The one where we have Reed's Parent/Teacher conference

Yesterday was Reed's Parent/Teacher conference.  Mike left the office early and met me at Reed's school when he got out.  I told you that I was nervous about my first official opportunity to be criticized by professional childcare givers, but I had mentally prepared myself to be accepting of ideas and thoughts that they might have.
They were full of praise for Reed!  Mike and I loved hearing that he impressed them with his expanding vocabulary and desire to learn.  They told us about how curious and inquisitive he is each day- eager to learn how things work, turn them upside down to inspect them from all sides, and ask his gibbery questions.  They said he does very well with his fork and spoon- much better than others in the class and that's when they told us how impressed they were with his diet. They said Reed eats better than anyone in the class and they commend me for making nutrition so important in our home. His teachers even told me that sometimes they wish they could refuse to feed what parents bring for the other children because they worry about their cholesterol and blood pressure!
We asked if Reed was behind in any of his skills for a 14 month old and they said no, there wasn't anything they would consider him behind in. We asked if there was anything they thought we should work on with him or ways that we should be challenging him and they said no- he is right on track or advanced in most things.

We asked about biting, sharing, and playing with others. They said he'd only bitten once (I was there) and it hadn't happened before or since.  Sharing was going to be an obstacle for all toddlers for a while, so we shouldn't stress about it and Reed plays really well with the other children.
Basically, when Mike and I left we were very satisfied with how our Reedster is doing developmentally.  Its important for us to get this kind of feedback because we don't have anyone to compare him to, or judge him by (and I know we're not supposed to anyway) but I consider his teachers professionals and they see a side of him that we don't at home.  They also have different rules and schedules and ways of wording things.  It seems that Reed adjusts to change easily and deals with ambiguity very well.
We couldn't be more proud!

The one about preparing for Reed's 1st Parent/Teacher Conference

I should be studying. In fact, that's what I told Mike when he left for the store with Reed.  I have two tests next week, one Monday and one due Wednesday. On the other hand, it's been a couple of weeks and I haven't had time to put a blog out.  Although blogging sounds a bit like goofing off, it's fairly important to me.  For one thing, it helps me express myself creatively, it also keeps my writing skills sharp, and on top of it all it helps me to record this amazing time in my life. 

Reed has parent/teacher conferences coming up and I'm nervous about it!  I tell myself there is no reason to be, but I worry that his teachers are going to drop a monstrous bomb on me.  Something like, Reed is way behind in this, or Reed is much too aggressive, mean, a bully. Maybe it's about me- maybe they're going to tell me that I should be doing something- bathing him more,  disciplining him differently, challenging him.  I don't know, what it it could be but the fear is there.  I will be irritated if they do drop something big on me, because I'm there twice a day, three times a week- picking him up and dropping him off. If they have any concerns then they should tell me instead of waiting two months into the semester.  I value their opinion for a couple of reasons, they have more experience with children his age, and they get to see him interact with other kids all the time.  I want to be open and receptive to their suggestions and comments.  I have a lot to learn about my own child because he's my first and I've never done this before and also because I don't have the opportunity to see him playing with others much.  We have an occasional play date here and there, but these are his classmates and he knows them.
Last week when I went to pick him up- I was early so I stayed and let him play for a little bit while I observed him.  Also, he just didn't seem like he was ready to go- there were things he needed to do (such as flip the plastic kitchen onto its top, push the little police car around, and ride the zebra).  He was like a pin ball in that room- complete with the lights and sounds going off as he bounced from one place to the next.  While I was there I noticed that he's not good at sharing.
He wants what others have, but only until he has it- then he's disinterested. I'm uncomfortable saying that because he actually shares really well at home- mostly with food. He is happy to offer his peas or chicken and he doesn't like to be turned down.  He doesn't take no for an answer.  His teachers have mentioned that he's generous at lunch, so I know they do get to see that. Anyway, I wonder how I'm supposed to be working on that with a nearly 14 month old toddler. 

I will follow up after the meeting and make sure to record the outcome of Reed's first parent/teacher conference. Provided that it's not too embarrassing. Then you will be reading an edited version! 

The one about Reed's first amusement park

My company picnic was at Frontier City- Oklahoma City's only amusement park. Even tho we have lived close for three years and see the Ferris wheel spinning in the sky multiple times a day- we've never been.  Well our tickets for the company party were deeply discounted admission and that's always a very convincing reason to go.  I was anticipating a different reaction from Reed. He didn't love it as much as I thought he would.  He liked it okay, but I really expected him to enjoy it much more.  He loves to be swung around, hung upside down, spun, dropped, and tossed.
His day was perfect- we spent the early afternoon at Mike's bike race and then Reed got a good nap in right before we headed to the amusement park.  I wanted him well rested for all the excitement that was about to go down.  We met up with my coworker, Carrie, who Reed loves and she hung out with us the whole time.  We have her to thank for all the family shots.
The first thing we did was ride the little train around the perimeter of the park.  Reed was sort of in that "post-nap" zone and didn't break out many smiles.  Then I rode the spinning tea-cups with him.  He looked so big sitting next to me buckled in!  He didn't get upset - but like I said, he didn't love it either.  He was approaching the whole thing very seriously.  We spun in our little tea-cup while Mike took pictures and when we were done, Reed showed neither relief nor regret.  Mike and I had different views on the ferris wheel activity.  He was concerned about Reed being afraid of heights and being stuck at the top screaming his lungs out.  My argument was that he really had no depth perception and wasn't going to be able to tell how high we were anyway- my evidence was his persistent nose-dive attempts off the bed.  While we waited in line Reed made sure to point out the colored buckets circling in the sky.  He didn't want us to miss it. While "boarding" the attendant asked us if Reed could walk.  This question elicited many sarcastic comments from the three of us as soon as we were out of ear shot.  Did she mean that if he fell out from the top could he walk? No, could you? Did the ferris wheel require walking these days, because I was under the impression that it was a seated ride. He did pretty well  on the ferris wheel. He was happy as long as he was being held but Mike was right, Reed was not comfortable and very suspicious of the mechanics.
The real fun came when we were touring around the children's area with the small houses lined up.  Hotels, fire station, a jail house and the like lined the street. Reed was in heaven. He just couldn't believe that there were houses with small doors made to fit him and windows that he could see out of.  His favorite was the fire station- a well known obsession with firetrucks fueled this.
Carrie could do nothing but make Reed laugh.  She could have yawned and he'd start cracking up.  I suppose we have her to thank for any pictures we got of him laughing and smiling. Carrie, we are so glad you were able to meet up and hang out with our family that day!
I can't say if we will be going back to Frontier City before my next company picnic- if I had to bet I'd say no.  However, I will be really excited to take him back again next October and see how much more he enjoys it.  Reed is generally very adventurous and out going. We are proud of his independent personality and curious nature.