Claire Ada Fischer

Claire started 1st grade 2nd grade this year...

6 1/2 years old

I love this picture because it captures her sassy little attitude. 

To say this girl grew a lot this year would be a huge understatement. She had a HUGE growth spurt this year. She is significantly taller than all the kiddos her age. She started out the school year in 1st grade with Ms. Kirby. It was evident right away to her teacher and Randy and I that it was going to be a huge challenge to keep her engaged and challenged. She soared through her assessments. We had the same problem last year and had a lot of discussions with her Kindergarten teacher. She would come home crying that she had to school with "babies". She never felt like she belonged with her peer group. She was bored and not advancing. We toyed with the idea of skipping kindergarten. We decided not to at the time. There was a lot to consider emotionally and academically and we felt like we should keep her there and see how the year went. I don't regret keeping her there. I think she got a good solid base and gained heaps of confidence last year. This year is a different story. When I met with Ms. Kirby after the first few days she said Claire had a really flat affect at school. Claire wouldn't crack a smile or engage in class. I was really bothered by that since Claire has so much sass and spunk. We met with the principal and the school counselor who both agreed that she would likely thrive if we decided to move her up to 2nd grade. After days of serious contemplation, hours and hours of talking about every pro and con, and many prayers Randy and I decided to move her up to 2nd. I was nervous. It is a big decision that could affect her until she graduates.  She started the day after Labor day with Ms. Sheanshang. I took her to school early on the first day and she was so excited to start. She didn't seem scared or worried at all. I didn't want to leave her. I wished I could have been a fly on the wall all day. When she got home she talked non stop about how much she loved it and how fun it was to learn new things. She is also in Lyndsee's class which made her even more excited. I knew that day we made the right decision. She had a spark back. I was so relieved. So far she is doing great and just absorbing it all. She loves to be challenged and catches on quickly. There are going to be and bumps down the road, especially when she is a teenager,  but I know she will rise to the challenge and fight her way through them. She thrives so much better when she is challenged. 

Claire is such a sassy girl. She is so active and is always looking for a thrill. That would explain the 2 broken arms this year. She started riding motorcycles this year and loves it. She loves animals and begs us every day to get a dog, cat, bird, or a horse...it doesn't work. We are still a pet-less family. Claire is so helpful around the house and loves to please us. She loves to butter us up, and she is good at it. Claire loves music and loves to dance and sing to the radio. We decided not to do dance this year since you have to commit to 2 nights a week. She wanted to participate in a sport this year so she will do winter basketball.  We decided to put her in tumbling since it was only once a week and she wanted to try something new. Plus Lyndsee was taking it...who wouldn't want to do something with their best friend??

Claire is so outgoing and full of life. She is not afraid of anything and is always up for a challenge. I'm not going to lie, I have really missed having her home half a day when she was in K-garten. I miss having a buddy to eat lunch with and hang out. We are so proud of you Claire. You are so smart, funny, and creative. You are the spice of our family and we would be so bland without you!!! We love you.