100 Days out of the nest

Alex stamping 100 stamps in his Book of 100 Stamps

Yesterday was the 100th day of school for Alex. I don't remember celebrating the 100th Day of School, but then again we celebrated shocking traditional holidays like Halloween and Christmas...Not "Fall" and "Winter." Nevertheless everyone seems to celebrate it now, and sadly cupcakes aren't invited to this party either.

I am so lucky to be able to volunteer in Alex's classroom every week, and because my in-laws are so willing to help with Meredith, I can go in more when I'm needed. Alex's teacher, Miss Turner, is a first year kindergarten teacher. She is so much fun and incidently, has the whitest teeth I've ever seen.

I don't know if Miss Turner just takes pity on moms who are overly involved, or if she truly needs my help, but she is so gracious about allowing me to come into her classroom. I occassionally run copies or do other clerical stuff to help her, but mainly I work directly with the kids. Those few hours I spend in the classroom are often the highlight of my week. I don't know how Miss Turner, or any other kindergarten teacher does it, and she has a saintly level of patience.

Anyway, yesterday I helped the kindergarteners celebrate the 100th Day of School. We did 100 exercises in the gym, well they did, I watched. We had a "100"-themed, nutrionally balanced snack, and they moved from classroom to classroom doing different activities. It was fun, and I was amazed at how mathematically inclinded they all seemed to be. I was sweating everytime someone asked what 10 boxes of 10 equalled.

One of the things we were supposed to do was bring 100 items of your child's chosing to school in a gallon zip-loc bag. Alex wanted to bring 100 $1 bills. I put the squacho on that and convinced him 100 pennies would be much shinier and would standout on the bulletin board. Kids brought all kinds of things. Marshmallows seemed to be really popular, as were Legos, M&M's, and pasta, lots, and lots of pasta! But, hands down, this was my favorite.