Homework
A few nights each week, Braden has homework assignments. He complains about having to do them, even though each assignment only takes 10 min. (Poor guy, he doesn’t realize he’s got 17 more years’ of homework coming!)
Some of his homework is paper-based, and others are conducted online. Braden seems to be doing a good job learning Mandarin. He can identify and pronounce the characters for older sister, younger sister, older brother, younger brother, mother, father, paternal grandmother and paternal grandfather. Sometimes we catch Braden singing some sort of counting song in Mandarin.
In addition, we have to record the books we read with Braden. So all in all, there’s a lot of parental involvement, too.
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Braden is getting more used to school. Brian wakes him up each Tuesday-Friday morning at 6:15 a.m. (funny, Braden used to wake up well before that time on his own, but now that he has school, he can’t get up!).
He’s less shy around the other four kids at his bus stop, and he has even acted a little goofy around them (a sure sign that he’s warming up to them).
Fortunately, the breakfast and lunch items served at school are peanut-free and within his tastebud boundaries, meaning items like chicken tenders and hot dogs. Braden has even enjoyed the tacos.
Braden seems to have fun at his after-school program when we pick him up, although he’s excited to leave when we arrive. The first thing he does is chug a lot of water at the drinking fountain, as if he hasn’t drank all day. He then eats his after-school snack in the car, rather that at school, which was the whole point of packing an after-school snack.
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Carson is having a difficult time with drop-offs. Just like before, he holds Brian’s leg until a teacher pulls him off. Carson then proceeds to kick off his shoes for some reason. Luckily, he gets over his tantrum fairly soon after Brian leaves.
Carson apparently is getting along really well with a girl in his class. According to the teachers’ notes, they spend a lot of time playing together and sometimes cuddling.