Update

ok, so it's been a little while since I posted. Life happens.

The biggest news of the last few months was Mike's mother's health decline and, sadly, last week, passing. She fought valiantly against severe brain cancer, even going so far as to pursue some radiation treatments the doctors said would be side-effect free and helpful. The day after her third and last treatment within a week, she did not wake up. She stayed in a semi-conscious state for over a week with her eyes closed and then finally passed quietly. It has been hard time for Mike and Jake and a hard time for us generally, as we've all been sick, some of us twice and three times simultaneously to this over the past month. We've had streps and respiratory infections, vomiting, extremely high fevers, you name it. It has not been the pleasantest of times, this is to say.

But, spring really sprung for the first time last weekend and we are mostly feeling better and things are looking up! I went to visit Jake in his classroom today and had such a nice time. I read the Grinch to the whole class, and then watched them do their "centers." They have a big wall chart with cards and the kids, organized in groups of three, read the chart to see which centers they do. They play at the centers and then when the teachers clap their hands in a specific pattern, they clean up and move to the next center. At first Jake was a bit manic due to my presence and spent most of his time at the playdough center throwing playdough, but his Phillipino groupmate Ian was so sweet and charming, engaging me in a lot of conversation, Jake finally calmed down. Center #2 was dominos, and we built towers and matched dominoes. Center #3 was listening, and both boys put on headphones and listened to stories:

The most interesting thing was looking around at the classroom at all the reading and writing exercises they've done, and listening to the teachers handle the class. These ladies mean business! They are kind and sweet and firm and have nearly all of this kindergarten class writing sentences in little books. Kudos to them! It was fantastic to see a glimpse of Jake's world.

Hope to be posting more regularly!