See You In A Week

This Kid Rocks, Too

Warning: Feel free to turn back now if you don't want to hear my unbridled pride.

Drew's school frequently participates in math contests. They do one or two per quarter. Some are individual and others are team competitions. His math class is required to partake. These events are usually optional for most students.

For the team competitions, the teacher assigns students to seemingly random and balanced groups. Drew has been on a high performing team at least twice this year. As he put it, "I don't remember where we placed. I just know we did well and I'm happy about it for a few weeks and then I forget about it." I am sure that he is, indeed, happy to do well but it really doesn't phase him. I found out about his first place team in the district newsletter. To him, it's just what he does.

Today he came home beaming with pride. It was a banner day. They met with middle school teachers as a class to receive their summer packets. He has already narrowed down his reading options and has a plan for the required journal. He was most pleased to be the recipient of a new Math Contests book. This was a prize for achieving the highest score in the 5th grade on the latest contest. (He tied with two other students.) Not bad in a class of 300.

Drew wants to quit the piano. I'm not against this but I want to hear the plan for how he will use the time before we bid lessons adieu. He knows what he "should" tell me but I'm waiting to hear what he is actually going to do. Since school year lessons just ended, I would like to tell the piano teacher if he is not returning. So I once again broached the "What Are You Going To Do Next Year" conversation. While thinking it through, Drew told me that the 8th grade algebra teacher told them that she assigns 60-90 minutes of homework per night. Then Drew says, "I know I won't take that until 7th grade, but I don't think it will take me that long." Probably not.

So, in case you want to know about piano, we agreed that he can move on to something else. He starts percussion lessons in 2 weeks. He has full band as an elective five days per week next year, he will join Friday morning jazz band, continue weekly private lessons and actually practice. In addition, he is joining the cross country team, continuing his recreation league soccer, and assuming more responsibility for his Boy Scout endeavors. School comes first. Reading goals are considered requirements in our house. Then he can play all the video games that he wants.

This Kid Rocks!

Yesterday, I took Ellen to swimming. Before I left, I gave Andy, who was engrossed in a video game, the following information:

1. I'm leaving.

2. Ellen is with me. You have the rest.

3. Nobody has eaten lunch.

4. Tim will need a nap.

5. I'm leaving. You're in charge of three kids.

Upon my return, a quick glance at the table tells me that at least some kids have eaten. I locate Megan then Drew. I can't find Tim so I find Andy instead, still engrossed in the video game.

Me: It looks like they ate. Did you put Tim down for a nap?

Andy: No.

Me: Where is he?

Andy: I don't know.

Hmm. Did he miss points 4 and 5?

Sometimes Tim sneaks up to watch our TV. "Your bed is wozy, Mama." Sometimes he plays in his room. I head upstairs. His door is closed. I turn the knob and find a sleeping Tim. He tucked himself in when he got tired. I'll keep this one!

Turkey Treats

Turkey Treats. Delicious. If you don't mind pacing off an extra mile or two for the rest of the week to ward off the impending heart attack. And really quite simple.

2 slices rye bread

2 slices American cheese

4 slices deli turkey

2 strips cooked bacon

2Tbsp Russian dressing

It's essentially a grilled turkey and cheese with bacon and dressing. However, don't get fooled into thinking that this is a quick meal. Here's what you do.

1. Cook bacon until crisp. Let excess grease drain on a paper towel.

2. Preheat turkey in a frying pan. Don't cook it. Just get it warm. If you skip this, you will have a sandwich that is cold in the middle or burned on the outside. But then, maybe you are a better cook than I.

3. Spread dressing on both pieces of bread. Next, add cheese to both slices. Stack turkey and bacon on one side. Now, stick it all together so it looks like a sandwich.

4. Melt a good hunk of butter in your pan and toast your sandwich.

Should you need 6-8 sandwiches and you don't keep precooked bacon in the fridge, two griddles work well. I don't have two, so I wash in between bacon and turkey warming.

It's always too much to think that my family will eat a meal prepared the same way for everyone. I don't cater, but I am willing to omit steps along the way, if possible, to make it more to your liking. Did you know that this can result in 6 different sandwiches? It would have been even more confusing if we had actually had rye bread.

Cell Phones

My cell phone contract is up next week, so I decided that it was time to do some research. I'm effectively cell phone illiterate. I never use it. But I want to keep it for emergencies. Emergencies like, "AAA, I'm stranded on the side of the road in the pouring rain with 3 starving children." Emergencies like, "Scout Master, we can't find you. Are we meeting on the north or south side of which building?" Emergencies like, "Drew, is Megan ready for T-ball? Dad will be there in 15 minutes." Consumer Reports to the rescue. They just reviewed phones and plans in January!

I came up with some points to consider.


#1: I never use my cell phone. Seriously. I average 11 minutes per month, with a peak of 26 minutes the month we went to Disney and were trying to meet up. Meaning I am totally not getting $30+ per month out of my contract.


#2: I never use the land line either. I'm sure that the 2 lines combine for under 200 minutes almost every month. But I don't want to ditch the land line because I have 4 kids, some of whom are nearing the phone growing out their ear age.


#3: I don't like my cell phone. The 9 sticks - and I have 3 of them in my home number. There is so much dust under the display that it's truly hard to read. I want a phone that closes so I don't have to hit buttons so that I don't hit buttons.


#4: Camera phones are cool but they have horrid quality. Phone are made for talking. If you want to take picture, buy a camera.


#5: My kids don't have cell phones. I'm not planning on getting them any in the near future. I don't forsee needing a family plan in the next 2 years, but never say never.


So, I've decided on a pre-paid plan. Cingular has the best deal because you pay $1 only on days when you use the phone. Most charge about a dollar every day. Really, why not go with their most basic contractual plan then? For the life of me I can't remember why I hated Cingular about a year ago. My guess is that it was over fees. Like ridiculous late fees for being a week late with no prior history. (Now I have a spreadsheet so I don't forget about things like this.) They also annoy me because they send me text messages (albeit rarely) which I equate to SPAM and they charge me for them. It's only a few cents, but irksome, nonetheless. But since I can't remember for sure why I hated them and they have the best deal that offers coverage in my area, I'll go with them. Plus, no contract. If they cross the line, I'll leave.


I found a refurbished phone that meets my criteria. It happens to have a camera. At least I can carry cute pictures of the rug rats with me. So I am happily placing my order online until I get to the part where I want to keep the same number. Can't do that unless you go to the physical store, which Jessica, who fortunately speaks English, will happily tell you after you dig up their 800 number and place a call (more minutes). If I had an existing account with anyone else, yes. But not from them. I figure at this point most people just give up and get the stupid contract that comes with a free phone that you'll hate for the next 2 years.

So, I'm on my way to the store, steeling myself against the impending pitch for why I need to upgrade. I also think that I'm cutting it close to get to swimming on time. And then it dawns on me. I don't use my phone. So what does it matter if I change my number? My kids are smart enough to forget the old one and learn the new one. And I'm going to need to update all the school forms in August anyway. So, I turned around and went back to the comfort of my computer and placed my order online. With any luck, I'll have a new functioning phone before we leave for vacation.

The Kid With the Black Eye

School always begins with the teacher asking me if Ellen is always this quiet. What? She is my child who needs down time and is very comfortable being alone but she is not quiet. At home.

I've learned that when my caller ID reveals that the elementary school is calling a little before 1:00, it is the school nurse. It always starts out with, "Everything is OK but..." I think that they are fending off a lawsuit that may ensue if they send a kid home in an altered state from their arrival. Yesterday the call came.

I guess kickball took on more of a kill-the-guy-with-the-ball feel. Ellen had the ball.

She heals quickly. It looks like an allergy shiner this morning.

What is it with this child? She is yet to be in a fight, but this is the third time in about a year that she has returned from school with a black eye. I think this happened once in New York, too.

I wonder how many incidents have involved Ellen when I am not the parent getting the call.

Winding Up the Year

This has been a rather grueling week. It's basically the same as most weeks, but the year is coming to an end. Today is Megan's last day of preschool. That means that she has to go to kindergarten and I still don't want her to go. I always have a harder time with these markers of the passing of time than with things like my own birthday. It's not as much about allowing her to grow up as the fact that she is Megan. Nobody knows what she needs like I do. I have it in my head that she needs more protecting than the rest. Anyone who has ever talked with her or observed her at home knows that these are ill-founded worries. (If I ever get the recognition video online, you can witness her elbowing the girl next to her because the bow from Lauren's dress brushed Megan's arm.)

This year end business had me purchasing gift cards for teachers. I got to thinking that I shouldn't have to give a gift. Honestly, there are some teachers for whom my children and I are not thankful. We are only grateful for the end of the chapter. So why do I send identical gifts? The good teachers who we have had are always the ones who thank the parents for sharing their children. And mean it. They are truly grateful to be in their position and they recognize that you don't have to send your children to their classroom every day. Their teaching style reflects their dedication to ALL students. So why shouldn't I start with a gift budget and assign percentages to each teacher? Rather like a performance review and ensuing bonus that would apply to any other profession.

But then I would be left with another dilemma. I LOVE Drew's math teacher. She is the perfect match for him. I would be happy if she were his only instructor for the rest of his life. She could handle anything that he wanted to study and push him while making it interesting. A gift card really doesn't begin to express my appreciation. If I could afford to send her on a great vacation, I would. (She likes to travel. Would a vacation get my other kids into her class?) But the dilemma. My allocation method wouldn't leave anything for the others. Well, maybe I could squeeze a few percent for one.

Keep your fingers crossed that Ellen lands in her class next year and that their relationship is equally copacetic.

She's Been Recognized

Our preschool is an age 3-5 inclusive classroom. The classroom is the lab for the early childhood program at the regional Vo-Tech. Juniors and seniors who want to work with children after high school supervise the children and facilitate their activities. These high school students receive one week of classroom instruction then have one week in the lab. The adults who oversee this whole program are nothing short of amazing.

Given the age range of the preschool students, there is no such thing as graduation. However, last night the 12 little people were recognized. Since this was the PM class, about 2/3 of the class are heading to Kindergarten in the fall. The second year high school students were all recognized as well. They will attend a true graduation in a few weeks at their local high school. Every one of the dozen is headed to college in the fall to earn qualifications to work with kids. Most in early childhood. So it seems that the program works.

Last night's program included 5 well chosen songs. Megan LOVES to sing. And she is good at following instruction when it strikes her fancy. So when they told the children to sing loud enough for everyone to hear them, she took it to heart. There were about 36 people singing one song when you include all the high schoolers. I've formulated an equation to represent the results:

(Group - Megan) X 10 = Volume of Megan.

I'll work later on stripping off a piece of our video of the event to share here. Hysterical.

Can You Say "Growth Spurt"?

Lunch: Spaghetti, pizza, PB&J, Rice Krispies
Admittedly, he leaves some remnants. But still? In one sitting?

Addiction

Last week a shadowed discoloration appeared on our television picture. It was definitely the TV, not an input device. This happened during our move and it turned out to be something to do with convergence. (How's that for the technical term?) I placed a call to the guys who fixed it last time and they came to get the TV today. Timothy cried real tears for 10 full minutes when he saw it being loaded onto the truck. I momentarily thought of seeking out a brown bag to counter his reaction when he realized that the truck was leaving our driveway. He truly misses the TV. As it turns out, he likes Matchbox cars, too.

Antenna Toppers

Have you ever seen these? They are foam figures that you place on top of your car antenna. I personally had never noticed them, at all, until about a month ago.

Timothy, on the other hand, can spot a minimum of 10 on any given trip. And they are always Mickey Mouse. They come in several styles. He enjoys finding Minnie - just like this one but with a bow.

The boy has Mickey on the brain. He hoards any reproduction of Mickey that crosses his path. He loves Mickey Mouse Club House from TV. Mickey has Toodles, who supplies tools to solve problems. Tim also loves Toodles. Any circular figure has come to represent Toodles to him. Now Tim is sighting Toodles right and left in the car. I think I figured it out. A few car manufacturers sport a round logo.