Parent Teacher Conference

 I. Am. Old.

Last night was Parent Teacher Conference.  Actually it was technically SEP (Student Educator Parent) conference.  I do not believe in SEP, I believe in PT.  Unless of course there are issues that need to be discussed with all parties present, in which case I think bringing the kid along is great.  Otherwise, I'd much rather hear candidly from my kids' teachers without the kid in tow.

With 5 kids in school this year, meeting with teachers is practically an all night event.  PT conference is definitely easier when we are homeschooling.  But I don't have the opportunity to hear others tell me how great my kids are when I'm the teacher, so that part is fun.

What does that have to do with me being old?
I don't consider myself old usually.  Heck, I'm only 31!!  Even though apparently I have been telling people for the past few months that I am 32.  So I can't remember my own age.  Is that a problem?  I can play the sleep deprivation card there.  Besides, it's a matter of days away that I hit 32 anyway, I'm just practicing.
So when is 31 old?  (other than when you suggest that age to someone under the age of 28)
When three, yes THREE of your childrens' teachers are younger than you.  One teacher is in his 40s (still not old!  My, isn't it amazing how perspective changes?), and the other is in his 30s, maybe a couple of years older than me, but it's certainly possible he is my age.
The young ones are two first year teachers, and another who has been at it a couple of years but is the ripe old age of 26.  That cute 26 year old was telling us last night that when her class (second grade) asked her age, her reply was met with "Wow!" and "Oh my gosh!".  Good to be reminded that when you are 7 years old 26 seems ancient.  They would probably think I'm due to be sporting dentures soon.

That's ok, one of my children asked me the other day if washing machines were around back when I was a kid.
Wow.

But my decrepit aging self aside, allow me to brag on my children for a moment.

It is such a treat to go to class after class (after class, after class, after class) and be told that my child is a delight, a joy to have in class, a great example, a hard worker.  Sure they drive me crazy sometimes, and have ornery days and can sometimes be just a mess at home, but that just means they feel safe and comfortable letting it all out here right?
It is so fun to hear how hard they work and how well they are doing.  Especially in areas they have struggled in in the past.  Taylor, who has hated reading, who has struggled with writing, the one who went through speech therapy and then struggled with learning letters and we wondered if he'd ever catch up, is now excelling in language arts.  A's all the way around!  We have finally found him things to read that he enjoys that don't have anything to do with comic books or Pokemon (gag).  The fact that my son thinks Huck Finn is awesome thrills me.  The fact that he has worked through his challenges thrills me even more.
One teacher handed us standardized test results and said "I don't think I've ever seen scores like this.  That many hundred in a row is really amazing", which of course just had me bursting with pride.

Who would have thought that when we stepped in the next class that we would be handed test results with even more 100s?  Crazy kids.

I really have been blessed with amazing kids.  While we are absolutely thrilled with their grades, it's their efforts that we try to focus on.  We want them to know that it is ok to not be perfect, to struggle in some areas and to not always have As.  As long as they are really trying and putting forth an effort to do their best, I will be thrilled.  It encourages me that they are so eager to learn and want to do their best.  I hope that I can adequately foster that in them and that they will always have that desire to learn everything that they can.