Deck the Halls

Dylan,
My goal this year was to get the Christmas lights up right after
Thanksgiving. Thanks to your 'help' Dad was able to get it done by
Saturday. I'm really looking forward to sharing the spirit of the
season with you this year.

More pancake face

Flying machine

Dylan,

You built this, on your own, from a picture with no step-by-step
instructions:

sumtimz i hLLp mi daD

Dylan,

Your first sentence. Written today (spaces added above for those of us that aren't used to deciphering) while making a list of things you do. It's all phonetically written, and I did not help you.
So cool!

Love,
Mom

Making tangerine juice

Dylan,
This is activity you quite enjoy doing at school. I bought one of
those big packs of tangerines to use for lunches, but when I offered
you one for breakfast, you told me you wanted to make juice.

Ideas

Dylan,

We have a new pastime, mostly enjoyed while we're driving. You'll make an observation and ask a question about it, like: "Why is that sidewalk closed over there?"

I'll ask you what you think, or offer up a possible explanation of my own. Then you say "I have an idea! Maybe a rocketship took off from right there and the sidewalk got burned up in the fire! Do you have any other ideas, Dad?"

"Maybe it got crushed by an asteroid from Space", I'll offer.

"I have an idea. Maybe it turned into marshmallow and got toasted by the fire from a rocketship and then eaten up", you add.

Back and forth we go, neither of us making any attempt to constrain ourselves to plausibility.

I've been very impressed with how long you can keep this up, continuing to ask if I have any other ideas and making up your own very creative submissions (not always featuring rocketships), though sometimes when you're pressed you just rehash the last thing I said, in nearly identical language.

It is a lot of fun to hear you being so creatively engaging. I don't know how much of it is just you having fun or how much is an exploration of genuine possibilities, but you are definitely enjoying yourself either way.


Dad

Above average

Dylan,

we had a parent/teacher conference yesterday. As your teachers walked us through your portfolio of work they explained that in several areas, like reading and math, you are performing at the level typical of a five yr old in their program.

We talked about our options -- because of your birth date -- to either use next year as your kindegarten year or to keep you in this program for two more years before sending you on to first grade. Our current inclination is to do the latter. Our primary concern with that plan is being able to find a first grade classroom where you will be able to continue learning on your current trajectory and not get bored working on material you've already mastered.

It is a good problem to have.

Dad

swimming buddies

Dylan,

You've been taking swimming lessons with David. Mom says you're a wild and rowdy combo at the pool.


Dad