Third Grade Is Over

And just like that, little miss Haana is done with her third grade. As of friday last, the summer break has begun! 

Little miss Haana wanted to go to Olive Garden to celebrate her finishing third grade and to usher in the summer break. We made it there for a late lunch today. It was Bobby's only second trip to a restaurant. As I put him in a high chair, Bobby looked around and saw other people sitting on chairs, and beamed at me! 'Oh this new place, so much to see. And look at me, all sitting on a chair like all these big people! Look at me! Not a baby am I now!!' - said Bobby's smile. Little miss Haana busied herself with the real reason we were there for - fresh breadsticks. They were disappearing fast. Me and Bobby digged in too. Every table had a screen with games for kids, little miss Haana made good use of that as well. We got my favorite calamari, and got soup to dip more breadsticks in. By the time main course arrived, I was mostly full! I had Bobba try pieces of my ziti al forno pasta, it was the tube pasta, that i cut into pieces for Bobba. He put his fingers through it, like rings or finger braces! Then it disappeared. Some into his tummy, many under the table. It was a good lunch!! And we all took to-go boxes home. 

When we got home, half way comatose from a big late lunch, i told little miss Haana how proud I am of her - this was a tough year for her, being in remote school. Some of her friends went back to in-person school, but we didn't send her. In the middle of winter we packed and we moved. She had to move away from her friends in the old neighborhood. In the new place, it took some time but she made new friends. And all through it, remote school continued. I told her she's so amazing and outstanding. She quite something!! She's my best girl :-).

Monster Ball Adventures

Meet Bobby's favorite ball. We call it monster ball. It sleeps with Bobby, moves around the house with him and tumbles around the living room with him. 

This evening, when Papa and Bobby were going out for a walk on the stroller, Bobby wanted to bring around Monster Ball. Most of the walk, Bobby held on to it tight. Then a curious thought occured to Bobby boy. 'Why should I have all the adventures? Monster Ball will like to have some adventures of her own too.' And so, Bobby boy dropped his Monster Ball to have her own adventures. Papa didn't see this, and kept on walking. Then he noticed bobby was leaning over and looking back from his stroller. Papa turned around and to his surprise, found Monster ball, looking all hurt and alone on the trail by herself. Papa rushed back and scooped up the ball, Bobby jumped up and grabbed his Monster Ball from him. Then, a few minutes later, Bobby decided this to be right spot for another adventure for Monster ball!!!

Luckily, Monster ball didn't get left behind anywhere and made it safely back home with Papa and Bobby. But she did have an adventurous evening!

School of Tricks

Who has been teaching babies to be so naughty? I have a specimen right here, and either someone is teaching him or he came to this world pre-programmed to be badmaash, naughty to the core! 

For instance, little Bobby boy likes to get inside cabinets in search of hidden treasures. Once he finds something interesting, he turns around and leaves. If he sees danger, like a parent coming to grab his treasure from him, he turns around and runs, like any normal human being would! Because he knows he's going to get away, he giggles in his victory while he's running away!

And then some days, he's feeling lucky! No parent has grabbed his treasure from him yet. He's too fast for them. So he comes up to one of us, and is seemingly handing over his treasure of his own accord. 'Wow, could this be happening? What a good boy Bobba is, he knows he shouldn't be playing with this thing, and so, he's giving it back! Perfect, ideal baby!',  I'm thinking these thoughts and extending my hand. Except at the last second, he pulls his treasure away, giggles and runs away with his treasure still in his mouth. I'm left behind, wondering, what just happened here. Who's been teaching him these tricks? And why do they give him such pleasure?! 

STAAR

I've been avoiding writing about the STAAR test. But here goes..

This is 3rd grade and little miss Haana will be writing her STAAR test for the first time this grade. STAAR, are a series of standardized tests used in Texas public primary and secondary schools to assess a student's achievements and knowledge learned in the grade level. In short, a big final exam! :(

Since little miss Haana is in LEAP advanced academic program, she was to take 3rd grade reading and 5th grade math test.

This year has been very hard. I've worried about her screen time. Add to that, that this year she'll give the STAAR test too. She's been a remote student all year, and it hasn't agreed with her at all. Looking at a screen all day is hard even for adults, but at her age, she craved to move about, have actual conversations, hang out with friends. Her teachers have told us she has been having trouble focussing in the all day video meetings. 

First Raj, then I, decided to spend some time with her outside school time, to work with her for a few minutes everyday. This had varying levels of success with me. Some days, she'll corporate, and we'll be done soon. Other days she'll resist, and we will have a fight on our hands. 

With STAAR in the horizon, I talked to her about focussing on getting good grades for all the time she's already put into learning the concepts and practicing. I talked to her about focussing so she doesn't make silly mistakes. The test format is a multiple choice; which means getting an answer wrong because you made a silly mistake or bevause you had no idea what to do, are both rated the same- wrong. 

One day, she had spent a few minutes practicing some math questions, and got most of them incorrect due to silly mistakes even though she knew all the concepts. We were talking about it, laying in bed just before falling asleep. I was not happy. She realized i was disappointed, though i didnt say anything, and kind of shrunk away. I asked her what's wrong. She said this- "I know you're sad because of me. And i wanted to make you happy. But I think if I were never born, then you wouldn't be sad right now".

Oh my God!!! What have i become! A high expectation parent? What is she saying.. if she were never born? Then I wouldn't know anything.. i wouldn't know such a wonderful beautiful person as her. I wouldn't know a love so intense it scares me. I wouldn't know such a perfect thing could exist as her. I wouldn't know fun like the way she and i share silly things together. I wouldn't live and love like this if it weren't for her. My life, all changed the moment she stepped into my life. And i'm having her think she's a disappointment!!! :-( I got tears in my eyes, we both did. I'm soo sorry, my sweet little miss Haana. 

We patched up with loads of hugs and kisses before little miss Haana went to sleep that night. I told Raj about what she said later that night. And Raj said something so good and right, he said -"I decided i will not be a pressuring parent laser focused on grades, like how we grew up. I will try to keep her focus on learning in stead of grades". I agree completely. Learning how to learn requires making mistakes, not being afraid of them, and then continuing through them. That's what i wanted to inculcate in her too. But somewhere I got roped into grades too. I hope its not too late for me to change. 

Head Gears

This was little miss Haana at her first birthday. Something about the round ear things (giant ear lobes) in the cap and of course the pink (i mean the cheeks of course), that was just too good to part with!

So here is the take 2 with the same head gear.. unfortunately the model this time is moving too much..