Eli has one more day of fourth grade to go! Tomorrow is the last day of school . While he's celebrating and looking forward to those "long" summer days that stretch out before him....which actually pass rather quickly.... I'm feeling tearful that we have to leave behind Mrs. Mostamazingteacherever.
And I think Eli has trouble with change?!?!
Ah well....all good things will come to an end. God willing, next year will be a blessing for him too. We did get a letter from the school yesterday indicating that Eli is eligible for the Honors Math Class they are creating.
Wait...what? My son? The one who rolled around on the floor lamenting "It's Too Hard" and "I can't dooooo it!!" for an hour and a half while trying to do his math homework for the first three to four months of school this year??? An Honors Math Class? Are you sure?
According to his OAA and MAP scores and a few other scores and grades they took into consideration, he certainly qualifies. There's definitely a brilliant mind in that little red head and behind that ornery smile...never doubt it! It's just a matter of convincing him to make the effort.
For the past two school years Eli has been eligible for the Talented and Gifted Program in Reading.
Unfortunately, "eligible" does NOT equal "willing".
He fought us tooth and nail about participating until we threw up our hands and said, "...then don't!" See, he doesn't see it as an honor or something to feel good about. Eli sees it as extra work and a mess up of his regular daily routine, so therefore in his mind, it's a negative thing.
Yesterday, I read the letter to him and explained what an honor it is to be so smart that you get to be in an HONORS class, and Wow! he must have scored so high on his tests, and blah blah blah, just trying to get through to him what it meant and how it was a big deal and a good thing, not a punishment. I want this child to stop telling me that school is boooooooring. He needs to be challenged, find school fun, and develop a fascination for discovering new things, because it's about to get a lot harder, and I'm desperately afraid we're going to lose him all together in the years to come.
He sat for a bit and listened to me. He blinked at me. He stared at me. Finally, I said, "Look Buddy....there are so many things you're going to struggle with ... but then you're going to start realizing that there are OTHER things that you are going to be so much better at than most other people, and those are the things that you need to grab hold of with both hands and don't let go!" I held up the letter...."THIS is one of those things!"
He blinked at me again and finally said, "Okay...I'll do Honors Math Class next year."
Gasp!!
Praying this is a turning point. If we can help him to get interested in his academics and help him to build the desire to achieve, and work toward things on his own, to find a passion for learning and for doing really well, without forcing him to, without us being the "slave-drivers" and "homework enforcers".... oh, the possibilities that will open for him, just as it does for all children who discover a sense of self-initiative! I am so keeping my fingers crossed!
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So...Farmers Market was awesome! No pictures due to a dead phone. Next time we go, I'll make sure my phone is charged up...I'd accidentally left it in my purse overnight, so no juice!
Overall, the whole family seemed to enjoy the experience. I showed Ash the strawberries. I said, "See Ash...this is what size strawberries are really supposed to be, not those huge ones we get at the store." Ash smirked and said, "I like my strawberries genetically engineered!", nodding and looking all smug and amused with himself.
Then he tasted the REAL strawberries, fresh out of the field, at home later that day. Now Ash is singing a different tune! He didn't know they could be so sweet! Yay! Score one for Real Food!
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