that kid....

The nurse from Ryan's school called me today to pick him up. She said he had a low grade fever and had thrown up all over the classroom. I called Erik and he was devastated. He was afraid that from here on out Ryan would be known as "that kid." I reminded him that it doesn't matter because, like Chelsea, he will probably change schools a dozen times due to re-districting and starting new grades. (So far, in the sixth grade, Chelsea has been to four schools....one for kindergarten, elementary school, another elementary school-redistricting, intermediate school.....then she will have middle school, freshman center, and high school!)

This is the response from Ryan’s kindergarten teacher, Ms. Dahlke. My e-mail apologized for Ryan getting sick at school that morning…and asked how he was doing in school.

Tuesday 9/4/2007 3:20 PM

Don't worry about him getting sick! He did end up throwing up some more in the waste basket. Poor thing-I know throwing up is no fun :(

I hope he feels better. Ryan is kind of quiet in class but he does enjoy talking to a few kids, like Eric and Jeanna. He plays well with all the kids and I sometimes have to remind him to stop talking in the whole group situation. I can tell he has quite an imagination because I think he gets caught up in ideas when I tell him to stop talking. He is working well in class but his table, and I believe it is table location, has trouble paying close attention. I had to add another table to the classroom due to more students and since we are limited on space, his table has a harder time paying attention. They seem to get caught up more in conversation. I haven't seen him get frustrated but we also are working on things that are familiar with kindergartners, such as shapes, families, colors, etc. He appears to have a positive attitude so I am excited to see him grow and change as the year goes on. I enjoy having Ryan in class...he was able to do a chin up on the playground, which I think he felt pretty proud of.

I hope I answered your questions. Tell Ryan we missed him and we hope to see him tomorrow or the next day!

Pauline Dahlke

I thought that was interesting. I've never really thought of him as being that "social." He is more laid back and quiet....I thought. That's good though. I mean I don't want it to interfere with his learning of course but making friends is a very important skill. In my mind just as important as some of the academic lessons that he will learn. It will be very interesting in a few years to look back on and see what changes he’s made…that and it’s my duty, as a parent, to document for posterity’s sake all of the embarrassing moments that I have knowledge of.

Erik brought him to the Dr. that afternoon and apparently he just had a cold. Nana thinks that maybe he got an upset tummy from taking cold medicine before school on an upset stomach. No ear infection, no flu, and he was absolutely fine the rest of the day.

It was funny though, because on the way home from picking him up I asked him where he got sick. He said, "On the floor, by the calender, and by my friend." "You didn't hit your friend did you...because if you did he might just not be your friend anymore," I said. He said he has TWO friends. And no he didn't hit him. I asked him their names. He said he didn't know. They hadn't told him yet. Too funny.