metamorphosis

Hunting the Perfect Tree

2007-12-10T04:04:00.000-08:00

When we lived in NY, we always cut down our Christmas tree. They had large tree farms with tractor rides, live animals, elaborate shops and warm cider. It was a family event. Everyone into you snow suit. Pile in the van. Browse the fields for a while. Covet the tree that some eager-beaver family tagged when it wasn't freezing outside. Return to the second tree you saw and chop it down. Lug it back to the tractor. Strap it to the roof of the van. Re-pack the children. Fight with the tree to made it stand. Decorate. Admire.

So when we arrived in Illinois, we carried on the tradition. Year one we drove over the river and through the woods to a farm about 45 minutes away. We were a little surprised by how small it was but we found a tree. Year two we went to a farm much closer and far more Charlie Brown. This year we came to the realization that in Illinois they grow corn and soy beans, not evergreen trees - at least if you live south of I-80. (For all you east coasters, there is Chicagoland and there is south of 80. It's very comparable to NYC and Upstate.) Several people told me that they have farms around where you can get a nice tree but I haven't seen them. Maybe if we went west - at least they have trees in the wild. In the mean time, I fear that we have been spoiled by knowing real trees. Nice trees. Pretty trees. Full trees.

So we were left with the following options: 1) Charlie Brown tree farm 2)Pre-cut from Wisconsin 6 weeks ago 3)Fake. Those aren't italics. That's me shuddering. This created a need to analyze how I felt about plastic (and I choose paper at the grocery store). Cons: No pine smell, no family event (and Tim won't remember the previous trips), fake. Pros: Straight "trunk", pre-lit that only comes in white, no complaining about itchy eyes and sneezing for 3 weeks, not cold, will pay for itself if we keep it for 2 decades or so, no need to find a day on the calendar when we have more that 2 hours together.

So I caved. Tim and I went and bought an artificial tree last week. It could have been a family outing but the finding 2 hours together criteria has been challenging the last couple weeks. It was fairly painless. I didn't break out in hives, though Tim had a minor meltdown unrelated to the tree but directly tied to his hatred of shopping. It was a little easier to make it stand than to erect a live tree. The lights were way harder to connect than they should have been. And I have to admit that it doesn't look bad after a little fanning of the branches.

Old Enough To Enjoy the Snow

2007-12-07T11:33:00.000-08:00

Apples and Trees

2007-12-06T03:54:00.000-08:00

7 years ago, we attended a family reunion. Most of Andy's Mom's family gathered at a ski lodge in Vermont over the Fourth of July. Some came early. Some came late. But I think everyone's stay overlapped. It was fun. We generally only see these people at weddings and funerals so it was nice that there was no real pressure for anyone once we all arrived.

Andy is one of 14 cousins on that branch of the family. It was a long time ago, but many of those cousins had their own families. I would guess that there were about 20 children in attendance, the oldest being no more than 10. (In case you are wondering, my last count has the little ones at 29 but my information isn't always current!) Anyway, with that many people, you are bound to find someone with whom you get along.

Drew encountered a cousin (for lack of a better term) with whom he could see eye to eye. The boys were playing baseball with the dad of said cousin. It was really more like catch. The adult reminded them that they needed to hold their hands out so that the ball wouldn't hit them in the tummy. One of the boys corrected him, "It's not a tummy, it's a stomach." I think it was mine, but I can't remember for sure. The ensuing conversation led me to believe that this was a typical comment from either 4 year old.

I was reminded of this episode the other day by Tim.

I was trying to convince Tim that story time was a fun and worthy excursion. He's been to story time tons of times but not consistently or recently. I reminded him that we sit on the floor together and he gets to choose a carpet square. We listen and it is fun. For about 15 seconds he was silent. I could see his doubtful expression. Why trade a sure thing like TV and video games for the chancy story time? What if the stories are about basket weaving? Or what to wear to a wedding? Or why you should eat anything besides PB&J? Then he looked at me and in all seriousness, mixed with a touch of outrage, said, "They are rectangles."

So now I'm wondering if perhaps there is some genetic trait that makes these kids so particular about their vocabulary. And if so, which branch is responsible for these apples.

It's Here

2007-12-04T04:02:00.001-08:00

At the rate I have been blogging, you should probably not read this all at once. Maybe you want to pick a paragraph per day for sustained reading enjoyment. Maybe someday I'll get dedicated enough to just cut and paste a portion so I post each day. But until that time...

It's here! Today finally came! No, not the middle school band concert, although I'm sure that will be swell, too. 24 Season 6! Netflix has it all queued up and it should arrive in my mailbox today! See, once we started, we couldn't stop. And then that fateful day came when we had seen them all. We did not appreciate that we should have been TIVOing last season to save for later. So it's all new to us. DON'T TELL US WHAT HAPPENS!!!! Drew is psyched, too. We figure that we'll be finished well before Christmas. Two blissful weeks on the couch watching the bodies fall. Umm... 24... (Said with my best Homer Simpson impersonation.) Can't wait until the band concert is over so I can start watching! I'll try my best not to watch all by myself this afternoon and then sit through it with Drew and Andy pretending that I don't know what is going to happen.

In other news... Last weekend ended up being very quiet and enjoyable. We had a little ice on Saturday and rain on Sunday so we stayed home. We decorated Friday, except for the tree. That is because the tree is about as available as our Christmas cards - which is not at all. We made cut out Christmas cookies on Saturday. I was reminded that there is an inverse relationship between the age of the baker and the amount of sprinkles applied to a cookie. Sunday the kids munched cookies and drank hot chocolate by the fire while watching The Polar Express. We won't tell them that it was 57*. By the time the movie ended the front had passed through and it was 39*.

This weekend I made the worst culinary mistake of my life. Thankfully, it was nothing life threatening. I'm not a very good cook. I'm impatient and get in trouble when I try to speed up the process. Grilled sandwiches almost always involve scraping the blackened bread crumbs into the sink before serving them anyway. (In my defense, it is easier to use a smaller frying pan then to try to get the griddle to a consistent temperature across 2 burners.) So I was quite smug about the state of the grilled cheese that I was making for Andy on Sunday. It was heating slowly and turning a nice golden brown. He stepped in to check on the sandwich. He's been around for a long time now so he knows to be wary. When he lifted it to inspect the bottom, he came away with just the top slice of bread. How does this happen when melted cheese is sticky? Well, when you don't put the cheese on the sandwich. And yes, it was just a straight grilled cheese. It's not like I forgot one ingredient of many. I made a sandwich that consisted of just bread. You would think someone would be motivated enough to step up and take over the culinary responsibilities. But no.

Sunday afternoon we watched the Giants. Wow, they are hard to watch. Painful! With 7 minutes left in the game, Drew asked if he had to ride the bus on Monday. (Lots of Bear fans in this neck of the woods.) Luckily it all turned out OK. Off they went on the bus donning all their Giants gear. However, ALL the Bears fans are CERTAIN that the last touchdown pass hit the ground.

Toward the end of last week I got inspired to rearrange the furniture. I pondered it all weekend and had to move things yesterday. It wasn't a one room operation. I shuffled the office, living room and family room. It also involved swapping out some items for other treasures in the basement. Note to self: Move heavy furniture when there is someone to help who is older and stronger than an almost 3 year old. Any idea how heavy a 4 1/2 foot upright piano is? Me either, but dang heavy is my answer. Heavier than anyone should attempt to move by herself. I could feel the stiffness setting in before the kids got home from school. However, I'm happy with the results. The office is more office like. The piano is in the living room. I traded the seating in the family room and living room. (I did wait to move the large couches until Andy got home because one of them needs to be turned on it's side to fit through the doorway. Now I want to paint. We haven't done that in the 2 1/2 years we've been here. I like the yellow that we moved into but who uses flat paint!? Yes, I like the look but I have 4 kids. They think about the walls and it leaves dirt. They look at the walls and it leaves dirt. They walk past the walls and it leaves dirt. They don't even notice the walls and it leaves dirt. Every piece of furniture that brushes against the walls leaves dirt. And when you scrub it, the paint rubs off but you can still see the dirt. But painting is for another day. I don't think I could lift a paint brush over my head today and the living room and dining room are like 12 feet high. I'll post pictures when I finish.

The Highlights

2007-11-30T04:09:00.001-08:00

We've been cruising along here with the same-old, same-old. Nothing very interesting to report. You know... Wake up. Get everyone out of the house. Run house. Chauffeur children. Feed family. Bed children. Repeat.

Here are a few highlights...

1. Thanksgiving was really relaxed, which was great. We had to convince a few children that they needed to get dressed and brush their teeth before coming to the dinner table.

2. The day before Thanksgiving, Megan came home from school and shortly thereafter started to complain about her ear. Typical - it's a holiday. We establish that it is inside but she has no fever so I basically ignore her. She eventually asks me to look at it. I see what looks like a kidney bean cut in half and shoved in there. We move to better light with some tweezers, my really pointy ones for sewing, and after a few tries I extract a plastic googly eye from the construction paper scarecrow that she brought home earlier. Why couldn't she have just told me what was in there from the beginning?

3. Tim doesn't want to wear underwear, or use the potty for that matter.

4. I'm thinking of getting a family portrait done for our Christmas card this year. Unfortunately for those of you who would like a card, this is still in the thought stage.

5. I'm sure that Tim did something as funny as Megan (see #2) a few weeks back but I can't remember what it was. He's just funny in general.

Stay tuned for a music update. 4 concerts in the next 15 days. Tis the season.

Swimming is our Life

2007-11-05T12:48:00.000-08:00

We have swimmers. 5 of the last 6 weekends we have gone to swim meets. Sometimes they take FOREVER. Sometimes we are home around noon. They all start EARLY.

We are ducklings in a pool of sharks when it comes to speed and skill. Ellen and Drew are at the young end of their age group. Megan is old at YMCA meets because they have 6 and under races. Even still, there is always some eager beaver 6 year old who swam last year.

What I am getting to is that they like to swim. They improve their times. But they don't win events. They don't even win their heats.

But I think that we may be making progress. Last weekend the girls swam in a pentathlon. That means that they did each of the 4 stroke - butterfly, backstroke, breast stroke and freestyle. The fifth race was an IM. Ellen improved her time in every event, even though she got disqualified in butterfly. And, she won 2 heats. You should have seen her on breast stroke! She has been working on this one, in particular. She has corrected her kick and it is finally legal. She was trailing by about 2 strokes as they approached the turn. She made up a little time there. With half a length to go, she was determined. I never saw her look fast in the water until then! She gave it everything she had and eked out a win (in her heat).

Then there is Megan. She only swims once a week and I was pretty sure that she would be DQed in 3 events, which she was. But you have to admire her guts. She went off the blocks that came to her chin. She swam a total of 16 lengths Saturday, including warm up. She has never gone that far in a week. Ever. One teammate pulled herself out of the pool after the butterfly length of her IM. Megan might have been disqualified, but bless her heart, she finished the race! 4:07.47 for 100 yards.

You can see how they have been doing here. The times look funny for last week because they add them all together to determine the winner. So, if you finish the race but get DQed, they add 2 minutes to your time. If you scratch from an event, they give you 5 minutes as your time even though you didn't swim.

Halloween Night

2007-11-01T04:24:00.000-07:00

Here they are... the only picture that they allowed. To clarify-
Drew - vampire
Ellen - Anikin Skywalker
Megan - Hello Kitty
Tim - Mickey Mouse

It was close this year. As of 9AM Halloween morning, neither boy had a costume. Drew has outgrown the costume aspect but is not ready to forfeit the loot. The girls were ready because they had their classroom parties last Friday. No, I don't know why not Halloween. And actually, Ellen's party was a no-costume event.

What a great night for trick-or-treating. It was about 60 with clear skies and no wind. Timothy was awed by the night sky. He really doesn't go out after dark. He said, "It's beautiful. I just want to look at the sky." Fear not, no sky would distract him from the true spirit of the day - CANDY. He made it to about 25 houses before heading home amidst protests. He introduced himself to almost everyone he encountered, "I'm Tim!" He shied away from one ghost. He wasn't sure he wanted to get dressed up but it all clicked once he started collecting the goods. For the record, he likes Milky Way. He must have a bigger connection with the sky than I thought!

The other kids had fun, but this was really all about Tim. It was the first year he got it. And, my only child to pose - pre-candy, of course.

I went along, too, for the first time in about 7 years. I was always in charge of manning the door. But this was more fun.

Real Men Don't Nap

2007-10-29T13:21:00.001-07:00

This is the boy who doesn't need a nap. As you can see, he is fully alert and engrossed in a riveting episode of Cyberchase.

Squirrel!!!

2007-10-25T04:04:00.000-07:00

We were recently driving through an oak lined street in suburbia when Drew spied a critter.

Drew: Squirrel!!! (As though this is a rare and treasured sighting.)

Ellen: Squirrel!!!

Megan: Squirrel!!!

Tim: CROCODILE!!!

I know that you've been waiting...

2007-10-22T05:34:00.000-07:00

We have settled into a rhythm for the fall. It's frantic at times but consistent. And it's about time since the kids have completed the first quarter of the school year!

Drew is finding his groove in middle school. He is a drummer who enjoys band and jazz band in particular. He is working on forming a band with a few friends. He has expressed an interest in a few clubs and we're working on a way to allow participation. (It wasn't planned in the master schedule.) He likes swimming and has participated in a few meets. The wonder of being an 11 year old boy is that there aren't a lot of swimmers so he has collected a blue ribbon from a relay already. His favorite thing seems to be scouts. He has earned his second class award and been on several weekend events - camping, spelunking, and preparing a ghost walk for cub scouts next weekend.

Ellen is working hard at swimming, though she hasn't captured and first place ribbons yet. Being a 9 year old girl is the complete and total opposite of being an 11 year old boy when it comes to swimming. There are about 15 9-10 girls on our team - and ever other team for that matter. The positive side to this is that Ellen is making many friends in the pool. She is getting more comfortable with orchestra and still likes her violin lessons. We are awaiting delivery of a larger violin which will hopefully make playing a little easier.

It turns out that Megan will be a swimmer. We haven't heard anything about Daisy Scouts, and as I already mentioned, school is 1/4 complete for the year. Her first meet is in 2 weeks. This particular meet requires everyone to swim in 5 races - all 4 strokes + an IM. I expect that she will be disqualified at least 3 times, but hopefully she will learn from it and have fun. She loves piano and is participating in her first recital next weekend. It is a low key Halloween songs event, in costume if you like.

Tim LOVES the computer. He has expanded his options dramatically by mastering the drag and drop. He is particularly fond of one game where you give a character a bubble bath and when he gets out out of the tub he is ridiculously fluffy. Tim cracks up every time. In the hygiene department, he has used the potty successfully but pretty much refuses to give up diapers.

Andy is busy at work. It's year end for them. I'll be making Halloween costumes this week. The girls have school parties this Friday but Ellen doesn't have a costume yet.

OK, the week is about to begin. Off to the orthodontist. Ready, set, go!

We're Still Here

2007-09-14T17:27:00.000-07:00

This week has been like Autumn in Upstate New York. It has been clear and crisp and delightful. The kind of nights where you leave the window cracked open only if you have a blanket. It makes you want to go apple picking, but we can't do that around here. Most unusual weather for early September, in my opinion.

One month down and we are half way through the first marking period. Midterms for all. They need to have something to tell the parents when we go to our conferences in two weeks. Everyone seems to have adjusted to the new school year and is doing well academically and socially. Or at least that is what we think before we talk with their teachers.

All the kids have figured out their activities for the year. Drew continues with Boy Scouts. Next weekend they are going spelunking at Mammoth Caves. He has outgrown his required hiking boots. No need to panic though, mine fit him! He is continuing with drum lessons and has joined the jazz band at school. And he is swimming on the YMCA pre-team. He will work on his strokes and still get to compete in meets if he chooses.

Ellen earned a chair as second violin in our area preparatory orchestra. She is on the YMCA swim team and in the middle group of 5. Her swim position was better than she was expecting, so she is happy and tired. She's getting friendly with the other girls on the team and is consequently increasing her time in the locker room.

Megan still loves piano lessons. She is swimming now but only for the next few weeks. When forced to choose only two activities, Daisy Scouts won out over swimming. Lets hope that once the scouts get organized that we can actually make it to the meetings.

Tim loves Thomas the Tank Engine. He spends multiple hours every day playing with his railway on the kitchen floor. About once a week I make him clean it up so I can sweep and mop that area, whether it needs it or not. ;-) He recently learned how to control the mouse on the computer. He likes to play Thomas online. Unfortunately for him, he can't quite get the drag and drop concept, which limits his games. Unfortunately for me, he likes to view the products for sale and opens about 20 windows per session. Also unfortunately, we now have a sixth person vying for computer time. He tried coloring, which until this point he always despised. We hadn't given him Thomas pictures. The things that he currently likes that are not Thomas are Spin Art, Candyland and war.

To add some visual interest to this post, here are some of Tim's Spin Art creations. It turns out that both my boys are minimalists when it comes to art. It kind of balances out the girls. I think that Megan still has some Spin Art drying from 2.7 years ago. Tim's approach worked well because we had just read Mouse Paint, about mixing primary colors, and were trying our own.

An Update

2007-08-27T04:48:00.000-07:00

First off, we are alive and well. Numerous family members have been in contact to confirm our safety amid the flooding and tornadoes. Amazing as it seems, we didn't have any of it. Mind you, it wasn't nice. It was so hot and sticky that we didn't want to venture outside for a dip in the pool. The word tropical comes to mind, but not in a good way. The only breeze we got was when a thunderstorm passed overhead.

One week of school down and so far no catastrophes. Drew is taking middle school in stride. Ellen isn't crazy about her teacher, but only needs to spend the afternoon with her. Megan loves everything about kindergarten. Her teacher was absent on Friday to take her son to college. She left Megan as the substitute's helper. She also reports that she is one of two in her class who can tie shoes. @@ And while they watched a movie about letters, Megan happily played with her shoelaces. Megan is also our first child to be invited to join a club. This is one of those child formed only-my-friends-can-play organizations. I hate these clubs, as someone always ends up in tears, and she has been warned.

We're slowly getting back online with our schedule. Every one's music lessons are a go beginning this week. Orchestra auditions are this week. We have one more week of swimming vacation before tryouts, but the team parent's meeting is tonight.

In breaking news, Timothy made it through the night without banging his head against the door last night! We've tried everything we could think of for 6 months and nothing has worked. After waking us 4 times but needing nothing on Saturday, we finally resorted to violence and the threat kept him quiet. We're really hopeful that this is a permanent change.

In case you were wondering, our second caterpillar emerged as a butterfly. We set them both free to enjoy their last two weeks of life.

Black Swallowtail

2007-08-23T10:00:00.000-07:00

Early last week we went outside to water the garden. We found several rather ugly caterpillars eating our carrots. I started to flick them off. Then I had an idea. Let's capture a few and bring them inside and see what happens.

We weren't sure what we had. Thanks to Google, we were pretty sure that it was a black swallowtail. There are different types of black swallowtail but we couldn't narrow it down any more.

For about four days we picked a little carrot green and put it in their house. The next morning we had a chrysalis and a very still caterpillar hanging from the top corner. By the next morning, we had two chrysalises (chrysali?). That was about 5 days ago.

Since then they have been quietly occupying a corner in the kitchen. When Tim and I returned from the library this morning, the corner wasn't quiet anymore. There was the light sound of fluttering. And there was a butterfly. A black swallowtail. We're hoping to get another within the next day or two.

Summer Fun

2007-08-17T17:00:00.001-07:00

School Days

2007-08-17T05:42:00.000-07:00

They have their supplies (except one box of gallon zipper bags for Megan) and they are ready for a new year. The buses came on time and everyone boarded without incident.

Drew is off to Middle School. Lockers and all. He is pleased with the upgrade from ers. He and his friends coined this phrase last year to describe the cubbies where they stored their coats that looked like lockers but did not have locks. He only knows of 2 other kids on his team. But surely he'll find more acquaintances, as half of the sixth grade is on the North Team. You may notice an upgrade in appearance. He traded his glasses for contacts last week.

Ellen also begins a new school this year. I like the intermediate school that contains our 4th and 5th grade students. She has a teacher who has similar interests to her own. She discovered this morning that the girl across the street is in her class. And she is very pleased with her math and literacy classes.

OK, this one didn't get on the bus yet. But I don't think it will be a problem come Monday when she is permitted to ride it. We hear that her teacher is nice but runs a tight ship. Sounds like a good place for her. Based on her required supplies, she will be in heaven doing art projects all day long. I hear that they do very little writing and she already reads the "popcorn" words. That's code for whole language. She knows of one preschool friend in her class and the neighbor in Ellen's class has a brother in Megan's class.

Then there is Tim. He was sure that he needed his picture taken, too. He'll be attending the Harbor School this year where mom teaches how to use the potty, self-dressing and drinking from a cup without a lid.

Advise for Parents

2007-07-29T10:33:00.000-07:00

If you have children, avoid a home with a two story entryway. We have a two story entryway. From the foyer, our stairs lead to the bedrooms. I think it is 20 feet from floor to ceiling. Here is a view from the top landing.

Last week I noticed something dark in one of the chandelier bowls. I made the necessary inquiries and discovered that Drew threw a beanbag ball the prior week and it got stuck. Since this was my week to clean the foyer, I finally enlisted Andy to hold the ladder while I went to investigate. Remember the 20 feet off the floor problem? We needed an extension ladder to reach. Here's a view from the floor.

I scaled the ladder to the plant shelf. I would never keep plants there. It is 11 feet off the floor and all plants would surely die. They should call it the light bulb changing / beanbag rescue standing place. My first step was to clear the shelf of the balloon and paper airplane that have been there for about a month. Onto the ball. So there I am dangling from the ledge to twirl the light fixture so that I can reach the beanbag. I finally get my hand on it and it won't lift out. Hmm. He must have thrown that pretty high and / or hard to wedge it in so tightly. I'm surprised that the bulb didn't break. Or maybe, the outside of the ball melted and fused itself to the bulb, almost burning down the house. Yeah, that's the one. OK, burning down the house is an exaggeration but it seems plausible. Anyway, I had to unscrew the bulb to free the ball.

Drew would like to go on the record and state that he didn't try to throw the ball into the light. He would also like me to mention that while the ladder was out, I finally retrieved a Nerf bullet from the living room light fixture and that Andy was the guilty party in that incident.

This was the first time that I had ever touched the entryway chandelier. I've used the step ladder and a broom to knock down airplanes that had crashed but I've never been able to physically touch it. I used the opportunity to dust the dirty fixture and bulbs. I would like to go on the record and state that I thought about changing all the bulbs while I was up there but we are in the process of converting to compact fluorescent bulbs and I didn't have enough. So now I'm reasonably certain that the 2 1/2 year old bulbs will begin to burn out within the next two weeks.

Decorating Contest

2007-07-26T12:46:00.001-07:00

What would you do with this space above the refrigerator?

I need help! I don't need it for storage, so I'm looking for something decorative. And, I don't want to spend a lot of money. The space is roughly 30" high X 40" wide X 30" deep.

I want to hear from you. I have Season 1 of "24" on DVD for my favorite feasible solution.

Megan's New Skirt

2007-07-21T15:28:00.000-07:00

Megan has a knack for staining clothes the first time that she wears them. She puts holes in the knees of her pants like a boy. Lots of her clothes just don't fit her right. She doesn't like to brush her hair or keep it out of her face. She always looks frumpy.

2/3 of Megan's friends came to her birthday party wearing tiered ruffle skirts. She wanted one, too. So, I cut off some pants that were stained and had a hole in the knee. I rummaged through my mounds of fabric. I chopped some up and sewed it back together and made her a skirt.

I think I made a mistake by trying to salvage the pockets. The old pants part on top just looks too long. But she likes it. I offered to take off the ruffles and make two new layers for the top and give it an elastic waist. No. She likes it like this. I think it is all about instant gratification. She still looks frumpy. But at least I won't care it she gets it filthy.

6 Years Old

2007-07-19T17:13:00.001-07:00

We began the day with presents followed by cinnamon rolls. (Yes, we let Tim climb into his seat this way and he hasn't tipped the chair over yet.)
After Ellen's swim practice, we had a party. Cake and presents and then off to the movies. We enjoyed Ratatouille. (Yes, the girl next to Megan is her friend and a mere 7 months older!)
We dropped the party girls at home (how fortunate that they all live off our exit!) and went for a swim. Megan is sporting Isabel's rejected suit. She LOVES it. She has been campaigning for a two piece for eons. Well, I guess probably not more than 3 years, when you factor the speech delay.)
Dinner of meatloaf and sweet potatoes. Then more cake.

Swimming

2007-07-14T13:28:00.000-07:00

Ellen is on the summer swim team at the YMCA. She is doing well. And her coach says so, too. I've heard Ellen's efforts praised and I don't feel that the comments are mere platitudes. Since the outdoor practices began, Ellen is swimming a practice level above her indoor routine. Nobody said this, but I can count. Being a part of the summer team does not secure you a spot on the winter team. So she will try out at the end of August. I feel good about this. She has an optimistic attitude and a smile on her face at practice. Coaches notice these things.

Megan has become very certain that swimming is the sport for her. She swam 100 meters last week with the team with only brief pauses. She wants to try out for the team, too. She is now motivated to practice at home. She can do about 20 lengths of our pool in a reasonable time.

Not to be left behind, Ellen practices with her. Again. Drew noticed and started doing laps, too. I've been to enough practices that I can make them up well enough for our purposes. He's doing well, for someone who never really perfected any strokes. And he doesn't love running, his original athletic plan for the fall. He's going to try out for swimming instead.

Once you are on the team, the position is yours until you quit or seriously break the code of conduct. There are 5 different levels of swimmers, so there are many spots per age group. You need to swim a 50 without stopping to make the team.

If you are 6, I think they will accept a 25. Last year our team racked up points at every meet because we had 4, 6 and under girls. That is enough for a relay. Most teams don't have that many kids so young, so we always won. Since she turns 6 in a few days, this is in Megan's favor when it comes to making the team. Some of the other girls went and turned 7!

I think that I can count the number of 11 year old boy swimmers on one hand. They are all much stronger swimmers than Drew. But the numbers say, it is looking favorable for Drew. And if he doesn't make the team, he still plans on doing pre-team every week.

Now the fly in the ointment. 75% of any swim team is girls age 8-10. Ellen is 9. You can hope that some get older. You can hope that some quit. But even hoping that you are faster than those on the team already won't help you. Ellen has worked all year to make the team. Now the other 2 are interested and stand a reasonable chance of making it. And she has noticed. She pitched a small fit the other day about her need to be in a different level than her siblings.

So, as long as Ellen earns a place on the team, I'm as happy as a clam. They all want to do the same sport! Even if they don't all make the team, pre-team coincides with team practice. Yes, different levels have different practice times but I think they are close enough in ability that those times will overlap. Some might have to wait a little on the beginning or end but it would be one trip for me!

Now if I could only entice them to all play the same instrument! I was so close with the piano, but the big 2 like drums and violin better. I know the same sport might not last. Megan is young and I pushed Drew a little on it. But for now, life is good.

2007-07-10T09:54:00.000-07:00

Our garden isn't exactly thriving, but then we don't give it much attention. Thankfully, zucchini is essentially an edible weed.
On the 4th, we set of "fireworks." They were very minor explosives that made noise and smoke and not much else. See how protective we are of the 2 year old? He's getting more snappers to throw. He doesn't throw them with enough force to set them off. It's twice the fun because he gets to stomp on them to make them explode.
On to the birthday. We celebrated a day early due to a scheduling conflict. After making 26 birthday cakes, I am no longer needed. They have discovered ice cream cake.
The conflict was Ellen's 3 day swim meet. I don't have any pictures yet, but this is the sunset over the Mississippi River taken from our hotel.

Nothing More American than the Simpsons

2007-07-04T04:22:00.000-07:00

When we announced that we would be moving to Springfield, IL, the overwhelming comment we heard was, "Isn't that where the Simpsons live?"

We need your help! Give us something besides Lincoln! Don't fail us now!

Vote Illinois!

Cheese

2007-06-29T04:17:00.000-07:00

Cheese may be the word that best describes this boy. Maybe, ham. He absolutely enjoys the spotlight. We get this type of look many times each day.

His main goal in life is to be recognized. I was the oldest so this was never a problem for me. There is a certain confidence that come from being first. You just know that you are bigger and more capable. Your schemes are more likely to work. You know that the siblings all covet your position and want to be you. At least when they are the ages of my kids. And your parents make you stronger still by making you their go-to kid.

Despite this position of last, Timothy does not lack confidence. All he needs to be happy is to make the older kids laugh. He is just beginning to understand that if he can't make them laugh at him, there are other, less pleasant ways to gain attention. But pouring on the charm is always his first line of attack. He really knows how to work his eyes. And his impish grin tells us that he knows what he is doing.

If Tim were a role playing character, he would have an 18 charisma. He bewitches those around him, causing them to bend to his desires. While this is definitely a skill to be cultivated, it needs some refinement. He gets everyone around him to take care of him. Someone to change the channel. Someone to get his Graham crackers. Someone to play trains with him. He has identified the big hearted and uses his powers to take advantage of them. But he is old enough to do many of these things himself.

Which brings me back to the cheesy picture. The other night Tim was taking a bath. After I scoured the dirt from his skin, I left him to play. I stayed within earshot but tended to other nearby matters, like folding the heaps of laundry on my bed so that I could sleep in said bed later that night. When I returned to check on him, I found him washing his face with soap and a washcloth. Since I have more demands on my time now than when I only had one kid, it is way easier to just do it for him. I never thought to show him how to wash his face. Obviously, he is ready.

He may regret his initiative because it got me thinking. Now, I'm teaching him to dress and undress himself. He is expected to clear his dinner plate and load it in the dishwasher. And I'm not backing down when I ask him to clean up his toys. I know all this would be easier in two months when we are the only two home all day. But I can't risk two more months of bad habits. There will still be more to learn in the fall. I'm saving potty training then.

Alive and Well

2007-06-21T05:29:00.000-07:00

Here he is. Alive and well. And enjoying camp.

He hasn't blown off any fingers with his rifle. He does have a superficial cut on his finger, that stings when you don't keep it clean - like getting salt in it at dinner, from trying to open all the blades on his knife at once.

He showers every day. Just without any soap. An after the pool rinse counts if you are 11. He has changed his clothes - twice. And he even brushed his teeth once since Sunday. He doesn't use sunscreen or bug spray, but seems OK anyway. I suppose if it were a problem then he would rethink his methods.

He likes the rifles. And they opened up another session of canoe for just his troop so he is doing both. He doesn't like the way the first aide instructor speaks.

He said the food is alright. They always serve white bread and salad at dinner, which seems to be his meal of choice. He liked the cinnamon buns for breakfast yesterday.

He was thrilled that we visited. It didn't hurt that we brought cookies. He gave us the grand tour of the camp. Now Ellen wants to be a Boy Scout.

T-Ball

2007-06-20T05:45:00.000-07:00

Here she comes, rounding third. This week is all about Megan and T-Ball. 3 games in 5 days.

She thinks that she likes it but I know that she only goes for the snack at the end. She never wants to play at home. We're still working on throwing with one hand and stepping into it with the opposite foot. She got her first hit last night. Well, sort of. Despite this being the T-Ball league, they pitch during the third and final inning. Depending on the night, the coach throws anywhere from 3-5 balls per batter. If you haven't connected, then they bring out the tee. Last night she made contact. Even with her blistering speed (a slow trot), she was thrown out at first. But that is OK. This is T-Ball. Everyone stays on first and everyone scores every inning. So, the team with more players always wins, even though we don't keep score.

More surprising than the fact that she made contact with the ball was that she was thrown out. After all, this is T-Ball. Remember when you played? Were you the kid picking dandelions? Or were you the one sitting atop second base? Or were you so busy waving to your friend on the other team that the ball dribbled past you? If you were the typical player, there would be no spot for you on the team of our opponents.

Look closely at the picture. See the caps with the red bill? Not league issue. See the matching red baseball socks? Not league issue. Every single player donned black baseball pants and cleats. And they had team batting helmets that matched their caps. T-Ball doesn't even issue batting helmets. (It's an Illinois thing. They don't recognize that T-ball is probably the most dangerous sport out there for 5 year olds and at least the dandelion picking pitchers should have head protection.) Sure, Megan wears baseball pants. That is because a wise mother told me that they are well worth the $7 because then they have one pair of pants that they can get filthy and torn while sliding into every base three times per game. And a worthwhile investment they have been. Her polyester beauties are currently stain and tear free and in their 5th season.

Back to the other team. They not only look like a baseball team, but they can throw and catch. And they were very small compared to our team. This Nazi team is headed by Hitler himself. You get yelled at if you are not in the ready position. You must be in the correct spot on the field or you will hear about it. And don't think about standing incorrectly at bat. I think this group of coaches probably got together 5 years ago and decided that it was time to breed an all star team for all ages. They are like that around here. No doubt the dads all played on the same high school team and so will their sons. How fortuitous that they were able to create boys!

I am not alone in my judgement. Hitler ordered pizza for his team and invited us to join them after the game. No doubt a ploy to recruit any talent that we may have. I was not the only mother to tell my child in a hushed "if you make a scene I'll kill you" tone that we were not eating their pizza.

Just for comparative purposes, this is what a T-Ball team is supposed to look like.

Withdrawl

2007-06-18T12:39:00.001-07:00

Ellen currently attends swim practice every Monday, Wednesday, Friday and Sunday. She missed last Friday because Andy took the kids to the new Fantastic Four movie. Yesterday there was no practice due to Father's Day. I guess that was too long without a workout. Yesterday Ellen swam 128 laps in our pool. Her quick and dirty estimation was that this was a mile. Our more evolved calculation proved that it was darned close.

In another accomplishment, she got her letters today stating that she qualified for both the accelerated literacy and math programs in school next year. She is quite pleased and we are quite proud.

This kid rocks, too.

Scout Camp

2007-06-17T12:02:00.000-07:00

Drew is off for his first ever week of sleep away camp. He's going to boy scout camp.

Camp is about an hour away. We met at a local grocery store to consolidate and caravan down. Good thing that scouts are prepared. No one brought the trailer for the gear. So the leader left to go fetch it. About a half hour later he was back with a trailer that had a flat tire. We changed the tire, and by we I mean the dads who were there.

During the wait we, this time I mean the moms, looked around and decided that the few remaining items that were not packed would probably fit in the vehicles that we had. But we must have the trailer. It's all part of the plan. So we waited.

Since we had time to weigh our options, we pulled a few things out of one minivan and stowed them in this necessary trailer. This made it possible for all 5 boys from Drew's patrol to fit in one car. And it meant that I didn't have to drive!

It is 96 degrees in the shade today. After 75 minutes in the parking lot, sans shade, they were off. Lets hope the chlorinated pool works magic on them because all bets say that the boys won't shower this week.

While at camp, Drew will be earning merit badges for first aid, swimming and rifles. Ironic as it seems to us, he didn't want to take rifles. I think he's a little afraid of the size of the firearm. I think that he will love it though. He's good at archery and bb gun shooting. I think he will excel at this, too.

Wednesday I'm off to family night at camp. I haven't figured out which family members will accompany me. It's kind of a late night for some of the kids and it is a board meeting night for Andy. I'll report back as to whether Drew has shot off any of his limbs and if he appears to have bathed since this morning.

A Balancing Act

2007-06-12T09:33:00.000-07:00

Yes, I should have wiped the fingerprints before I took the picture. But it would only get dirty again very quickly. Anyway...

Ever since we moved, I haven't been able to make good cakes. OK, they weren't great before we moved. But here, every time I baked a cake, they ended up lopsided. I didn't notice right away. In fact, it took me almost 2 years to identify this problem. In my defense, I don't bake cakes often and 3 of the kids had birthdays in the first 6 weeks of our arrival. My mind was elsewhere.

So about Andy's birthday, I pull out another cake that is shallow on one side and thick on the other. My pans are old and a bit warped. I figure that my problem will be solved if I replace the pans. But I procrastinate.

About a month later, Ellen bakes a cake with the same skewed results. Only this time, I look at the oven. It always looked OK but I notice that the front is actually lower than the back, assuming that the counters are level - which is a big assumption. We got out a level and proved that the cook top was level enough. Maybe not perfect, but the bubble was within the lines. Hmm. So, we put the level on the rack in the oven. Problem. It's WAY off. And the racks are in correctly.

When I lift the over, the feet don't adjust. They are probably supposed to, but I can't made them turn and neither can Andy. So we shimmed them with cardboard. We're Polish. And voila! Drew had a cake of uniform thickness.

Happy Birthday, Drew

2007-06-10T08:26:00.001-07:00

Cinnamon Rolls

2007-06-10T06:03:00.001-07:00

I can't take credit for this recipe. I found it on the internet. But it is scrumptious. My kids request these for breakfast on their birthdays.

Dough:

1T dry yeast

1C warm milk

1/3 C sugar

1/2 C melted butter

1t salt

2 eggs

4 C flour

Dissolve yeast in milk. Add remaining ingredients. Knead into a ball. Let rise until doubled. Roll out 1/4" thick. It will be about 9X13.

Filling:

1/4 C butter, softened

1C brown sugar

3T cinnamon

Spread butter on dough. Sprinkle sugar and cinnamon evenly. Roll dough into a tube. Roll it from the long side. Slice the roll into 1" pieces. Place on greased pan. Let rise again until doubled. Bake 10 minutes at 400 degrees.

Hint: Slice with dental floss. Slip floss under the roll, criss cross the ends, then pull.

Icing:

1/2C butter, softened

1 1/2C powdered sugar

1 oz cream cheese

2T whipping cream

1t vanilla

pinch salt

Combine the icing ingredients and beat until fluffy. When rolls are hot, spread the icing on them.

To prepare these the night before, skip the final rise. Let them rise in the refrigerator overnight. Bake in the morning.

Character

2007-06-09T16:04:00.001-07:00

Here is my only photo from Ellen's first ever swim meet. Being a prepared mother, she was armed with extra suit, towel and goggles, cards, video game and healthy snacks. I had snacks, book, and writing implements for myself. And I had my camera. With enough battery left to get one photo. She is in pink in the far lane.

These kids have such courage. Some of them are 5 years old. They look Lilliputian atop the starting blocks. But when the buzzer sounds, they dive in and swim with all their 40 pounds of might. This meet grouped the youngest into the same heat. One little guy, who could not have been beyond 6, swam the 50 Butterfly. The other boys were a little older and taller and much stronger in that stroke. Some had finished the race when this little one reached his half-way point. It took him 2:34 to finish the race. He pulled himself out of the pool very matter-of-factly. He didn't look sad that he was last by a mile. He looked as though he did the best that he could and that was all he needed. It may have helped that he practically received a standing ovation when he touched the wall.

This was all new to Ellen, too. She finished the 10 and under (10U) 50 Freestyle in 54.58 and was 6th of 9 on her team. 5th place edged her out by .05 seconds. She also swam 10U 100 Back, where she finished 3rd of 4 on her team at 2:06.59. 10U is difficult. It is the youngest age division and obviously includes brand new swimmers. There are also experienced athletes. We have a 9 year old on our team who has been swimming competitively for 5 years and does a 50 Free in 32 seconds. But the great thing about swimming is that you can always compete against your personal best.

I have to say that I didn't witness any nastiness from any swimmers, parents or coaches. We all cheered for the stragglers. The swimmers cheered their teammates. The more experienced competitors shared tips with the novices. And our 9 year old who blows everyone else on our team away cheered loudly for the opposition.

A Memorable Date

2007-06-06T18:32:00.001-07:00

2 years since we moved to Illinois.

20 years since I graduated from high school.

Language Acquisition

2007-06-03T05:01:00.000-07:00

Case 1:

Tim has learned his first knock-knock joke.

Knock-Knock
Who's there?
Banana.
Banana who?

Repeat 300 times

Knock-Knock
Who's there?
Orange.
Orange who?
Orange you glad I didn't say banana!

At this point he sometimes begins again. Only instead of banana he says red. Then he asks about every other color. He thinks he is hysterical.

Case 2:

During our return flight, Tim and I peered out the window of the plane. We looked at fields, farm houses and grain elevators. Tim commented that he was all done, meaning he wanted to get off the plane and stop traveling immediately. He's two. As this was an impossibility, we searched for our house. Another impossibility, but not if you are two. Eventually I asked him if he liked Illinois. His response: "No, I like Meganois."

OBX

2007-06-02T19:06:00.000-07:00

The week before we arrived in Duck, NC, the weather was overcast and the temperatures were in the sixties. All week. Next week, they are expecting thunder storms and a tropical storm or maybe even a hurricane. But we got lucky. We saw approximately 5 clouds all week. They were small and puffy white and did not appear until Friday. The beach temperature was near 80 all week and the water was warm enough for quick dips. This is my picture of the sky, not Tim.

The house was right on the beach so the kids could go to the beach without us, as long as they stayed out of the water. One morning they went out at 7:30 to continue their Guinness Book of World Records hole. They also built a moated castle that survived the high tide. Here they are in the middle of it.

Just about every day the dolphins came to perform for us. They would swim by and sometimes splash with their tails. One afternoon they played in front of our house for two hours. Did I mention that they were about 25 feet off shore? Sorry, no telephoto lens. Just my 3X zoom. Maybe next time I'll have my dream camera.

We did drag ourselves off the beach a few times. We played mini golf, went on a nature walk, went boating and checked out Kitty Hawk.
But basically it was a great, lazy beach vacation. So lazy that everyone read at least one book while we were there.

See You In A Week

2007-05-25T08:47:00.000-07:00

This Kid Rocks, Too

2007-05-23T18:31:00.001-07:00

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!

2007-05-21T11:23:00.000-07:00

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

2007-05-19T16:26:00.001-07:00

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

2007-05-18T13:16:00.001-07:00

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

2007-05-17T04:45:00.000-07:00

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

2007-05-10T08:17:00.000-07:00

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

2007-05-09T05:03:00.000-07:00

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"?

2007-05-07T09:45:00.000-07:00

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

Addiction

2007-05-02T18:30:00.000-07:00

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

2007-05-01T16:22:00.000-07:00

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.

Camping

2007-04-26T13:11:00.000-07:00

Drew went on the new scout camp out last weekend. He isn't new to scouting, but he and the rest of his patrol are recent Cub Scout graduates and new to Boy Scouts. Camping is for Boy Scouts.

The trip was originally scheduled for the weekend after Easter. The forecast 4 days out was for 40 degrees and rain. The unaltered prediction led them to a change of plans on Thursday night. They would scrap Friday and leave Saturday morning and stay only one night. By Friday, they had postponed the event to the following weekend. Wise. Our Saturday morning soccer game was miserable.

Last weekend was perfect. Drew had never been camping. We were bathed in warm sun all weekend. My prepared scout chose not to apply the sunscreen in his pack. I don't think that will happen again. They saw a shooting star over the fire bowl Saturday night. And they worked on their fishing merit badge. There was a prize for the longest fish, which Drew didn't earn. But, with nine catches, he reeled in more than twice as many as the next guy. Who knew? He's only been fishing a handful of times. He filleted one of them, a requirement that he didn't enjoy, and then they cooked the fish for lunch. I don't know what Drew ate, but I'm 100% positive that it wasn't anything the boys caught.

He had a great time. I missed having him around, though. I woke up in the middle of the night wondering if he was warm enough. Then I wondered if I would hear the phone if he needed us. Then I remembered that he sometimes gets car sick. And we don't even know the guys who drove him. And he is a ridiculously picky eater. He was fine. He can't wait to go rappelling in May.

For Your Viewing Pleasure

2007-04-25T05:02:00.000-07:00

The girls have a "new" favorite show. Where were you Monday nights at 8:00 in 1980?

Earth Day

2007-04-22T10:02:00.000-07:00

Increasing our trees by 50%.

Like etching on our fishbowl.

Plus, a little shade.

Very little.

Creating a garden.

We'll move the play house.

Maybe to the basement?

And I'll find a place for the leftovers when they dry a bit.

Unpacking

2007-04-18T13:57:00.000-07:00

We've been in our house for almost two years. I've been stripping chairs for a week. Yesterday I splattered some of the stripping agent dangerously close to my eye. So I went in search of safety goggles. I wonder where one finds that box?

Today at the store I stumbled upon some clearance items. They had these cute and colorful buckets marked 90% off. I figured that I could use them for all the workbench stuff that is still packed. As I'm making my selections, some nice man told me that there is an additional 40% off coupon for clearance items and if I mention it to the checker, they will honor it. Cool. I choose 9. Then the man comes back with a coupon for me. I don't know where he found it. My grand total came to $3.69 plus tax.

I consolidated some poorly stored items in the garage onto one shelf and moved the empty one to the basement. Then I unpacked. I now know where to find things. I still don't know why we have 23 dull drill bits, 9 enormous files, and 37 Allen wrenches that are all 75 years old, but I know where to find them should I ever figure out a use for them. Does anyone else have 6 paint can openers? I'm thinking of letting Megan and Tim make wind chimes with them. And, I know where we keep the safety goggles. Anyone who uses an item and doesn't return it risks death.

A Mantra in Jeopardy

2007-04-13T04:26:00.000-07:00

Remember the ideal of keeping life simple? I'm contemplating altering that rule by adding more commitments. Here's what happened...

Last summer Ellen became very interested in swimming. Near the beginning of the school year she tried out for the YMCA swim team. She didn't make it, but enrolled in the lessons that were recommended. By Christmas, she had advanced a level and was not satisfied with her hours in the pool. Hours translating to 45 minutes per week. We let her add pre-team, which offers instructional practice once a week for 45 minutes. She never once complained about going, always looked forward to the water, and she never failed to analyze what the instructor had presented and tried to work it into her strokes. She has come a LONG way since September!

This fact was not lost in the Head Coach, who invited her, along with 3 others from pre-team (meaning half of the kids), to join the introductory level of the real team. The team comes in 4 levels and gets progressively more demanding of time, stroke perfection, endurance and money. This lowest level practices 4 times per week, but for the same cost as the two sessions that she has been attending. There are meets almost every weekend, for the entire weekend, and some of them are far - think Chicago and Indianapolis, 3-4 hours away. Then remember that Ellen is 8. And still, we'll probably allow her to participate. Here's why:

1. She wants to be an Olympic swimmer and is willing to sacrifice all other activities, except violin, in order to accomplish this.
2. We choose the meets and events that she races, meaning that we can create our own acceptable travel radius.
3. Practice is not mandatory, so if we miss a few it's OK.
4. The Spring / Summer season is a good time to determine if this is a feasible school year commitment.
5. She can swim 8 and under in most meets this summer, even though she will be 9 for half of them, giving her a great advantage and boosting her confidence.
6. More swimming, same money.
7. Amazingly, the 4 practices do not conflict with any of our other activities.

Ellen is ecstatic that she was invited. If you could have seen her beam! She will understand our family limitations before we sign on the dotted line. And she also knows that school is the priority.

Priorities

2007-04-11T09:29:00.000-07:00

Another Buddhist Reminder...

Children are given to us for a short while- to treat with care and respect. Children love respect- for their needs and fears. I offer the greatest respect by being fully present in the moment with children, deeply listening. If I listen and speak mindfully, the children will learn to do the same.

OK, nothing new or astounding here. But I've been trying harder. This means less computer time and and less blogging. It means less TV for everyone.

It means more helpers. We made muffins this morning. Tim likes to stir and I set Megan loose with our sharpest knife to slice strawberries. It takes a really long time to fold laundry when you are teaching them how to fold towels. It means more Candyland. And I didn't even complain! Thankfully Tim quit after 25 minutes. I had already won 15 minutes earlier but we needed to play for second place. It means sitting through what must have been the director's cut of King Kong for 3 hours even though the floors still have traces of Easter grass scattered about.

I want to paint many rooms in the house but I've decided that I need to finish an open project first. We have a 30 year old table and chair set. The paint on the chairs is in bad shape. So I began to strip them last fall. Then it got cold and I didn't really like the project anymore so I left it in the garage. Since I started the first two chairs, two additional chairs have lost their bottom rungs. We're running out of seating! Now it's warm enough to work in the garage again. Yesterday Megan helped with the sanding. Today she and Tim played basketball in the garage while I sanded. I put on music when I begin and limit myself to one CD per daily session. This way I don't experience burnout. There are 6 chairs and they are almost completely detail work. I'd rather be painting so I hope that keeps the chairs on pace. I like this work but it takes forever. Plus, I've now made myself accountable to you readers.

Easter was nice. Cold and quiet. It felt just like Queensbury weather. The big hit was a Nerf dart gun. Tim really likes chocolate for breakfast. The kids caught a second wind around 10AM and became much more civil. They sleep like it's Christmas Eve in anticipation, leaving grouches after the sugar crash.

Designer Jeans

2007-04-06T12:53:00.000-07:00

This is the week that I will actually transfer the funds to my IRA for 2006. It only seems fair since we've had our tax refund for more than a month. I've been looking for the right company with which to invest this money. I recalled from the Amazing Girls story that some friends chipped in to purchase a pair of jeans as a birthday gift. Since they came from an upper class neighborhood and were sharing the cost, it pretty much guaranteed that they were expensive. It made me wonder if they are the next big thing in teen fashion - a VERY lucrative business. Who has more disposable income than a teenage girl? She lives at home, earns a paycheck, and has a boyfriend who pays for everything.

Before I continue you must know three things.
1) I've always been fashion indifferent.
2) My first stop when shopping is at Goodwill.
3) I'm a LONG way from being a teenager.

Can you say sticker shock!? $262.00 for a pair of ripped jeans? Are you kidding me? I don't like to spend more than $20, but I've been known to pay $30. At Goodwill jeans are $5.00. $262.00? Wouldn't you rather take a family vacation this year?

I've decided against this type of investment. Sure, you can make a killing, but aside from having tons of disposable income, teenage girls are fickle. When that new movie comes out next month starring the pop star du jour, they will only wear what she has on. And where does that leave the investor?

I am happy to report that my children are as fashion clueless as I. I asked them what the kids at school wear and what stores they frequent. Apparently they don't even realize that those words scrawled across every T-shirt and hoodie are corporate names. I did learn that my 8 year old daughter dislikes most of the clothes worn by her classmates. Good thing, because she's not leaving the house in them anyway.

To Bring You Back to Center

2007-04-05T06:07:00.000-07:00

This is a great book for when you need a little reinforcement to get through your normal day. It covers things like housework, relationships, and nature. The situations are extremely normal and mundane, including brushing your teeth.

Here's an excerpt from page 187:

frustration

Instead of being frustrated, I must accept such instances either with humor, calmness, or constructive efforts to improve the situation. And when awareness is present, it displaces the kind of grasping that breeds frustration.

This particular quote is rather reminiscent of the prayer that Sister Lee Ann always began our history class with in high school:

Lord, grant me

The serenity to accept the things I cannot change,

The Courage to change the things I can,

And the wisdom to know the difference.

Headbanger's Ball

2007-04-04T08:16:00.000-07:00

You all remember the Headbanger's Ball, right? If I remember correctly, it was MTV's answer to Friday Night Videos. (Yes, I'm old.) It's probably still on but I can't stay up that late. But we forgot to tell this sweet boy that mom needs her sleep or everyone suffers.

Timothy has always been a self soother. His weapon of choose is rhythmic rocking. From the time he was about 3 months old, he always banged his head against his mattress a few time before going to sleep. Now, he kicks his left foot until he dozes off.

While he has pretty good speech for a 2 year old, banging is his preferred method of communication. When he wakes up, he doesn't call us. Instead, he sits in front of his closed door and bangs his head against it until someone shows up to help. Just this week he figured out how to turn the knob and open the door, but he seems attached to the banging upon waking.

I'm OK with this since he doesn't seem to hurt himself. Except, last week he stopped sleeping through the night. He's been sleeping through for two whole years, so why now? And do you know how he alerts us to the fact the he is awake? He gets up and sits in front of his door and bangs his head until someone responds.

So, I dutifully stumble down the hall, open the door and put him back to bed. I am careful to avoid speaking, soothing, or even eye contact for fear of feeding some ploy for attention. It's the old trick of stop him after 5 minutes, then after 10 more, then 15. You get the idea. Wouldn't you give up after 30 minutes of this? Well, Tim doesn't. He can keep it up for an hour.

I think that if I stick with this approach that he will stop. But, he wakes everyone else up! How long to I have to wait before this lesson is beaten into his head? Tonight I'm going to try stuffing a towel under his door so at least it won't rattle within the frame and perhaps it will dampen some of the hollow knocking. We've tried leaving the door open and putting a gate up but he just closes the door.

I'd like to know what this is about. My theory is allergies since he has a slight history. He's had a problem with milk pretty much since it was offered. He woke up stuffy all winter but was fine most of the time. This waking began about the same time that everyone else started responding to pollen. And now Tim's nose is a mess in the morning and the congestion never really clears up. I'll actually be surprised if he doesn't have an ear infection by the end of the week. I don't want to put him on meds but I did try Motrin last night, which didn't work. Maybe Benadryl? At least it is cold outside now, so the windows are closed. I'm seriously thinking of turning on the air conditioning when the temperature rises again just to test the theory.

My other clue pointing me toward allergies is that his behavior changed recently. It could just be the age and the stage but he's gotten much more aggressive lately. Remember the playground last week?

If any of this seems familiar, please chime in! Otherwise, just send you restful vibes this way before bed.

Amazing Girls

2007-04-03T06:45:00.000-07:00

Have you heard of the Amazing Girls? They are basically uberachieving upper class suburbanites who are groomed for the Ivy League from birth. While they seem to be gazed upon dreamily as ideal teenagers, does anyone wonder if there is something missing?

Are they happy? Would they know it if they weren't?

Is Kindermusic better than Barney? Is yoga for 3 year olds better than the playground? Is art class better than a mud puddle? Is travel soccer for 6 year olds better than the recreation league? Are SAT prep classes better than a library card? Is the Ivy League really better than State?

I want well rounded successful children as much as anyone. But at what price? Should we forgo family dinner once they reach age 5 so that we can cart them to the next activity? Should your 8 year old be sick to her stomach over success or failure on one test? Should retirement be sacrificed for college?

Perhaps our children are best served when we allow them to experience life then pursue their passions. I've learned that boredom is a great way to unmask interests. But here is where some difficulty lies. There are tons of great programs for kids that are marketed to parents. Neighbors frequently cite the allure of these outstanding programs. It is extremely easy to allow just one more thing to creep into the schedule. But are they seriously going pro in that activity? One must be strong to withstand such peer pressure.

Once they uncover what they truly love, you don't need to bribe them to practice their instrument. There is no need to peel them away from the screen because it's time for the game. Free of overscheduling, they are pleasant human beings most of the time. And everyone is happy.

What about academics? For some, that is their passion. For them, 5 AP classes may be a good thing. And if it isn't, maybe they shouldn't be setting their sites on the Ivy League.

I'm sure that some of these Amazing Girls are happy and well adjusted. I'm also reasonably certain that many are so competitive that they wouldn't recognize the misery that is their daily life.

Taking on the Azalea

2007-04-02T04:19:00.000-07:00

With nothing on the calendar yesterday, it was time to clean the house. I drafted all the children and let them choose their jobs, which went surprisingly well. Note: midstream pancake break rejuvenates children. With the house in pretty good shape (the health department would probably only condemn under Megan's bed and the basement) we were left with a free afternoon.

The weather being about 70, albeit extremely windy, we headed outside. Andy got the kids seeding and spraying the weeds. (Don't worry about the kids with the poison, we trusted only the oldest. Plus, we have lots of kids.) Then they attacked the LONG neglected garage, which now is walkable.

Meanwhile, I was out back on weed removal detail around the pool. I hesitated when I got to one corner but decided to push on. Why, oh why, did I think that this was a good idea? The azalea got me again. This happened ever time that I went near the darned plant last year. I guess that I thought that it looked half dead and I would be OK. I was careful to not touch it much. But before I could progress to the next section, there it was - itchy red hives covering my forearms. I'm back to a non-swollen itchless state now. The upside is that I don't think that a dead plant could cause that type of reaction.

The Family Bully

2007-03-28T12:11:00.000-07:00

Today my 2 year old took out a 5 year old. The boy he went after is at least 60 pounds and well over four feet tall. I've been mulling over the F=MA equation and I can only figure that the victim played the role of nice guy.

Tim is frequently the recipient of bigger equals stronger at home. So he has learned that if you want something, including someone's attention, that you need to be physically in their space.

This morning we were at the playground with a bunch of neighborhood kids and they were on the slide. It had a large landing with monkey bars connected, meaning open platform. Out of the corner of my eye I saw Craig falling. He landed on his feet, more or less, and was fine but it is scary to fall backwards from 48" off the ground.

Tim them came over to me looking concerned. I assured him that the boy was OK. Then Megan came to tell me that Tim pushed him. We went over to the boy and his mom and Craig was saying that Tim pushed him. Everyone kind of questions the size differential but I have no doubt that my kid was wrong and he did push this boy. I then realized that Tim's look was guilt.

The only thing that I can figure is that Tim pushed Craig then Craig stepped back to get out of his way and inadvertently went over the edge. I'm confident that this was unprovoked. Tim refused to apologize. I hate when my kids do that. I can't make them speak. In the past when my kids have refused to apologize, they were required to write an apology. At two years old, this isn't an option. So we went home since Tim couldn't play nicely. I'm not really sure that he gets the punishments because our group was breaking up before the incident. So I'm thinking of getting Tim to help me bake cookies or do something nice for Craig then walk them over and perhaps coax a "sorry" from him.

While Tim was clearly wrong and I don't make excuses for his lousy behavior, I do think that birth order has it's effects. He is accustomed to asserting himself physically at home. I try to correct this behavior, but many times I don't know that it is happening. So from his perspective, I'm inconsistent. Looks like we may need more rules for everyone in our house.

The Toothpaste Queen

2007-03-23T10:01:00.000-07:00

Drew: Mom, next time you go to the store, can you get more toothpaste? I'm almost out.
Ellen: Mine is low, too.
Megan: I need more toothpaste, too.

OK, I'm glad that they are brushing their teeth. But this is what their drawer with the dental hygiene supplies currently looks like. We also have a Thomas tube somewhere that only Tim might find. I have no problem providing each child with their own tube, but this is insane.

So, I see Drew's empty SpongeBob. If the Barbie Colgate is indeed a different flavor, then I'll replace his. Otherwise, we just won't tell his friends that he's using Barbie toothpaste. Ellen likes Tom's of Maine. I like that it's natural and it indeed tastes different for the others. It's running low so the next time it's on sale I'll replace it.

Megan is our queen of toothpaste. All the other tubes in the drawer are hers. She is totally taken in by the character on the package. Then she decides that she doesn't like the flavor. Those characters con her every time. I'm going to make her identify a brand, flavor and texture (you know, gel or paste) that she likes and that will be her toothpaste for life. She always tricks me at the store because who is going to tell their kid that they can't have toothpaste to brush their teeth? She also likes to collect toothbrushes, but I'm on to that one. Ironically, she is the least likely to brush her teeth.

I was never toothpaste specific until last year. As a kid, I used whatever one tube was in the bathroom. I don't remember complaining about it or asking for something different. Now I'm sold on Colgate Total because my dentist recommended it for tartar and it does work better than the others that I have tried. For the 19 years before that, when I was responsible for getting my own toothpaste, I purchased whatever was on sale when I ran out. And not to jinx myself, but I haven't had a cavity since I was a kid. (I have had a few childhood fillings replaced.)

I don't think that Andy is brand specific. He uses whatever we have without complaining.

So how did we get Megan? And Timothy looks like he is heading down the same path. He likes to carry his Thomas toothpaste and his Baby Einsteins toothbrush, but he HATES to brush his teeth. If you are going to do it for him, it best be before his bath because he seals his lips and it ends up a giant facial mess. Maybe he would like to sample some different options.

15 Years

2007-03-21T04:31:00.000-07:00

7 jobs, 5 residences, 8 cars, 4 kids, 15 years. We've survived blizzards, tornadoes and hurricane remnants. I would have never predicted most of it. I wouldn't trade any of it.

Andy has always been supportive, understanding and caring. He listens and loves. He is kind. And he's cute. Sure, we have had our disagreements, but nothing that we haven't resolved.

So, happy anniversary to us.

Happy Birthday

2007-03-20T06:21:00.000-07:00

Yesterday was my birthday. While it was just another day in my book, with the bonus of an excuse to ignore household chores, it was extremely important to most of my kids.

Ellen was the chief party planner. She had a table cloth and "happy birthday" confetti to decorate it. She purchased the streamer, shown above, from her classroom store. She calculated the size of the room so that she could figure out how much to use for me and what should be saved for Andy's birthday next week. She helped with the cake and was responsible for the writing on it. She did all the wrapping, I think. She was jumping out if her skin waiting for everyone to wake up so I could open presents.

Megan was excited, too. She put tags on all the presents. She helped with the cake. And she knew just what to get me. You can't tell her that I knew. She was very certain that I needed a new rag. She claimed that I always run out. It needed to be pretty and to have a heart on it. (The only thing I can figure is that I asked her to get a stack of laundry and she felt put upon, because I never run out of rags.) Andy, lovable but not a shopper, was procrastinating on getting them to the store. So last Friday Megan asked me if I would take her to the store to get Dad his gift. I asked her what she had decided to get him. A rag. I avoided that. So yesterday morning I opened a bag of rags (no hearts :-( ), Magic Erasers, and a sponge. Just what I always wanted! There was more, but that was Megan's contribution.

Timothy loves a birthday because he knows that it means cake. And we don't enforce the rule about eating dinner to be eligible for dessert. He was disappointed that we couldn't have cake for lunch but was very happy with his chocolate dinner. Turns out that he is an Indian giver, too. They got me a new hat which he wanted. He threw a mini-tantrum in the car about it.

Drew cares enough to say happy birthday, but after that he's in it for the cake.

I'm an Indian Giver

2007-03-19T06:32:00.000-07:00

I go out on a limb and try to do something nice for all of you and what happens? Not a single 12-5 upset. When is the last time that happened? Does this make me an Indian giver? It's really more like a non-gift. But it is somehow worse. It's not like I completely forgot an occasion. It's more like I gave you something that I knew you wouldn't like. Sorry.

Pre-Schoolers From the Midwest

2007-03-15T14:45:00.000-07:00

I know it's a little hard to see, but this is a Brio city. Megan, Timothy and a friend from down the street spent 2 hours setting this up and creating their scenario.

The dinosaurs are a museum. There are several museums along the track, you just can't see most of them.

The ball popper, in the middle, is a tornado.

The orb on the orange handle (in front of the round house) is the tornado siren. It doesn't make noise but it does spin and glow when you hold the button in.

The things laying down near Megan's hand are victims caught in the path of the tornado.

Louis is working on repairing the roads that the tornado wiped out.

Timothy was in charge of hauling away the debris left in the wake of the tornado.

And it's only March and we've only had a tornado watch one day. No sirens yet this year. They are either very prepared or completely traumatized.

Taking Matters Into My Own Hands

2007-03-14T12:21:00.000-07:00

Today was the day that I set aside for ladder maintenance. The step ladder is heavy and I don't like dragging it around. So I was getting it out once to change burned out light bulbs, replace stolen light bulbs, clean the bathroom fans and light covers, clean the ceiling fans, and dust the plant shelf. (Does anyone keep plants on these when they are 10 feet off the ground?)

The girls have been after me to change the light bulbs in their closet because they like to use it as a night light. But, their room is usually a disaster

and I need to lug that heavy step ladder all the way upstairs. I finally make it to their room and clean the glass and replace the bulbs. I flick the switch. Nothing. Damn.

This is not a new problem. Several months ago, it didn't work either. Andy tried changing the switch. That didn't work. Then we called the builder to send the electrician back. We were pushing the limits of our warranty, but these things happen when it takes 2 months to get around to changing the bulbs before realizing that there is a bigger problem. In the mean time, Ellen told me that one of her receptacles didn't work. I reported this to the electrician who explained that the current usually wraps around the room, running from one outlet to the next. So the problem wasn't really the light, but one of the receptacles within the circuit. He popped the cover off, pretended to tighten already solid connections and voila, there was light. So, when the closet light didn't work today, I tested the outlet that had the problem the last time and sure enough it was dead. The one next to it, on the far side of the closet, worked. Same problem. Well, Andy failed, the electrician failed, I'll do it myself.

1. Turn power off.
2. Remove cover and receptacle and check connectivity.

3. Restore power.

4. Go to Lowe's for a new receptacle. Luckily we don't have the other store.

5. Turn off power.
6. Replace faulty receptacle.

7. Restore power.

8. Ponder how to determine what is wrong with a wire that is inside the wall.
9. Light bulb moment! Turn off power.
10. Switch out the last receptacle that is working because maybe electricity is going in but not moving on.

11. Restore power.

Then I skipped the treadmill because I had already used the basement-to-bedroom StairMaster.

Meeting My Expectations

2007-03-14T05:19:00.000-07:00

I was going to spare you this story, but then I figured that this is my blog and if you don't want to read it you don't have to. My feelings won't be hurt. At least I don't think I'll care.

Yesterday was the big day. I loaded the kids into the van and we headed for school. We dropped Drew off, armed with his horn since it was lesson and band day. They are considerate and plan that large instruments only have to haul them back and forth one day per week. Then we headed to Ellen's school. But instead of dropping her off at the back door, I parked and paraded inside with the remaining three children. We wished Ellen luck on The Big Test, sent her to her classroom, and the rest of us went to the office. It was time to register for kindergarten.

For those of you who don't know, I grudgingly settled on public school. None of the privates had everything that was important to me so I was having trouble justifying the price tag.

I know that first thing in the morning is not an ideal time in an elementary school office. They have announcements, which always involve some students, parents signing in tardy children, and more parents dropping off medicine with the nurse, whose office is accessed through the main office. Kindergarten registration was 5 weeks ago so it's not like they were expecting me. But 5 weeks ago I didn't want her to go to this school and this is the time that I could fit it into my schedule. And besides, essentially all they needed to do was hand me a stack of papers and a pen.

The principal overheard what was happening and marched over to introduce herself. I've met her about 4 times before, seen her countless times, and spoken with her on the phone 3 times. So, there was really no need for her to introduce herself. Apparently I haven't made a lasting impression upon her. She can't boast the same claim.

Now, as I said, when we arrived, the office was buzzing with activity and brimming with children. So I understand how Megan could have been mentally grouped with the students. Within a few minutes, the area cleared out and all who remained were staff and the three of us. So, while I'm filling in the blanks, one secretary begins to make small talk with Tim. Despite our introductions and explanations of why we were visiting, she proceeds to ask him about kindergarten. Yes, Tim. My child who is 26 months old. Completely ignoring the 5 year old. Does she not work around kids all day? Does the typical kindergarten student really look like Tim? What did she think when he wasn't answering her? Did she notice that he still wears diapers?

I honestly went with a positive attitude. But I have to say that our experience completely met my expectations. I felt like I was making Megan part of an institution and they didn't care about her. (But maybe Tim will be more to their liking in THREE years when he is old enough to register!) I felt like the school is led by a bunch of bumbling idiots. My only consolation is that Megan has already mastered the kindergarten curriculum so the only reason for her to attend is social.

Dilbert

2007-03-13T04:17:00.000-07:00

Andy reads the Dilbert comic. He also reads Scott Adams' blog. When he feels moved, he will post a comment. Scott Adams, or someone on his staff who reads this stuff, even responded to him once. A few months ago, Andy had an itch to share his thoughts. And here, in the comic from this past Sunday, are those ideas. Almost word for word.

My Gift to You

2007-03-12T04:07:00.000-07:00

Before you turn in your picks, a minimum of one 12-5 upset ALWAYS.

Story Time

2007-03-09T12:19:00.000-08:00

This boy is two. And he is full of energy. But today he did it. He made it through story time at the library. Not once did he take off to be chased. Not once did her yell. And only once did I need to tell him to be quiet. Don't take this to mean that he sat still and listened. But he wasn't loud and disruptive and this is huge progress.

However, while squirming on my lap and playing with his carpet square, he tried to quietly kill me twice. The first time he plopped down on my lap and in the process pinched my leg so hard that I almost screamed. This was minor compared with the headbutt. He gave the illusion of sitting on my lap then jerked his head back and caught me under the chin so hard that my teeth clicked together and made some other woman yelp. (She was mistakenly concerned for the kid.) Now I must endure a tongue that is bruised and swollen on both side.

But, Tim was quiet for 15 minutes. A new record.

Jodi Picoult

2007-03-09T03:28:00.000-08:00

Have you tried her yet? I've just discovered her. Good. You should really make the trip to your local library.

The Big Test

2007-03-07T09:22:00.000-08:00

Here in Illinois, every public school student in grades 3 through 8 takes the Illinois Standards Achievement Test. The goal of the ISAT is to ensure minimum mastery and safeguard against any child being left behind. If the majority of the students in a given school perform poorly, the state will step in and issue mandates for improvement. The favored first action is to lengthen the school day.

I've never read the teacher contract for our district, but apparently there is much riding on successful performance on these tests. All they have done in third grade for the past 6 weeks is prepare for the ISAT. The teachers lecture on how important these exams are and how the students need to be prepared and do their very best. Students were told that the tests were scary but they would be ready. Who uses the word "scary" with third graders? So, at the end of January, I placed a call to our third grade teacher to discuss Ellen's new found anxiety. I was told that she was taking the speeches too much to heart. That the students who felt this way were not the ones who needed to be addressed.

During the past month, math and reading have been increasingly put on hold in lieu of practice for "The Big Test." That is actually what they call it. They have taken teaching to the test to a whole new level. All they have been doing is either old tests or some form of practice that involves shading the correct bubble completely with a No. 2 pencil. For the record, their reading curriculum utilizes this format exclusively on their weekly tests.

So now it is early March and the test is next week. We've been explaining to Ellen that she is smart and that these tests measure minimum knowledge and she would have performed well on the third grade test last year. All she needs to do is try her best and she will be fine. We've explained that Andy, Drew and I all like taking these tests because they are easy and you can finally work at your own pace and take a 20 minute nap when you complete each section.

To get the students psyched for the test, they learn cheers. They are allowed to wear slippers in class the week of the test. The school provides snacks this week. Additionally, they are fed bubble gum and apple juice before each section. And at the completion of the week, they are given a make your own sundae party. Never underestimate the power of feeding our 8 year olds crap. Oh, and Mom and Dad need to send a letter of encouragement for the first morning. They practically scripted it for us and provided paper and envelope.

So, now that they are all crazed, I mean ready, for The Big Test, the school counselor has been brought in to teach relaxation techniques to be used during said test. Apparently, they do see the monster that they have created. But I doubt that they realize that the school is responsible. They suggested little physical exercises, eating lots of protein and have gone so far as to tell them when to go to bed the night before the test. And boy are they displeased that we turn the clocks the night before all this.

Imagine if they had practiced a few times with new material and actually learned. And what if the teachers just told them how smart they were and that this test will quantify their intelligence? Perhaps they might even exceed expectations because they know how to learn and apply their knowledge. Kind of like our old district, where Drew and the third grade performed just fine on the TestOfNewYorkStateStandards, without all the hoopla.

IllinoisSucksAtTesting

It's The Best Day Ever

2007-03-07T05:01:00.000-08:00

Did you ever wake up with a song in your head? Is it always something that you haven't heard in months? Have you ever liked the song? Is it always one of the top 10 most annoying songs on the planet? Welcome to my hell.

Truly wonderful, the mind of my sister is.

2007-03-06T04:21:00.000-08:00

With apologies to Megan.

Truly wonderful, the mind of a child is.

2007-03-04T11:56:00.000-08:00

A few days ago I was driving down the highway with Megan and Tim in the back of the van. Megan was discussing her activities - piano and swimming. We asked Tim if he wanted to play an instrument. Yes. Violin. Some days it is the piano, but this particular day it was the violin. Then I asked him if he had a sport that he likes best. I suggested swimming, baseball, soccer, football, tennis and basketball.

Then Tim said something about his Tyrone hat. Tyrone is an animated moose from The Backyardigans. He wore a cowboy hat in the Riding the Range episode. We have a cowboy hat. Tim calls it his Tyrone hat and has been inseparable from it this past week.

So Megan, staying on topic, suggests riding horses as a sport that Tim might enjoy. Like a cowboy. She goes on to explain how much she loves riding horses.

Wondering when and where she has ever ridden a horse, other than the carousel at the mall, I inquire. "I rode one at Isabel's house. Drew and Ellen rode in the back on the the way there. (Referring to the back of the station wagon.) It was so cool. I never had that much fun!"

Now, I'm confused. First, this visit to Isabel's house was almost 2 years ago. Second, she was correct that Drew and Ellen were with her. So why don't I recall any of them mentioning the horseback riding? Third, I don't think that either of my girls would have ridden a tethered pony at the fair 2 years ago.

Finally, the others are home from school and I can find out about this riding experience. Have you ever ridden a horse? No. Not even with Isabel? No. Are you sure. Yeah. I think I'd remember that! Did Megan? No.

The funny thing is, aside from My Little Pony, Megan hates horses.

The Trouble with the Ivy League

2007-03-03T06:04:00.000-08:00

Brown Bears, Columbia Lions, Cornell Big Red, Dartmouth Big Green, Harvard Crimson, Penn Quakers, Princeton Tigers, Yale Bulldogs

The Ivy League. A group of schools renowned for their academic prowess. Studies supersede athletics. So, for smart people, why are their mascots so overwhelmingly stupid.

Big Red, Big Green and Crimson. Did anyone exert any effort in these selections? They are colors. They are not intimidating characters behind which one can rally.

Some did opt for fierce animals. Lions, tigers, and bears. Oh my. However, these are long standing institutions established well before L. Frank Baum was born.

And just a word on Brown. I'll concede that they showed more creativity than our friends from Cleveland. But the bears? It's a little too Eric Carle. But again, they precede the revered toddler author by centuries.

Quakers? OK, they are historically accurate. But aren't they pacifists?

So I guess that if you are longing to support an Ivy, it would be best to side with Yale. Too bad they are in New Haven.

In Like a Lion

2007-03-01T04:04:00.000-08:00

I know. It's all over the news. March is roaring in like a lion. So cliche. I hate the spring and the weather in the Midwest. I still like weather, but I don't like living with it. I used to think that it would be really cool to see a tornado. Well, yeah. I still think that but you sort of get side-tracked when protecting your family. We haven't been shooed to the basement yet but it is coming. This year we are more or less prepared. All the flashlights, with working and backup batteries, candles, and lollipops (must always feed children) are stored in one convenient place. Our backup shoes (because who wears them to bed or wants to grab them after being awakened from a dead sleep?) are currently on loan to preschool for their shoe store. And there is never a cell phone in reach when you need one. But for the most part, we have what we need. This year we created a sitting area decorated in our best dormitory decor. Plastic Adirondack chairs, anchored by an area rug and unused coffee table, partitioned from the rest of the cavernous basement with silk trees that should have gone to the dump years ago. Should there be a strong overnight threat, the kids will sleep on the rug and Andy and I get the mattress from the sleeper sofa. This is so much better than moving everyone at 2:17AM. And the arrangements are none to soon. The sun is rising as I type and the sky has a eerie glow. It's not tornado green and it's not rainy gray and it's not sunrise pink. I can't really name the color but everything has a surreal aura about it. I'm quite certain that a picture wouldn't do it justice.

In other news, third grade seems to be the year to have teeth extracted. Ellen will be joining the ranks next week, if the dentist's child ever gets well so she can come back and see patients. Ellen had one cavity in the center of a tooth that was cleaned out and filled. She is among the 50% of cases where that treatment fails. So, they are taking the tooth out since it wouldn't come out on its own for another few years. In the mean time, knowing that the 3 members of our household who precede her had teeth removed at about age 8, I moved up her orthodontist appointment to see what they thought. If she is having multiple teeth yanked, then I'd like to do them all at one time. Yup. The orthodontist thinks it would be a good idea to remove 4 more to accommodate the many crooked permanent ones. Crooked is a bit of an understatement. They are more like sideways. And there is one that they think will erupt in the roof of her mouth, behind the others. Ellen is thrilled to be the fifth kid in her class to have teeth extracted this year. I think I'll go back to school and study dentistry, a lucrative business. Maybe I'll specialize in orthodontics, since after the teeth come out an appliance goes in to hold the space.

Going out on a limb, I am going to report that Megan can read. She is not fluent, but she gets it. She can sound out almost all short vowel words. She still has a few digraphs left to learn but she gets it. She sounds them out one letter at a time and knows what she reads. Attached to the preschool calendar for March was a letter stating that it is Read Across America month. So that's what we are doing. We're hoping that with 15 minutes a day she will move to long vowels and multi-syllable words before April. Now, all of this means that I am rethinking private school since my primary reason for looking was reading. I still like the private school better for a variety of reasons but fewer of them are academic. And it's a lot of money. If I invest the tuition now, it could pay for a year of college later. Someone please pray that I get some wisdom on this decision!

And can you feel it? It must be March. Some mighty fine match-ups this week and more to come!

Outrage

2007-02-20T04:15:00.000-08:00

This is what my family looks like during a typical dinner. No matter how well they kept it together all day, they dissolve into clowns the minute the food hits the table. They can no longer contain their silliness. It starts out as a little joke, or funny story and rapidly progresses to uproars of laughter. And by uproar, I really mean screech. Loud. Want to bury your head in the sand volume. Chairs are a nuisance since they don't sit in them. Drew hasn't used a chair since second grade. Timothy fetches the remote and chants "Mickey" while waving it in our faces. One girl is frequently sulking.

Since at least the adults and occasionally a child don't enjoy this time together, we have established guidelines and things have been looking up the past few days. In an effort to address overall interaction, we just began to work on a family mission statement. Over dinner. So last night while most were quipping what they anticipated we wanted to hear, Megan chose the honest route.

Megan: I think that we should have more love. Drew and Ellen are always mean to me.
Andy: Is that true, Drew?
Drew: Only after Ellen does it first.
Andy: Is that true, Drew?
Drew: Only after Ellen does it first.
Andy: I heard you. Is that true, Drew?
Drew: Sometimes.
Megan: All the time.
Andy: Do you have something that you would like to say now, Drew?
Drew: With a baby tone. Sorry.
Megan: It's not enough!

Perhaps some of their troubles stem from the fact that Andy and I could only keep a straight face for about 2 seconds before erupting into the same fits of laughter that make us insane.

Crossing Over

2007-02-18T14:17:00.000-08:00

Today was the Blue and Gold Banquet. You know the one. 70 sugared and bored boys age 10 and under and their families.

Today Drew was awarded his Arrow of Light. This is the highest award that one can earn as a Cub Scout. The award is actually a pin that they wear on their uniform. The large arrow that he is holding is just a commemorative thing. He also received his 5 year service pin. Then he crossed over into Boy Scouts. You can tell because the little shoulder things (that have a better name that I don't know) are no longer blue, but are now red. Also, no hat or neckerchief.

This dinner is usually held at the high school. But this year someone else was using their cafeteria. So ours was held at the middle school. The change of venue is not what this event will be remembered for. It was the fire alarm that sounded during the leader recognition, right before the boys crossed over. We suspect the first year Webelos. They are like that. (Just kidding. It was someone looking for the light switch in the boys locker room. Like who, on a Sunday afternoon of a holiday weekend. I still suspect the first year Webelos.) Sorry, you can't see the flash and I'll spare you the sound. The evacuation was only 15 minutes. Yeah!

His entire patrol chose the same Boy Scout Troop. Here are the proud boys.

Unfortunately, I'm amazed at the rudeness of the families. Yes, it's boring. Yes, it's a family event. And yes, we were sitting toward the back. But the volume of the conversations while the scouts were receiving their awards was unbelievable. And it wasn't just the children. But we're done. At least for 5 years.

Some Kids Are Just More Entertaining Than Others

2007-02-15T08:06:00.000-08:00

I like my bed made. There is nothing better than clean sheet day when the covers are just right. And on non-laundry day, every attempt should be made to return the bed to a fresh status. So, each morning I make the bed so I feel good about going to sleep that evening.

My children also like to get into a freshly made bed. So, today as I emerged from the shower, I found Tim. He empties a laundry basket then turns it upside down to create a stool. Then he climbs up.

Me: Hi, Tim. You're in my bed.

Tim: Yes, I'm tying to seep.

Me: You like it in there?

Tim: Yes, it's wozy.

Tim is 2. So, if he can't see you, then you must not he there. He loves hiding in the pantry. We're not sure why. He can't reach the food that he likes. He does, however, like to rearrange the spices.

Here you see him playing peek-a-boo in the pantry. Notice the Mickey Mouse in one hand and the remote control in the other. He thinks that the remote is Toodles, Mickey's helper. He spends so much time in the closet that we think it may contain a secret portal to the Mickey Mouse Clubhouse. We're hopeful that our insurance will cover therapy down the road when he is sure that we locked him in there.

All my kids liked glasses when they were 2. And all my kids wore them upside down. We actually think that Tim may eventually wear glasses because he looks so natural in Drew's glasses. Most usually opted for sunglasses. But we've never known a child to borrow from Mr. Potato Head.

From Sky To Mountaintop

2007-02-13T16:44:00.000-08:00

From mountaintop to ground. It's still snowing. It's been precipitating for 25 hours now. This picture is the girls around 2PM this afternoon. That is a natural pile they are standing behind. But a drift. Do you see the grass in the middle of the yard? Very windy.

They are predicting that this will continue until about midnight. So guess what? They are all home again tomorrow! I really don't mind having them here but the girls are pouting because it's Valentine's Day and that means parties. I'm running Ellen's but I may be just sending supplies. Andy was going to stay with the littles. He can't just keep changing his schedule. And in the mean time, I don't know if or when they will reschedule and those cupcakes won't keep indefinitely. I've been fighting off the vultures all day.

I read that at 2PM Springfield had 9.9 inches of snow - the eighth highest snowfall total ever. The record: 15" in 1900. Today is the first day that I wished we still had a snow blower.

This is our UNSHOVELED walk at 2PM. That's how windy it is. It is all in a 4 foot pile on the side of the house.

The road crews were out this morning. I saw them plow us around 8AM. That was the last I saw of them until 10 minutes ago. It's like they just gave up and shut down the city. Even though it's still coming down and looks as hard as it has all day, they are saying only about another inch. But the radar has looked like that all afternoon. Perhaps it is a good omen.

Unplug the Weather Radio!

2007-02-13T04:51:00.000-08:00

Why, oh why, must the National Weather Service make changes to the forecast and broadcast it with that annoying wake-the-dead alarm? Oh, because conditions change. But why, oh why must they do this at 4AM? Oh, because it might be a tornado. Well, if it's a tornado then wake me. If it's a snow storm, leave me alone.

Monday at 4:05AM CST they woke me up to report that the winter storm watch had been upgraded to a warning - with precipitation beginning at 6PM. Did they really need to wake me up for that? It was 14 hours away. Surely I would wake up on my own during that time and find out more about the storm that they had been talking about since Sunday morning. It's not like it snuck up on us. Incidentally, they were correct. Our first rain drop fell at 6:05PM.

Tuesday at 3:50AM CST they woke me up again. This time to cancel the winter storm warning and issue a blizzard warning. What you need to remember is that all that is required to make a blizzard of poor visibility and wind. It doesn't even have to be snowing, just blowing snow. Well, maybe trace amounts of falling preciitation are required. And it's always windy here, making blizzards more common in Illinois than New England. So, what did they think I would do with this information?

So, we're all home. I anticipated this and picked up the few items that I needed for Ellen's Valentine's Day party so I could get ready today. But so much help. Snow should be fun. But the wind chill is in the single digits and it's blowing at blizzard force. In fact, I my entire front walk is clear because it's so dry and the wind took care of it for me. That means that they will all be inside all day. And the only hope of entertainment is neighborhood friends. It's not that we don't like the neighbors, but they aren't the favorites. And it is Tuesday. Warcraft update morning. Meaning you can't play while they do their maintenance.

My Vacuum Cleaner Sucks

2007-02-11T13:11:00.000-08:00

I don't remember when we bought our vacuum cleaner. I'd guess that it was about the time we bought our first house. That would make it 12-13 years ago. I don't know whether we bought a good one or not. We probably thought it was good for our price range.

Well, about 10 days ago I was cleaning the dirt from the floors and bumped into the base of a cabinet, as usual. Only this time, a little plastic prong snapped. It turns out that it was important. It attached the main part that houses the bag to the handle. Without it, the bag section flops around, causing the bag to disconnect. This means that the vacuum still sucks up debris but spews it out the top and back into the room. Bad. Very dusty.

So, I researched vacuums. I mentioned before that I miss my old library system. So much that I still use it. I can still use my faithful card and log in and access Consumer Reports. They said that the vacuum in the picture was the way to go. So that is the way I went. No, I didn't try super glue. But I did try a rubber band.

Wow, vacuums have come a long way. This one has a digital readout that tells you when the rug is clean. Duh, you need that? Don't you have eyes? Yes, I need that. I've been cursing the cheap rugs that were showing wear after 6 months. Guess what? When the vacuum says they are clean they look and feel new. Yes, it took a long time to remove a year and a half of dirt. It has inteli-clean. Sounds like a scam that you don't need to pay for but I love it! The more dirt it detects, the more suction it gives. I like the inteli-clean for the kids, too. All I have to do it test a section to know whether they did a good job or not. If it senses dirt, it tells me. I can change to a non-beater mode for wood floors. And it is much quieter that my old one. It's still a vacuum though, good for drowning out the kids when you need it. They got some smart mom feedback when designing this product!

And, it was on sale. A good sale.

So, come on over! My floors are ready for visitors. You might want to bring your own dust rag, though. Oh, and sorry about the title. Drew and Andy just don't get tired of that little joke.

Peace at Last

2007-02-09T08:19:00.000-08:00

The search is over. Megan is going to be a Trinity Tiger next year. I had my list of questions and most of their answers were correct. Correct for me, that is. The classes are about the same size as our public schools but this kindergarten has a full time aide. They teach phonics. Speech services are available on-site. Students read historical fiction in English that correlates to their history lessons, beginning in Kindergarten. They have separate grammar instruction where they diagram sentences! They provide math acceleration. And, I like their logo.

Megan liked it because they have choir beginning in kindergarten. They also sponsor scout troops, from kindergarten on up. They have two playgrounds which they use every day, as long as it isn't raining and it is above 0*.

So, now I'm looking into becoming a Lutheran. Members pay 1/3 the price of non-members. Even if I opt out of that, there is enough value added to justify the non-member rate. Schools just don't cost very much around here.

No Sympathy From this Mom

2007-02-09T05:31:00.000-08:00

Timothy loves to be chased. He runs the track through the kitchen, around the stairs, into the living room and passed the dining room. If someone is willing to pursue him, he can keep this up for hours. His love of the great chase carries over to anytime I need to get him into his coat, feed him a meal, or change his diaper. Basically, anytime I need to pick him up.

Yesterday the need arose to pick him up. So, he took off. He did a fast lap around the family room and dove onto the couch. There he writhed his little two year old body as if he were a worm or break dancing. I proceeded to scoop him up. He bucked his head and got me in the lip. This happens about once per week but that doesn't make the swelling or the blood any less real.

After a quick yell, I controlled my temper and went about our business. When I had calmed down enough to talk with him, I told him that he can't behave that way. That I knew he didn't mean to hurt Mommy but he did. Without ever looking up from the Matchbox car he was holding, he replied, "You'll be OK, Mom."

Music Notes

2007-02-06T03:13:00.000-08:00

The big day finally arrived. Not the Colts. Not the frigid weather. The music classes have come to fruition.

After two years of asking, Megan has taken up the piano. She is using a junior series of what the older kids have. It comes with a CD and focuses on the basics of music. It includes the keyboard but in a non reading way. She will be a concert pianist by age 10 if her enthusiasm doesn't wane. While Megan is ecstatic about here lessons, no one likes the clap-the-beat song from the CD better than Timothy. Perhaps there is a music class in our future, next year.

After at least three years of pleading, Ellen has a violin. It took over two months to get this together. If you are a violin teacher looking for students, I have an area for you. Since teachers are hard to come by, I approached the Youth Symphony about their starter strings program. We were told that it typically coincides with the school year. However, another girl about Ellen's age and with a similar piano background was inquiring at the same time. We've embarked on group lessons with this girl in the hopes that they will assimilate into the youth symphony program. Small world... When we arrived at the lesson, I knew the family from the park.

Aqua Teen

2007-02-01T14:14:00.000-08:00

Mission accomplished. I never heard of this before yesterday, but I'm curious.

Choosing A School

2007-01-29T09:34:00.000-08:00

Sixth grade is the first year that electives are offered. Drew wants to take computer applications. I know he loves computers so I listened to him. My problem is twofold. First, and primarily, it is only a one semester class. The other semester is filled with study hall, which I don't want him to have. There is no mixing and matching. If you want computers, it comes with study hall. Period. Secondly, I've spoken with more experienced parents, including one who has substitute taught in the computer class, and I've learned that desktop publishing is the only thing they teach. This means more Word and PowerPoint. He already does well with these and they aren't difficult to pick up on your own. So, I've put my foot down and he's chosen again. In the end, he chose Exploratory. This may be known to some of you as "cycle." It consist of 6 week sessions of 6 different courses, including food / child care, shop, music, drama, sewing and art (I think). I have to agree that most of these classes would not appear to interest him at all. But, I think that they are good skills to learn and if he hates them, they are only 6 weeks. Then, on to something different. Most of his friends also wanted to take computers and all of their parents put the kibosh on it, too.

He also chose band. He's thinking of ditching the horn for percussion. He wants to remain in band because in high school they take a trip to Disney every four years. He believes that it will be his senior year. He also has expressed an interest in jazz band. Sixth graders may play in jazz band but not if you play the horn. You need to play a jazz instrument. He's thinking of keyboard, since he has experience in that arena. He hasn't expressed an interest but in our high school football trumps God community, they are replacing the recreation program with a district funded middle school football team. This team comes complete with cheerleaders, pom-poms (who knew there was a difference?) and marching band. Don't get me started on why we need this but have 26 kids in a class!

The only other options are chorus and full year study hall. I think that he is content with his choices.

One would think that enrolling a child in middle school would put kindergarten in perspective. Such is not the case. I feel strongly that phonics is the way to teach reading. Period. We reside in a whole language district. So, I'm searching for alternatives. There is no such creature as a secular non public school in our county. Possibly in our state. If you want to find one, you better head to Chicago. This makes my search all the more challenging. I'm looking first at curriculum and secondarily at religion. I'm trying to formulate an equation that will return the best solution, taking into account curriculum, religion, class size and cost. Now, I could put up with pretty much any religious instruction but the monkey wrench in the math is that members get a discount. Sometimes as much as 1/3 the cost of non-members. I'm not meaning to be hypocritical or offensive, but for that much money, I could be Lutheran. They're not so different from Catholics. In fact, they used to be Catholics. And I'm not particularly Catholic anyway. I have 3 more schools to visit. Public school registration is next Monday and Tuesday. I'd like to make a decision before then. And in the end, the result of my study may say to enroll her in public school. But whole language? shudder

And speaking of not being very Catholic, this Nun Chuck is hysterical. And don't miss Nunzilla!

Food for Thought

2007-01-24T10:25:00.000-08:00

Customer Service
While at Dick's this morning, we tried to pay for two items at a cash register adjacent to the entrance to the mall. Someone who looked like he should have been in school and had previously offered assistance came over and told us, "Oh, you can't pay for that here. You have to go to customer service."

Drew in Equality
"There is no such thing as a bigger half."

Tim Reading
While waiting at a red light yesterday, Tim let's out an "Ahhhhhhhh," a la Tarzan. Then he says, "t, t, t, mmm, mmm, mmm." Then I caught on. He was reading random letters from the back of a Penske truck in front of us.

Sledding

2007-01-21T12:47:00.000-08:00

Timothy was born in December. We moved in June, when he was 5 months old. Tim never went sledding in NY. I think he went to a hill in the Baby Bjorn with Cub Scouts that first winter. But he never went down the hill. I think he was less than 6 weeks old.

Last year it didn't really snow. We had mostly mud. And anyone who has ever been to central Illinois knows that a pancake has more slope that our terrain. So even if there had been snow, what was the point?

Well, I've ventured a bit more around town now and I once saw people sledding on a decent sized hill on a golf course. Now I know where to sled in the event that we have snow.

It finally snowed last night. And, guess what? It's possible to sweat when you go sledding. No cold toes or fingers. Just wet soggy outerwear. Tim loved it!

Ready to sled.

Thoughts on finger dexterity and mittens.

Ready for action with dad.

Enjoying the ride.

Hiking up the hill.

Communicating that he's had enough.

Can't Live Without

2007-01-21T04:11:00.000-08:00

While most of you don't live in Illinois, I've found so much great universal information on Illinoisloop.org that I just had to share it. It's all about education and I happen to wholeheartedly agree with most of the content. A true treasure trove!

Charles Murray on Education

2007-01-19T04:42:00.000-08:00

Aztecs vs. Greeks and embedded links to parts I and II of the series.

House Bound

2007-01-17T03:59:00.000-08:00

This is what we awoke to on Saturday. Really, the ice was everywhere except the roads. But our poor shrubs! And the poor children. This storm warning extended 3 whole days, or right through the long weekend.

Having experienced our share of ice storms, we chose to stay put. We had no commitments and we had 4 playoff games to watch. By approximately 10 AM Saturday, the kids had picked up on the confined felling. By noon, we had cooked up a mixture to grow crystals, as seen in one of their picture books, and had decided that watching the colorful glasses sit on the counter all weekend was not the way to pass the time.

Feeling their pain, I agreed to allow them to drag their outside vehicles to the basement, provided the transportation was smaller than a bike. Their dropped jaws indicated their disbelief. Why do they continue to ask when they get a surprise answer? Are they hoping that I'll change my mind and respond in the negative? Eventually, down went the scooters, skateboards and rollerblades. Helmets, everyone!

Satisfied that they had gotten away with something, they actually played together and got along. Eventually, however, things grew quiet. 4 kids on wheels in a room full of toys and we didn't hear anything? It's strange how this lack of sound is so much more startling than the usual cacophony. And then the silence was shattered. The house shook, wood crashed and metal echoed. Followed but uproarious laughter and squeals of delight. Repeat. Repeat. Repeat.

At this point, the adults decide that we should go investigate. I mean, we have 4 kids. How long would it be until we missed one of them? But the house! We'll never get someone out here to install temporary floor jacks to keep us from plummeting to the basement during the storm! We sneaked down the stairs and peered around the corner to find child one on a scooter and carrying a broomstick giraffe, child two riding a skateboard and wielding an actual broom, child three restacking the Lincoln Logs, and child four amassing a pile of Hotwheels. And then we understood. Children one and two were crashing into the constructions of children three and four and then engaging in a joust. Without helmets. Even knights wore armor.

Kindergarten

2007-01-11T11:22:00.000-08:00

When Drew was 5, I saw him as a big kid who was totally ready to head off to kindergarten. Indeed, he was. Now I see kindergarten students and they look so little. If you told they were in preschool, I would completely accept that as truth. Lugging backpacks that hang to their knees, they look too young to be institutionalized.

Megan is old enough to be one of them this year but she is still home. The truth is, I am terrified of making her part of the machine. Only I know my child. Even the best teacher could not possibly be as vested as I am in her success. And most teachers... Don't get me started. And I perceive Megan as my child who could most easily slip between the cracks.

But she can't wait to be a kindergartener. She wants to be with peers all day. She asks me every day if she can ride the bus next year. She pesters me to join the older two for lunch so that she can eat in the cafeteria and enjoy the playground. She wants to know if Tim and I will eat with her next year.

I think that I would feel better if she were reading already. But she's not. And here is that pesky double edged sword. They. Will. Begin. At. The. Beginning. Then I will complain that they always teach to the slowest child in the class and lose many hours of sleep plotting ways to force them to group by ability.

I hope that this is just part of my mid-year mental assessment of their education and the ensuing crisis that I inevitably enter. I will register her next month.

And speaking of registering, I have a parent's meeting to attend next week at the Middle School. That's right, my ready-for-kindergarten first born son is going to middle school. When did that happen? Perhaps that will put a bit more perspective on kindergarten.

Leonardo

2007-01-08T12:16:00.000-08:00

While perusing the shelves of Barnes & Noble last week, I came across a gem called Amazing Leonardo da Vinci Inventions You Can Build Yourself. Amazing, indeed. It required normal household items. Many children's projects claim to use products that you have at home, and in fact, you do, after a $73 trip to the hardware store. Day 15 of our Christmas break called for a bit of action, so we built the helical air screw model. Aeronautical engineers we are not, as our creation neither flew nor received modification to achieve flight.
When I tried to snap a picture for your viewing pleasure, I was a little surprised that the camera batteries were dead. I quickly understood that there is a shutterbug under our roof. And there were bored students whose interests lay in aquatics. I knew about the sink trick, although fortunately for them they only got my wrist. I just didn't know that they were dumb enough to leave a trail allowing no shred of reasonable doubt.

Turning Two

2006-12-30T18:42:00.000-08:00

When you are turning two, your wish list includes the following: birthday hats, balloons, cake and singing. Here's how the day played out.

Opening presents is easy now, especially with all the practice a few days ago.

2 pancakes = 1 mouth sweep to prevent imminent choking. Repeat process while eatting PB&J for lunch.

Family swim at the YMCA for a little afternoon entertainment.

Spaghetti is his favorite dinner. No mouth swiping.

Cake is so delicious that you need to dig your spoon into the frosting before blowing out the candles. All the while, the balloon never leaves your hand through 2 pieces.

After you have eaten the frosting and decide that you are still hungry, you eat a second large plate of spaghetti.

Top the day off with a Giant's game. Life doesn't get any better than this.

Naughty Diesel

2006-12-27T16:06:00.000-08:00

This is Thomas the Tank Engine. Timothy loves Thomas. He has seen the shows and read the books. He knows all the characters. He prefers playing with the wooden trains to watching the series on PBS. He'll push any train into your hand when he wants you to play with him. Any train but Thomas. Thomas is his. He is unwilling to share.

Thomas is "cheeky." He usually get himself into a predicament which resolves itself with a lesson in morality. All in all, he is a pretty good role model for the two year old crowd.

Beneath the Christmas tree was a gift from one of my other children for Tim. It was another engine, Diesel. Timothy cites the books and refers to him as Naughty Diesel.

"Oily, scheming and ever ready to stir up trouble in the shed, Diesel's characteristic smirk is a sure sign that somebody, somewhere, is in for a bit of trouble." So says a web site selling this train.

Tim is now willing to share Thomas. But don't lay a hand on Diesel!

Shudder.

Merry Christmas

2006-12-25T07:33:00.000-08:00

All the hard work...

wrapping

Andy will never guess what Megan wrapped for him

hanging the stockings

leaving cookies

feeding the reindeer

It all paid off. Santa made...

One happy gamer

One beautiful princess

One accurate archer

One serious engineer

Homeroom Mom

2006-12-22T15:42:00.000-08:00

I've never been a homeroom mom before this year. I guess I'm still not. It's called a parent liaison in our district. It means that you have to trim and count boxtops periodically. It also means that you have to make sure that all the parties are planned. You don't have to do it yourself, but you need to secure a volunteer. I didn't fully understand the role when I volunteered to be the parent liaison for not one but two of my kids.

One of my children is in fifth grade. That translates to the sixth and final year of school parties. Many fifth grade parents have already planned parties. Most fifth grade parents have all of their children in school full time. They work. And fifth graders are not particularly cute anymore. All this equates to being blessed if one parent signs up to coordinate a single party. Such was the fate of our fifth grade Christmas party. I had begged off Halloween to a neighbor and am fortunate to have a volunteer for the year end party. So, I took over.

We painted ornaments. We used droppers to drizzle paint into clear glass balls and swirled it around. One parent volunteer mentioned that it tied in well with the modern art presentation that she had just done with the class. (She is the art outreach parent. What do the teachers do these days?) Just luck. My son doesn't deem such events worthy of relaying.

Did you notice that they aren't terribly cute? Except the short one in the red sweatshirt.

While some were painting, others were decorating gift bags for the ornaments.

My son made Frosty the Serial Killer.

We also played reindeer games. As I was the official, I asked Tim to pose for me. He's a very serious reindeer racer.We had cookies, Chex mix and juice. It took about an hour and nobody complained to me. Drew told me that some of the boys said that the reindeer games were stupid, but two of them asked if they could take the deer home. How stupid could it have been?

I've learned that if you ask a parent to send in something specific, they are happy to help. Many even express their gratitude that you were willing to plan the party and make all the calls for the sake of their child's happiness. I also learned that in addition to red, green, gold, blue, silver and white paint, Illini orange should be on hand. And I met a very nice neighbor with a daughter in the class.

If anyone needs plans for a Christmas or Halloween party appropriate for grade 3-5, I'll sell them to you. Check back in 6 weeks because it looks like I'll be marketing the third grade Valentine's Day party at that time.

The Polar Express

2006-12-22T10:47:00.000-08:00

Last night was the debut of The Polar Express, performed by the third grade.
Ellen was reindeer #2.

Timothy was a total monster. Despite my best efforts, he is loud and a showoff most of the time. There are two schools of thought on how to correct this. 1. Keep at it and he'll gradually improve for longer periods and in time he will behave. 2. Avoid quiet situations with him for a few years until he matures into it.

Bragging

2006-12-17T17:57:00.000-08:00

This is very exciting for me, but Tim is unfazed. I was startled to realize a few days ago that he knows the sounds that most of the letters make! At least 20 of them. He doesn't associate most text with its sound yet. He also doesn't know the names of the printed letters. But if I ask, "What sound does M make?" he knows the answer, regardless of the order they are presented. I really can't claim credit for this achievement. It was the electronic babysitter, the Leap Frog Letter Factory DVD. But I'm still a proud mama.

Baking Day

2006-12-17T06:26:00.000-08:00

Family baking day. No group photo. Somehow one participant avoided the camera all day.

The cookie loaf. Ellen's loop hole around "You may have one cookie each."

In case you couldn't appreciate their true size, here they are next to normal sized cookies.

Sampling the work.

Tis the Season

2006-12-15T10:58:00.000-08:00

Finding the perfect tree.
Kid decorated tree. They are responsible for the lights, backwards ornaments, multiple ornaments per branch, clusters of similar ornaments and diving angel. Isn't it beautiful!
Megan's cookie decorating gathering.