Wednesday, December 3, 2014

Tiger of the Week Story

Each week in Orion's Kindergarten class one student is randomly selected to be the "Tiger of the Week."  That student gets to make a poster talking about themselves and their favorite things.  Then, each day of the week they have a special activity to do, which allows the kids to have their own personal time to "shine" and helps the kids get to know each other better.  This week Orion gets his turn and he is INCREDIBLY excited.  Sunday night we sat down and made his poster, and Monday he proudly carried it to school to share with his friends.  Tuesday he got to take his favorite book to share with the class, so he took a story called Lights Out, Night's Out which talks about different kinds of night animals and also has some fun "animotion" tricks in it that make the animals appear to be moving.  For Wednesday, parents were asked to write something for their children.  It could be a letter talking about how special the kid is, tell a funny story about them, or write a story using the kid as a main character.  We decided to combine real life with some adventure-style story telling to create "Adventures in Legoland."  Orion will hear it for the first time in his class today, so I'm excited to hear what he thinks.  Here is the story we wrote: 

Adventures in Legoland

Once there was a boy named Orion.  This boy loved adventures, smiling, and making people laugh.  He was a boy of many talents.  He could run fast as a cheetah, kick soccer goals like Zusi, and ride a motorcycle by the time he was five.  One day, Orion and his parents decided to go on an adventure.  They got into the car and began to drive, passing fields and hills, cows and corn.  Orion thought the trip was going to take forever, but soon they came to a giant river.  Across the water, Orion saw skyscrapers taller than he had ever seen before.  His parents stopped the car and they all got out and began to explore this newly found city.
While wandering, they stumbled upon the land of a local tribe who called themselves “Legos.” His parents weren’t sure what to do, but Orion said he knew the way.  As they entered the land of Legos, they found themselves surrounded by tiny brick buildings, randomly falling snow, and strangers who were laughing and building in every corner.  Orion saw new friends all around him and ran about, making people laugh, helping to build cities, and looking around.  As he was exploring, Orion came upon an enormous castle surrounded by giants. Orion bravely battled through the giants, past some bats, climbed giant hurdles, and faced off against the mighty wizard to save the town.  The king of Legos was so thankful, that he declared that Orion was a hero.  His parents were so proud. 
Eventually Orion and his parents went back home because Orion had to go to school.  Yet every once in a while, they leave the city to find a new adventure. 


The End…..of this adventure

The rest of the week continues with some more activities for Orion, including having someone as a lunch guest with him, and taking show and tell.  It's fun to see him so excited, and it's nice to give him a chance to be in the spotlight for a little while. 

Tuesday, March 4, 2014

Happy 5th Birthday!

Five years ago today my life changed completely as I welcomed my beautiful son into the world.  I couldn't imagine then how much my life would change forever.  Each and every day has been incredibly interesting, sometimes remarkable, and sometimes challenging, but always completely worth it.  Orion is the most exceptional, extraordinary person I have ever met.  His smile can warm the hearts of strangers, and his laughter is contagious.  He is so kind and loving, even towards those that I have a hard time appreciating as an adult.  There are definitely a few things that my son has taught me.  He has helped me to become a better person.  There are not nearly enough words to express how much I love this boy.  But today is his day.  We will eat too much, play too much, and laugh as much as we can.  Happy birthday, Orion.  You are the greatest thing that has ever happened in  my life.  You encourage me to a better person.  Happy birthday, Bubby.  I love you!