So, the odd years seem to be harder than the even years in school. Thomas, after 2 weeks of school, had 15 (yes, 15) pages of unfinished work, which, when he brought it home took him all of 20 minutes to finish. Attached to those pages was a note from the teacher that said he talks too much in class. I have had a couple of conversations with the teacher since then, and I think (oh man, I hope) things are getting better. He is completing a lot more of his work in class, and not spending every recess working on finishing his work. The thing is, he KNOWS this stuff, and the teacher even said he is a very bright student, he just spend a majority of his time listening to other kids talk (he told me "they say funny stuff!"). Focus has never been one of his strong points, and I am thinking this may hopefully just be a wrinkle that is working itself out. We have changed his morning diet from poptarts and yogurt to scrambled eggs and toast with cheese. More protein, less sugar. Also we have totally given up nintendo and tv during the week. They can play and watch on the weekends, but not during the school week, and so far (one week in) that is working out okay.
Glee also was having trouble in class, with math and she is still struggling with it a bit, but again, just a wrinkle, I hope... she has also taken up the clarinet and is learning music in school now. She is the only third grader playing anything other than the violin! Yes, all of her friends chose violin. When I explained that marching bands don't have string sections she took up clarinet. She's not too bad. She has figured out how to put the thing together, and how to blow without making a horrible screeching noise.
So, we are in full steam now. Girl Scouts is in the mix, and we are working on finding a Boy Scout Pack to join. We have checked out a couple but they aren't great fits (in one Thomas would be the ONLY tiger cub, and really, what fun is that?). Still looking... still here.
Sunday, October 18, 2009
Friday, October 2, 2009
Thomas is 6 and 3 days...
So, for his birthday the man got to pick out anything in the world he wanted to do. After school we picked him (and Glee) up and came home for just a little homework (that has become an overwhelming but controllable problem already!)... then it was off to the Toyota Center for some ice skating and to Round Table Pizza after for dinner. He was totally happy and really enjoyed his day. The only bad part for him was he got two new nintendo games but he and Glee lost their nintendos for two weeks almost two weeks ago when it took them 10 hours (all day Saturday and part of Sunday) and their rooms still weren't clean. They aren't clean now, but I am more lenient with that than X is... so, needless to say, he has two brand new nintendo games and a gift card to Gamestop burning a hole in his pocket, and he can't play them, not yet.
Funny enough, they lost all tv, nintendo and computers on that fateful weekend and they have done surprisingly well going cold turkey. They play with each other a lot more, we have more family fun (playing Uno Attack has been really popular) and they are generally better behaved without all the electronics. Go figure.
Funny enough, they lost all tv, nintendo and computers on that fateful weekend and they have done surprisingly well going cold turkey. They play with each other a lot more, we have more family fun (playing Uno Attack has been really popular) and they are generally better behaved without all the electronics. Go figure.
Thursday, September 24, 2009
Thomas has graduated...
While in first grade today my little boy told me he jumped and when he landed he felt a pressure go through his feet all the way to his gums and blasted his loose tooth right out! Luckily they found it and it came home in a cute little envelope with a smiley face missing a tooth. It has been loose for a while, and we were looking at it yesterday just waiting for it to fall out. I guess, like most boys, he had to blast it out. 5 days before his 6th birthday! You can see the new "grown up" teeth coming in right behind the baby teeth on the bottom, they have already pushed through the gums and right now his teeth look like shark teeth, two rows, one right behind the other.
Yesterday we picked up a clarinet for Glee. Yes, she will be learning clarinet. Thomas got a recorder because you can't take music classes until 3rd grade, but the music teacher said it would be good for him to practice on for now. All of Glee's friends (and I mean all the ones who are playing an instrument) chose violin. I don't know why. We talked about it and it came down to what instrument could you play if you wanted to march in the Armed Forces Day Parade next year, and pretty much any instrument except the violin. I am glad she chose the clarinet. It has a real soothing sound to me... and I don't know if I could have handled the flute, which was her other choice. She and Thomas did a performance for us last night (he played his recorder and she danced) and today I was treated to a parade through the house while they practiced marching and playing at the same time. Funny.
School is going okay. I am still not happy with the class Glee is in, but it just means more work for me, because I don't think you should be punished because you are smart. And I expect them to use what they have. Yes, there is a whole long story behind this that I just don't feel like typing right now. My throat is sore and I am a little chilled even though our house says it is 76 inside. Off to bed for me I think. Happy Friday tomorrow.
Yesterday we picked up a clarinet for Glee. Yes, she will be learning clarinet. Thomas got a recorder because you can't take music classes until 3rd grade, but the music teacher said it would be good for him to practice on for now. All of Glee's friends (and I mean all the ones who are playing an instrument) chose violin. I don't know why. We talked about it and it came down to what instrument could you play if you wanted to march in the Armed Forces Day Parade next year, and pretty much any instrument except the violin. I am glad she chose the clarinet. It has a real soothing sound to me... and I don't know if I could have handled the flute, which was her other choice. She and Thomas did a performance for us last night (he played his recorder and she danced) and today I was treated to a parade through the house while they practiced marching and playing at the same time. Funny.
School is going okay. I am still not happy with the class Glee is in, but it just means more work for me, because I don't think you should be punished because you are smart. And I expect them to use what they have. Yes, there is a whole long story behind this that I just don't feel like typing right now. My throat is sore and I am a little chilled even though our house says it is 76 inside. Off to bed for me I think. Happy Friday tomorrow.
Friday, September 11, 2009
Fairy Tale
While watching the movie Fairy Tale, A True Story with Glee (she got it for her birthday) she turned around and whispered to me "mom? I think I know what happens when we die... we become fairies and live in the gardens forever..."
Have I said lately how much I love her? Okay, let me say it again, I love my baby girl.
Have I said lately how much I love her? Okay, let me say it again, I love my baby girl.
Sunday, August 30, 2009
8 Days and Counting...
Yes, there are only 8 official days left in our summer. Let's recap...
Catalina was bliss. I can't think of a better way to describe it. We did see dolphins, going to Catalina and coming home. A great pod of dolphins frolicking through the ocean, jumping our wake. Amazing. We spent four days on the boat, with my cousin very generously taking us up to the beach whenever we asked him. Glee and Thomas were amazed by my young cousins and their bravado, one jumping from the very top of the boat into the ocean, and the other restricted to a lower jump because he possibly had a concussion from skateboarding earlier in the week. My aunt and uncle were very generous hosts... I know I owe them some money, and at least a dinner, but read on reader and you will see why we are sort of strapped... for money... that info to come.
So, yes, we all loved staying on the boat, staying up late playing Scrabble, waking up to the smell of the ocean and the gentle rocking of the waves. We kayaked, we swam (sort of, our children are spoiled with the warm pool across the street, and the ocean is coooooold). They almost swam with scuba gear (flippers and masks, they still don't have the hang of the breathing apparatus, and we have been practicing in the pool). We found shells and talked of mermaids and dolphins and buffalo. Really wonderful.
Then, last week we took the monsters to Sea World. It is the compromise for no birthday parties this year. They decided they would rather go to Sea World than have a party, and I found an amazing deal where we paid for adult tickets and got kid tickets free, saving us $110. Of course, add in parking and then all day food passes (which cost us almost $100, but were well worth it for the four meals we ate being there all day), and it would have been more economical to have birthday parties, but to sit with Glee as she watched the dolphin show, and to walk with Thomas throughout the park, and then to watch them be amazed at the things the sea mammals did, it was totally worth it. They both had a wonderful time and have decided to be the first sister/brother team of dolphin trainers at Sea World.
So... the real cost of the summer came when Snowray got sick. It was fleas, and here is an amazing piece of info for dog owners. Fleas can cause animals to have ear infections and partial paralysis. Yes, paralysis. Who would have know? About $800 in vet bills later we learned a few things. Fleas = bad news all around. The dogs bite, and their skin can get raw (no kidding, right), and that can lead to ear infections (?huh?) of which our dog had both ears infected, one majorly. She was put on a topical antibiotic (squirted in her ears) and an oral antibiotic, as well as super flea fighting pills, and given a steroid shot. Yep, this all happened the 2nd week of August.
And then, this week I go to the take the Mini in for service, and our service agreement expired in July. So, if I want to go ahead, this service would be about $800, and a follow up service next year, about $600, and rear brakes next year probably ($400)... are we up the $1500 yet? Yes, $1495 is how much it was to renew our warranty for three more years. So, we had to pay that. Good thing we bought the kids news shoes a few weeks ago.
So, there we go, our entire summer budget blown out the window. Ah well, it's only money, and we will recover, eventually. We always do. :)
So, now, the next couple of weeks I have to get the website for the school up to snuff, organize a flier for parent volunteers, and start to build the Edison Army. Our schools are in such dire need, our principal is asking for things like copy paper in all sorts of colors, and glue sticks, and white board markers, and ink for the office printers. There is going to be a list, that's for sure.
Hope the end of summer is exactly how you all want it to be. I am looking forward to Halloween (as always). This year we will have one beautiful eight year old mermaid, and Flash Jr., a creation similar to the superhero The Flash, but with a few modifications (I have plenty of yellow fabric and not quite enough red, so we make due...).
Catalina was bliss. I can't think of a better way to describe it. We did see dolphins, going to Catalina and coming home. A great pod of dolphins frolicking through the ocean, jumping our wake. Amazing. We spent four days on the boat, with my cousin very generously taking us up to the beach whenever we asked him. Glee and Thomas were amazed by my young cousins and their bravado, one jumping from the very top of the boat into the ocean, and the other restricted to a lower jump because he possibly had a concussion from skateboarding earlier in the week. My aunt and uncle were very generous hosts... I know I owe them some money, and at least a dinner, but read on reader and you will see why we are sort of strapped... for money... that info to come.
So, yes, we all loved staying on the boat, staying up late playing Scrabble, waking up to the smell of the ocean and the gentle rocking of the waves. We kayaked, we swam (sort of, our children are spoiled with the warm pool across the street, and the ocean is coooooold). They almost swam with scuba gear (flippers and masks, they still don't have the hang of the breathing apparatus, and we have been practicing in the pool). We found shells and talked of mermaids and dolphins and buffalo. Really wonderful.
Then, last week we took the monsters to Sea World. It is the compromise for no birthday parties this year. They decided they would rather go to Sea World than have a party, and I found an amazing deal where we paid for adult tickets and got kid tickets free, saving us $110. Of course, add in parking and then all day food passes (which cost us almost $100, but were well worth it for the four meals we ate being there all day), and it would have been more economical to have birthday parties, but to sit with Glee as she watched the dolphin show, and to walk with Thomas throughout the park, and then to watch them be amazed at the things the sea mammals did, it was totally worth it. They both had a wonderful time and have decided to be the first sister/brother team of dolphin trainers at Sea World.
So... the real cost of the summer came when Snowray got sick. It was fleas, and here is an amazing piece of info for dog owners. Fleas can cause animals to have ear infections and partial paralysis. Yes, paralysis. Who would have know? About $800 in vet bills later we learned a few things. Fleas = bad news all around. The dogs bite, and their skin can get raw (no kidding, right), and that can lead to ear infections (?huh?) of which our dog had both ears infected, one majorly. She was put on a topical antibiotic (squirted in her ears) and an oral antibiotic, as well as super flea fighting pills, and given a steroid shot. Yep, this all happened the 2nd week of August.
And then, this week I go to the take the Mini in for service, and our service agreement expired in July. So, if I want to go ahead, this service would be about $800, and a follow up service next year, about $600, and rear brakes next year probably ($400)... are we up the $1500 yet? Yes, $1495 is how much it was to renew our warranty for three more years. So, we had to pay that. Good thing we bought the kids news shoes a few weeks ago.
So, there we go, our entire summer budget blown out the window. Ah well, it's only money, and we will recover, eventually. We always do. :)
So, now, the next couple of weeks I have to get the website for the school up to snuff, organize a flier for parent volunteers, and start to build the Edison Army. Our schools are in such dire need, our principal is asking for things like copy paper in all sorts of colors, and glue sticks, and white board markers, and ink for the office printers. There is going to be a list, that's for sure.
Hope the end of summer is exactly how you all want it to be. I am looking forward to Halloween (as always). This year we will have one beautiful eight year old mermaid, and Flash Jr., a creation similar to the superhero The Flash, but with a few modifications (I have plenty of yellow fabric and not quite enough red, so we make due...).
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