My Son, the Genius/Artist/Author

Each year that Jacob has been in school, starting with PreK, I saved all of his work all year long in a big expandable folder, and at the end of the year I go through and pick out my faves/pieces that represent him and his growth (wow that was a run-on, sorry Nicole).  So here are the winners from his first grade year:

I love this one. There is even a knight on a horse down in the corner.  So far, 2 free things have been made bearing this artwork: a free reusable grocery bag and a free sandwich keeper :)

"My sneakers.

  If I (had) red sneakers.  I would be an all star. 
for my abulliteas (abilities) and my Fasnes (fastness)."

"First Grade Portfolio

    My best work was my terckee (turkey).  Beacus (because) it is funny.  The last resin (reason) is it's fuzy."  A few comments about this: first, he actually used periods. Which is unusual as you will see later.  Second, he got the "it's" correct...I wonder if he knew that or the teacher helped?? And last, the turkey he is talking about is in the picture below this, and it is fuzzy!! :)

 "How I made my turkey.

First We got are (our) glue out.  Next We glud the threds on are turkey.  then I Red wow (read while) wating for dwrxshuns (directions).  last I glud the eie and legs."  There is a good chance this is my fave because he was told to write down the things he did to make a turkey.  And one of the things he did was read while waiting for directions. Love.

"If I could visit U-ranis

Hay do you want to hir (hear) a Funny sory? Well this is how it goes.  a very long time ago some peple wint to the Funny lookin plait (planet) its name was U-rasis  they stad (stayed) there for 2 oues (hours???) boy i wish i cuold visit U-ranis some day The End."   Isn't that a funny story? haha

"How to make a snowman.  First I git snow for my snowman.

Next I make it in a dig ball.  Then I mak a Nuther ball. last I make a small ball.  Decrate it with a black hat."

Can't you just tell how he is just throwing stuff down to get done with it? Such a boy.

"Jacob 14 (his number I guess)

  grps (grapes)

  Grps are my favorit  (e on the next line) snack.  they are good. It is helfe (healthy).  It is yum yum You can gro (grow) it."

"How to Cook a turkey.

FirSt I shoot a Turkey.  NeXt I gril (grill) a Turkey.  Then I eat the Turkey.  Last I git dsurt (get dessert).  hees ded (he's dead) WOW!"  That is just hilarious. 

The famous "Dirw Santu. (Dear Santa)

I just Wont the Joy of Crismus (Christmas)

Love

Jacob"  LOVE the drawing :)

 "If I had a 100 Dollers I would feel Greedy. 

first I would by a machon (mansion).  Next i would by a movie fater (theater).  last I would by cheeth (chief) costoom (costume).  Jacob" 

A couple comments.  Obviously the teacher wrote the beginning of that sentence on the board and told them to fill it in with a word.  Also obvious, Jacob doesn't understand that "greedy" is not a positive thing.  And finally, he has always said what I thought was "movie thater (long A sound)," kind of a country/hick way of saying theater.  It wasn't until I saw this that I realized he has been calling it a "fater" all this time and I never corrected him. The chief costume is a Halo costume-a game he plays on XBox.  I don't know what the big yellow rectangle is...

Some recurring themes: 
1)  Jacob does not really concern himself with correct punctuation most of the time.

 

2)  If you give the boy a picture to color, first he will complain.
But then he will color it rainbow style. Always has.

 3)  He has always been obsessed with time.  "Moma, how long until we get there?"  or "Moma, how long till fill-in-th-blank" have been common questions since he could talk practically.  And heaven forbid you tell him a time and then it takes longer. So it came as no surprise to me that he aced any and every activity that concerned time and clocks.  It's such a relief now that he can look at a clock and say, "30 minutes till bedtime."

4)  He loves math. Seriously. LOVES. He will just go around reciting math problems: "10 divided by 5 is 2. Did you know that?"  And they aren't even doing division. I looked all around for a math camp for him to go to this summer.  Apparently there is not a huge demand for camps where 1st & 2nd graders just sit around doing and talking about math.  But there should be.  With breaks for lego building and trampoline jumping.

**A NON recurring theme: a compliment on his penmanship.  And since this is in fact NOT nice penmanship, I am pretty sure his teacher was just trying to use positive reinforcement to get him to try harder.  She was slick like that. **Another theory we have that involves the slickness of his teacher:  Sometimes Jacob would come home and say, "I got my agenda book signed."  They have agenda books at their school that they use to write homework in, but there is also room for the teacher to write comments to  parents.  Anyway, sometimes I would look at the book and there would be something written about bad behavior.  But sometimes there wasn't anything.  By this time, though, he would have already confessed to something he did wrong that day.  And the teacher didn't even have to tell on him.  So our theory is when the kids would act up, she would say, "put your agenda book on my desk" with the intent on writing in it if the behavior got bad enough.  Meanwhile, the kid (Jacob) calmed down and starting behaving himself.  The kid, Jacob, just assumes though that the book as been written in by the teacher and dreads getting in trouble at home. Slick.  Now this is just a theory, I have never asked her, but I think it's pretty likely :)