With that being said - this brings me to my parent/teacher conference last week. I keep replaying the conference over and over in my head because it totally caught me off guard. The anxiety that a parent feels while driving to the school anticipating the meeting with their child's teacher is mind-boggling. Now, reflect back a couple of weeks to my facebook status wherein I had Bryce write an apology note to his teacher for making noises. Here's the picture for review.
I had so many phrases premeditated in my mind to say for this conference. I could already envision how this was going to go. I was going to say "I know....I know.....I told you he wasn't like Blake! (this particular teacher had Blake last year for fourth grade, and this year she was moved to 2nd grade with Bryce) I know he makes noises and squirms - whoop his tail! I know he drifts into la la land and you have to bring him back to earth." I had this under control. I predicted the conference before I even got there. I had this in the bag!
So, I'm standing in the hallway - and my name gets called. I rock "the walk of shame" walk as I enter the classroom. I start with that nervous smile and that high pitched "Heyyyyyyyy, how are you?" I love this teacher (Hilary Plunk), and I already knew her from last year with Blake. She loved Blake. But Bryce wasn't Blake and I was nervous about the whole "compare factor" She had all of Bryce's papers laid out. She said "I'm going to start by saying this: (and she chuckled) He likes to makes noises, he squirms, he whistles, he drops things on the floor just so he can bend down to pick it up (I was thinking - oh this was so predictable, I am so prepared for this conference) I was just about to pull out all my rehearsed lines that were in my head.....BUT......THENNNNN........ she said - I think he does those things because he is bored out of his mind! He's on a 3rd grade level in his subjects, and he is acing every test. "Has he ever been recommended for ENRICHMENT because I'm going to recommend him. When I give him an extra sheet of work, he flies through it with perfect scores.
WHOA! New sensations running all through my body. That was a foreign word in the land of Streetman-ville. ENRICHMENT?!?! Brandon and Bethany Streetman worked for every A, B & C they ever received in their school days. Nothing came natural and easy for us! Nobody on the White and Streetman side was ever in ENRICHMENT. Where did that gene come from!?!?! I was speechless. I was stunned. I was in denial. This was the child that doesn't look ANYTHING like me like his other two brothers. I cannot find one tiny little detail of ANYTHING of me in this child. And now, I find out he's SMARTER than me too! Oh geez, this is going to be interesting life.
However, as the conference concluded, she said "I have to say this about him, too. That boy SURE CAN EAT! He likes to eat what he has in his lunchbox AND likes to go through the cafeteria line as well. Ohhhhh myyyy goodnesssss! Finally! This teacher has said something that I can relate to! After all these years - I CAN claim this precious child! I was not on the same wave length with her when she was talking about enrichment - BUT I CAN TOTALLY TAKE CREDIT FOR HIM when she talks about his food consumption. This is definitely a "Like Mother Like Son" moment! Phew that was a close call!
I love my quirky Bryce Aiden! I love that I will have a naturally born tutor in the house for my other two. He's such a highlight in our house. Looks like all those years of him watching Barney really paid off! His imagination is incredible.
You know that nervous feeling we get before we open our children's school pictures (that we PRE-PAY for) This continues to crack me up every time I look at it on my wall.......
