are not exclusively made toward Madi. She also said she has no concerns of Madi's behavior towards "A" or any other student, she seems to be well liked by her peers and has had no complaints from any other student.
So, with all that, when the kids got home from school, DJ & I sat Madi down & told her the situation... She is NOT to talk about "A" in any shape or form, good, bad or indifferent. If someone else says something about her, she is to say I'm not talking about her. Rise above baby girl! I know Madi is not completely innocent in this whole situation, but I feel bad bringing it up to her. I have been around "A" enough to know that she needs A LOT of attention, good and/or bad, doesn't matter. It's hard to tell a 3rd grader not to talk about someone that she doesn't like (and that most all of her friends don't like), to rise above & be the bigger person, you don't get to vent, only she "A" gets that luxury....which isn't true, we would just prefer she vents to us & not her friends.
These next couple months cannot go by fast enough!
I'll leave you with the midgies Spring Pics . . . .
She is currently taking ballet & jazz, but is adding acro in January
For the 1st time, Madi's Soccer team got last place :(
Boston helped his Football team win 1st with an undefeated season!
The kids are doing wonderful in school!!
Madi has received two "Rap with Rueb" awards
The one above & another for "being a good citizen inside & outside of the classroom"
I have received a phone call & a post card from school about Boston!
Boston got to ride in a limo to McDonald's with his principal
and some classmates for selling so much in the Fall fundraiser.... he LOVED it!!
These beauties were born & I wish I was closer to them so that I could be as much
a part of their lives as their mama's have been in Madi & Boston's lives!!
Creed Kasselman and
Collins Cate Lorson
Sheila & I took the kids roller skating - I FORCED Boston to go around the gym, Madi barely stood up, sat down and then took her skates off - they weren't fans!! Carter went around a couple times!!
The kids getting their Jack-o-Lantern oranges ready for their class parties
"Queen of Hearts"
The Queen & Her Protectors
The Incredible Hulk
*We still need a picture of Madi & Hayley,
without each of them knowing the other's plans,
Madi was Queen of Hearts & Hayley was Alice!!
Madi & I attended Cortney & Troy's wedding without the fellas
Madi & Blair at the 3rd Grade Vocal Concert
and . . . . HOW BOUT THEM CATS?!?!
The K-State Mask has become quite the "cheerleader" for The Wildcats this year
and everyone in this house seems to be followers of his "word"
DJ & I were able to take a weekend and go to a game this year. Although, we REALLY
wanted to watch a game in Manhattan, our schedules just didn't allow it, so we headed to
Ames for 2012 Farmageddon with our friends & co-workers Agnes & British
We ROCKED our purple overalls & I have worn mine for all but one game since...
we won't talk about which game I didn't get to wear them for :(
Crazy Hair/Hat Day at School
We surprised the kids with tickets to a basketball game
Here is their reaction to skipping school and going to Manhattan:
At their 1st KSU Men's Basketball game
That's pretty much what's been going on with us the past couple months. Soccer and football are over, dance is constant, Madi has started basketball and has had one game which she played pretty well in. She is playing for Rushville because we missed the Atchison Rec deadline, but she is liking it over there just the same. Boston starts after the first of the year, we just found out he will have the same coach that he had during his undefeated football season, so he is pumped about that!!
Barney & Holly (our elves) have come & gone, you can read about all of their antics here, they actually weren't too bad this year!! Maybe taking a page out of Madi & Boston's school behavior ;)
I know it's not much this time, but I'm going to try and keep up with blogging again. I always want to, but don't find (make) the time!
The elves that live in our house didn't come out quite as early as everyone else's. We thought about Thanksgiving night, then we talked about December 1st and well, those dates came & went. Luckily for us, Boston was grounded from Wii for lying to me, not lucky for us that he lied, but lucky for us that he was grounded because we told him the elves couldn't come to our house until he was ungrounded. Here's what the little stinkers have been up to this year
They TP'd the tree the first night & wrote "we're back" on the empty toilet paper roll
Playing the piano & singing Christmas carols
Playing Hide & Seek in the Christmas tree
Fishing with Fruit Loops
Surrounded by GI Joe
Off to the Regata
Diving for Fruit Loops
Watching "Elf"
Barney poo'd on the counter & reallllly embarrassed Holly!
Holly got back at Barney for pooping on the counter by wrapping him to a present
Santa reading to everyone
They dressed our Toy Soldier as The Grinch
Taking a zip-line to the tree
Only the freshest OJ for these elves
Nerf Gun WAR
Pictionary - Christmas edition
Snow Angels in REAL snow!!
Watching the starts outside of their igloo
A nice warm bubble bath after playing in the snow for two days!
Snowflakes by Holly & Barney
The kids loved seeing what the elves were up to each day, but my brain was getting to be an elf mush!! Thank goodness for Pinterest, Instagram, & Twitter for all of the #elfontheshelf help!! Barney & Holly left notes for the kids in their stockings as their last "gifts".
What can I Say? 9
years ago I can remember being the most nervous and scared father-to-be you can
imagine. Would I be a good enough
dad? Would I provide her with everything
she wants/needs? Will she love me like I
already love her, even though I haven’t even met her yet? Well, 9 years later and only she can answer those
questions, but now there are a whole set of new questions. Does she truly know how much I love her? Do I say it enough? Does she know how proud of her I am and how
smart I know she is? Let me say it
now. I love you baby girl. A long time ago you stole my heart. You are so much your mama. Beautiful, intelligent, sassy, sensitive,
elegant and sometimes graceful just like your mama. I can’t say how much of a role I played in
making you the amazing girl you are today, I’ll give your mom most of the
credit. What I will say is no other
father is more proud of his daughter.
Every once in awhile a child is born that is so special, that simply by
their birth, they make the parents better people. Without you, your mom and I were as happy as
I thought 2 people could ever be. Girl
was I wrong. How can one little ol’ baby
girl make 2 people better every day? All
I know is you’ve been doing it for 9 year!
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