Tumbling class

Even though Benji isn't yet in preschool, he's already taken quite a few classes at the park district, including art classes, swim class, and tumbling. Daddy has been in charge of art class while Mommy gets special time with Benji at swimming and tumbling. Actually, tumbling class doesn't have quite as much Mommy-Benji time as swimming since Benji really listens to the teacher quite well (and I don't have to hold him to avoid drowning so I can just sit on the side and watch for at least some of class).

We've taken tumbling two sessions (and will start a third in July) and it's a very predictable, routine-driven class, but that's probably one of the reasons Benji does so well. Unfortunately that also means that if the teacher deviates at all he gets angry, but she rarely deviates from the routine. Class always starts with some stretches — legs apart on the floor and stretch to one leg, the middle, and the other leg. Then we go to the "squishy mats" one side of the floor and get ready for animal walks. While many kids are running wild around the room, Benji sits patiently on the squishy mat. Favorite animals include the snake crawl, the bear walk, the bunny jump, the scooter crab, and the frog hop. After animals, it's time for somersaults, the balance beam, and jumping (really more bouncing than jumping) with the vaulting springboard. After a bit of free play, it's time for stickers and shoes (and many angry kids because the fun is over). I'm really looking forward to the next session!


Check out that snake crawl.


The scooter crab is the toughest animal to do.


Benji thinks that Mommy can do somersaults, but so far I've been able to convince him that only Benji should practice his somersaults.


Benji has gotten much better on the balance beam since the first classes. And now he likes to walk on the concrete parking lot markers, putting out his "airplane arms" and practicing his balance.

Libellés : Benji

Forget kindergarten; let's just put Benji in first grade.

Illinois state law reads that children who turn five by September 1st may attend kindergarten and children who turn six by the same date may attend first grade. (While offering kindergarten is a requirement for Illinois schools, attending it is not required for Illinois students.) The law also allows school districts, if they wish, to allow children to enter early, and in general the districts will base this decision on the child's academic, social and physical development, as well as how close the child's birthday is to the cutoff date. (Some districts give two months leeway; others, three or four.)

Here are the academic requirements for starting kindergarten early in one decent Chicago suburban school district (not ours):

* Recognize both upper and lower case [sic] letters
* Can name initial consonants [sic] sound (when given the words man, met, moon, child says they begin with m)
* Can recognize numbers from 1-10
* Can recognize basic colors
* Can recognize basic shapes

And here are the academic requirements for starting first grade early in the same district:

* Can recognize initial and ending consonant sounds
* Can recognize rhyming sounds
* Can do simple math
* Can count to 100 and recognize the numbers

Depending on the district's definition of "simple math," Benji is either 8 of 9 or 9 of 9 on these requirements. That said, he's not there on some of the large motor skills and social skills. But c'mon: Without early entrance, Benji is still three years from starting kindergarten.

One more interesting fact: In Iowa (as well as other states), schools are required to offer gifted education, and the state will cover the bill. In Illinois (as well as other states), schools are not required to offer gifted education, and if they do offer it, the state gives them nada.

iTuning.

About once every year or so, I realize that I've finally made my way through one of the $25 iTunes gift cards I've gotten for various holidays. Of course, means it's time again for that ultimate act of self-humiliation: Showing you just how lame my musical tastes are. Anyway, here's the 26 songs (I got one freebie along the way) I bought since last time I publically iTuned:

* Tori Amos, "Cornflake Girl" and "Smells Like Teen Spirit" (I think I prefer her cover to Nirvana's original)
* Arsis Handbell Ensemble & RAM, "Aspiration for the Pure Land" (compilation single I didn't have for Arsis)
* The Beach Boys, "Good Vibrations" (bought for research for my handbell cover)
* The Cinematic Orchestra, "To Build a Home" (my favorite song of last year)
* from "Company," "Another Hundred People" and "The Little Things You Do Together" (Stephen Sondheim is so awesome)
* Daniel Amos, "Shotgun Angel" (the best song from their country years)
* David Bowie, "Modern Love" (the only Bowie song I really like)
* Imogen Heap, "Have You Got It In You?" (heard this on XM)
* Gordon Lightfoot, "Sundown" (will probably also get "The Wreck of the Edmund Fitzgerald" at some point)
* Kylie Minogue, "Can't Get You Out of My Head" (shut up; just shut up)
* Solomon Burke, "None of Us Are Free" (first heard in Chipotle, I think)
* from Ocean's 12, "7-29-04 the Day of" (really just for the moving bass line and the horns first minute, but the rest of the song is cool, too)
* from Pee-Wee's Big Adventure, "Breakfast Machine" (who does not smile when they hear this song. who)
* Philip Glass Ensemble, "Glassworks: Opening" and "Glassworks: Floe" (two of my five or so favorite Philip Glass pieces)
* Raymond Scott, "Powerhouse" (trust me, even if the name is unfamiliar, you know this piece of music)
* Regina Spektor, "Music Box" (bonus track that's better than about 80% of the album proper)
* Still Sunrise, "Love Will Tear Us Apart" (one of my favorite covers ever simply because it's a 180 of the uberdepressing original version, which I hate)
* Sufjan Stevens, "Free Man in Paris" and "Ring Them Bells" (one awesome cover and one good non-album song, in that order)
* Travis, "Sing" (we all know and love this song, yes?)
* Gillian Welch, Black Star EP (three covers done in the lovely Gillian Welch Appalachian style)

My e-mail address.

Thanks to Yahoo! Mail throwing many things I do not want it to into my spam folder (e-mails from moM, very important get-rich-quick opportunities, etc.), I am in the process of switching over to Gmail. Instead of [youknowwhat]@yahoo.com as my e-mail, I will now be [youknowwhat]@gmail.com. ([youknowwhat] means what my old yahoo username was.) In case you forget, I will still be checking my Yahoo Mail for probably the next year or so.

Benji's turn at bat

As I mentioned in the Cubs post, Benji has a new tee-ball set from Grandma and Grandpa that's helping him learn more about baseball. Of course he has much to learn about the proper form, but he's already having lots of fun practicing his swing. I think Matthew said they play with the baseball two or three times a week, mostly at the local park. They've even brought it to the weekly playdate with a group from church and Benji was quite the popular kid that week. It's great that he's able to work on hand-eye coordination, learn baseball, and practice sharing with other kids with this toy.


For Matthew's birthday, we went out to the movies while Benji played with Grandma and Grandpa. That's when he got his tee-ball set and started learning baseball.


He had a very specific routine that day where one ball had to be on the tee and the other had to be in the storage space at the bottom. We have since misplaced the second ball (maybe Daddy's trunk?), but thankfully he's been OK with just one ball.


Isn't this a great smile?





This is from Memorial Day weekend. Notice how much better his form looks! I must admit, though, that we were specifically teaching him how to properly hold the bat that day so I don't know that this is his natural way to hold it yet. Still, looks pretty good, eh?

Libellés : Benji