Thanksgiving Day

And so, it is here -- TDay. For many people it is a day of stress as they race about, trying to get the house clean, the food cooked, the place prepared for the descending hordes of hungry friends and family. Often, in such moments, the 'Thankfulness' for which this day is named is lost and forgotten. I should know -- grin -- been there, done that. But today, for me, the 'Thankfulness' is very much present... and one of the reasons is currently seated on the living room floor examining his haul of Pokemon cards:>

So, for what am I thankful this day? For all the people in my life, for the fact that we are -- relatively -- healthy, for the homes we have, the food, the things, but more for the connections and the love we feel. I am grateful -- OH! SO grateful that G.B. is out of the White House soon and a (hopefully) better man is in. I am thankful that my friends have not suffered too terribly as a result of having family in Iraq though I grieve for those who have suffered the cost of that stupid action. I am grateful that the sun was out yesterday, that I get to watch my sons laugh and play and that I, lucky me, get to watch them learn and grow. I am very grateful that I am in a position to home school my children -- hording all those wonderful learning moments instead of having them slip past a stranger as if they were of no account. I am grateful for having had the oppurtunity to take the boys to Arizona to visit their grandparents -- for my parents who took the time to spend with us. For my father whose passion for birds and rocks and history have helped to inspire not only me but also my sons. I am grateful that my mother was able to go to Florida and spend the holidays with her sister. I am grateful that she is coming to see us in December -- a challenge to her physically and financially but a gift to all of us. I am thankful for coffee and the hope that it will chase awful headache! I am thankful for Tom, with all his quirks and fierceness who can make me laugh even when I am in serious grouch mode -- for his smiles and his sexiness, his brains and his humor. I am thankful for my sons, both of whom can drive me round the bend and then send me laughing in tears: For Jason with his brilliant blue eyes, kind spirit and clever mind, for Xander whose brown eyes melt all hearts, whose fierce independence is both frustrating and impressive.

And speaking of boys -- Thought I would share a few stories with you, to help bring smiles to your faces.

The first, most recent funny moment was provided by Mr. X. He and I were in the car, returning from Tae Kwon Do. He had had a hard time there because he'd not had a nap and was VERY tired. I was concerned, in fact, that he would fall asleep in the car on the way home -- and since it was 5 pm and dinner time, that would not have worked well. So I decided to engage him in conversation. Not being brilliant after a day of three little boys and a back ache, I openned with: "So, what is your name?" Xander, whose quickness with repartee is truly remarkable, responded 'Alexander the Great' I blinked. 'Really? I thought that that name was already taken?' 'Yes' responded AG, not phased in the least, 'But he is dead.' 'Oh' I was stumped for a moment. 'So, I know what he did to earn the title. What are you going to do?' He laughed at me and said 'I am going to find interesting things and collect them.' Ah.... and this from the child who had earlier announced his intention to conquer the world...

And then there is Jason who has recently discovered the joys of Amelia Bedelia and joke books. He delights in reading them aloud to all who will listen -- especially his younger brother who is more than willing to laugh in all the appropriate AND inappropriate places. The other night when we went into their room to read books, Jason's eyes lighted on the two 'Wizard and Wart' books I had placed there. 'I am reading THOSE!' he announced firmly. He plunked himself into the bed and Xander immediately claimed shotgun position at his shoulder. Jason began to read and almost from the first, the two boys were in tears of laughter. Part of the hilarity was the result of Jason's reading style -- he is beginning to learn to pause for dramatic effect (grin) only to spoil it by laughing! He will read, pause, and then, as his eye scans the next lines, desolve into laughter, choking out the next lines and having to re-read them. He has the makings of a comedian, though less stand up than slapstick, I think.

Funny moments

I read back through my most recent posts and realized that there are quite a few things that I left out. So, in the intere?st of accuracy...

One moment that stands out is a moment in the car as we left the T-Rex museum. Xander and Jason had had a blast and come out of the place and come out with all sorts of treasures. Sitting in the back of the car, sorting through his stash, Xander asked his big brother and the font of all wisdom, 'Bah Bah, can I be a paleontologist when I grow up?' His brother, without missing a beat replied 'You don't have to grow up. You just have to dig.'

Then there was the moment, watching Barack Obama's acceptance speech -- Xander was disgusted because no one was paying him any attention. In frustration he yelled out 'I DON'T LIKE PRESIDENTS! THEY ARE NOTHING BUT A LOT OF CONFUSED NOISE!' I gave my tearful child a hug and laughed a bit only to hear him inform his brother a short time later that 'when I grow up, I am going to be President. No one else is doing the job!'

There was also the moment during the trip to Tucson: We were going through the security check point. The boys had gone through and were collecting the stuff on the other side. A young securtiy guard was helping them load up their packs. When I arrived she said 'Did you hear that? They said 'Thank You!' She seemed stunned. I replied 'Yes, well, courtesy is always appropriate.' She looked at me and gave a big smile and said 'Good on you, Mom.' and then to the boys, 'Thank you. It has been a pleasure.' The boys smiled and waved and off we went. My boys:> They seem to charm airport personnel whereever we go. In Tucson, getting on the plane, a young security guard was so charmed by Xander that she gave him a pair of purple latex gloves. When we got home and I told his father, Tom's response was a laconic 'Yes, he is getting quite a collection of those!'

There were other moments but none spring to mind. I will record them as they come. Meanwhile, today I have a doctor's appointment and Xander has Tae Kwon Do. We are also supposed to drive to Tacoma to meet a little boy who is Pokemon/Legos mad for a play date. Gawk! This will be a busy sort of day.

School in session

As you might imagine, the first day back from our trip was mostly recovery. It was quiet -- we played indoors for the most part and Xander took a two hour nap. Jason had Tae Kwon Do in the afternoon and appeared to thoroughly enjoy himself there.

Today, however, school was back in session. We began with practising cursive handwriting -- and Jason has decided that he really LIKES writing in cursive. It was the getting him to stop and do something else that proved the challenge. While Jason wrote and wrote, Xander and I made homemade play dough. He loved it, as one might imagine -- and even tasted what he had created (from 1 cp flour, 1/2 cp salt, 1/2 cp water and red food coloring) despite my warning that it would be very salty. He was delighted with the whole process, got playdough in his hair and under his finger nails and made himself first a 'gingerbread' house and then a 'gingerbread' man.

After a bit, Jason also decided to make playdough and I showed him how to 'knead' bread using the mixture as a test case. He loved that -- guess we have to make bread again soon:> He was actually the first of the two boys to make a 'gingerbread' boy, and quite a fellow he was too.
Our next 'subject' was Dice math -- using the cinqo dice, Jason rolled dice, wrote out the additon/subtraction problems and did them. He had a great deal of fun and ended up using all five dice to create large number problems... then, after doing that for about 1/2 an hour, he begged to be allowed to continue practicing cursive... By this time, I was developing a bit of a headache and when I glanced outside, I realized that the rain had stopped. "Time to go out" I announced. We got shoes and coats on and headed out the door.

We stopped at Goodwill -- to check for Pokemon card, then went to the DO-IT center and bought two small rakes. I figure that the boys can work off some of their neverending supply of energy by raking leaves (grin). Then it was off to Lake Wilderness so that the boys could run and shout. Both boys were delighted to see that the stream was once again full of water -- 'Hello Alfred!!' they called to the troll under the bridge and tossed their 'gifts' to him as they headed for the playground. They played there for a good half hour before Xander began to show signs of tiredness. We then regrouped and headed off for lunch.

Once home and fed, the boys played Pokemon for a bit then we all three went into the bedroom where I read them a series of Native American tales. Jason then took over, reading Pokemon Junior books to Xander, while I came back to the bedroom to write a few blogs... Now my time is up and I need to get back out with them before heading off for PT.

Updates on the Deans

Back again:>

The boys and I went to Tucson, though Tom -- happily enough -- did not go to Singapore. We spent nine days in the sun, exploring the town and its environs. The boys enjoyment of the trip was heightend, I suspect, by the fact that I had lost my voice almost entirely and was unable to do more than whisper fiercely the whole time we were in Tucson. We went to Mt Lemmon, Summerhaven, Sabino Canyon and the Desert Museum with Mom. We explored Agua Caliente, Colossal Caves and Biosphere with Dad. The boys ate good food at the Eclectic and on 4th Avenue (where Jason discovered that he LIKES salsa -- first on steak, then on eggs...) and not so good food at the Dinosaur MacDonalds. We visited Bookman's Used bookstore twice and Jason was thrilled to bits to discover piles of Pokemon books -- he 'inhaled' them at such a rate that towards the end of our stay, he had read them all. He was left, in the end, to raid his Grandmother's bookshelves. There he found a biography of Laurel and Hardy, one of his favorite comedy duos, and he sat down with that. I know that he finished at least two chapters of the book and that he enjoyed it -- I heard him laughing as he read.

We also discovered, quite by accident, a little shop called 'The T-Rex Museum' on Oracle. It is run by a Palentologist -- 'I created the place I wanted to go when I was a kid' he told me and the boys thoroughly enjoyed digging up fossils, panning for treasures, breaking rocks with rock hammers and watching a dinosaur movie while eating popcorn. There is a store attached to the museum -- a true shopper's nightmare as it is LOADED with dinosaur goodies. It was a definate hit.

We had a lovely time -- loads of sun and, on the last day, the boys even took a brief dip in Mom's pool. Despite warnings, or perhaps because of them, Xander went in over his head. He was briefly terrified but he reached out and grabbed my hands when I told him to do so and I pulled him out. After a few moments of recovery, he decided that he had done well, had been very brave and had survived... so back in he went though this time, he was a bit more cautious and only went in up to his chest:>

And then, it was the 12th and time to return home. We were ready -- we all missed Tom though the boys both told me that they thought Gramma Pat oughtn't to live alone, that she should come and live with us. 'I worry about her' Xander told me gravely.

The trip home was not the best but not the worst either. We were supposed to board the plane at 4:30 and depart at 5 pm. We boarded at 5:30 and departed at 6. Something wrong withe the toilets so the plane was left with only two working ones. The boys, however, were wonderfully well behaved -- so well behaved, in fact, that the two ladies sitting in front of us complimented them at the end of the trip.

Once off the plane we stopped and changed the boys into their nightclothes -- I suspected that they might fall asleep in the car on the way home. The trip from the plane to the baggage claim was long, made longer by the fact that my independent youngest decided that he was going to 'CARRY MY OWN BAG!' -- which he did... slowly. He wore it as a backpack and trudged fiercely down the aisles, pretending to be a slow moving Earth Pokemon. It wouldn't have been a big issue except that his older brother was in high speed mode, eager to see his father, eager to get home to his cat. I hung suspended half way between the two, reeling Jason back periodically, then dragging Xander forward. When we did arrive at the baggage claim, Tom had already arrived. He watched the busy boys while I waited for the luggage -- which never appeared. In exasperation, I finally checked the luggage holding section BEHIND the carousel -- and sure enough, there were the bags. They had been on the carousel too long and had been pulled. Sigh.

Home once again, we unloaded luggage, put a sleeping Xander in his bed, allowed Jason to hug his cat briefly before he and then we fell into bed. What a long trip -- but at least I have my voice back!

Update

So now... Tom is not going out on a plane today. Turns out that the 'call' was for him to go to Dallas to work with American Airlines. The Baltimore trip is an entirely other project and the meeting to discuss it has not yet been scheduled. At this point that one is still an unknown -- and Tom did say that there is ALWAYS the possibility that he will be sent to Dallas... so we are in a holding pattern at the moment.

Meanwhile, it is 6:27 am. Jason woke at 5:30. He tried to go back to sleep in my bed but no luck so he picked up 'The One eyed Giant' -- a short novel about Cyclops and read it. Now he is reading the next novel in the 'Odysseus' series. It is amazing how rapidly he reads these days.

Pretty Kitty is back in the breeze way again. We will take him into the Vet today, I hope, and get him checked for potential infections. If he is free and clear, we will begin moving him into the house. The sight of those five 'coons peering in the window -- and then racing up a tree -- plus the cold snap in the weather has made his introduction to indoor life rather more urgent. We will have to see how the girls take him. He, on the other hand, though nervy at being indoors, has definately decided that he likes this family.

News

Sigh. Tom called shortly ago. Seems Boeing is sending him off to Baltimore tomorrow morning and he won't be back until late next week. I can only hope that he will be back in time for the end of the season soccer party and final game. As it is, I shall have to cancel PT for the rest of this week and next and shall have to figure out how to handle Tae Kwon Do, Soccer etc. I shall also have to deal with littlest boy tears. Sigh...

On the other hand, Jason has undertaken to teach his little brother to read and his little brother is delighted. I can only shake my head in bemusement because, of course, WHAT Jason has chosen to use to teach Xander -- Pokemon books -- are not standard equipment but I am staying firmly out of it. Xander is happy to have his brother's attention, Jason is pleased to be 'teaching' so since both are satisfied with the arrangement, who am I to argue?

In other news, yesterday Jason and his cub scout den met at our little lake park and practiced tying on fishing hooks, baiting hooks and casting their lines. All the boys had a great deal of fun though I noticed that when it came to selecting bait, the boys all used the modern hi-tech stuff and left the earth worms to myself and their den mother. Oh, they were happy enough to use an earthworm baited hook -- and they were quite successful at 'drowning' worms but they couldn't bring themselves to rip earthworms in half and stick hooks through them. Amazing to think that seven year olds can be squeamish but this lot are. At any rate, they all enjoyed themselves thoroughly. Xander -- on the other hand -- was working his hardest to keep mom bald. If I made the mistake of turning my attention to a scout, Xander would wander out onto the doc or take his shoes and socks off 'to go paddling, mommy!' or sit down in the wet, muddy grass and sand to examine rocks or, memorably, pick up something interesting looking only to discover that it was 'YUCK! GOOSE POOP!'

This morning we worked on Place Value. We began by having Jason read to Xander from 'Mr Base Ten invents Mathematics' then I had Jason fill out a numbers chart, we discussed HOW one went about doing so, and we played 'Guess My Rule'. That garnered a few laughs. Following that game, Jason worked manfully on finishing his letter to one of his pen pals while Xander made monsters. Then, while the boys built with legos, I read the first few chapters of 'Farmer Boy', the next in the 'Little House Series.' In that book, the author commented that you could add an equal sized glass of popcorn to a glass of milk without disturbing the milk. I asked the boys if they thought that was true and had them make predictions of what would happen. I wrote those down and then we did the experiment. Wonder of wonders, the thing worked! So now I asked the boys why they thought it had worked. Jason's theory is that there is something in the difference between the temperatures of the two items. Xander was just disappointed that the glass hadn't exploded. So I suggested my own theory and told the boys that they could ask their father HIS opinion when he got home this evening.

At the moment, the boys have just gotten up from their rest period. I need to print up a picture of Pretty Kitty to send with Jason's letter and then we need to go to the library and the bank. Fun, hmmm?

The Humor Curriculum

As part of our home school curriculum, we are 'studying' humor. I have been introducing the boys to the joys of slapstick. Their current favorite is Lucille Ball... and their favorite episode to date is from the 'Lucy Show' -- where Lucy dresses up as a Giant Pickle. It is physical comedy at its best... of course, Jason is now demanding to see 'The Naked Gun.' (He saw a clip from it and was immediately enamored.)

We have been continuing with the Mad Libs -- always a humor favorite and, of late, both Tom and Jason have taken to reading joke books.

I am thinking that I should take this to the next level and we can actually read up on the comedians, make a timeline of the developments in humor, find out how many comedians it takes to change a lightbulb...

Actually, the more I think about this the better I like the idea so I googled 'humor curriculum.' Most of what I came up with related to literary humor -- authors like Twain -- or poetry. Strangely enough, they didn't mention Ogden Nash...

But I also came across this rather interesting link about Buster Keaton -- did you realize that Keaton was homeschooled? Yup. And when you read this excerpt from his diary you will understand why!

http://books.google.com/books?id=tG-P-shNoXoC&pg=PA26&lpg=PA26&dq=teaching+slapstick&source=web&ots=kEMfvfhsjd&sig=BCkEmv3z0hcLAg8jqyfWMJUKmzQ&hl=en&sa=X&oi=book_result&resnum=10&ct=result

Conversations with Little Boys

This is one of X's robots.

It is always interesting to learn what goes on in a little boy's mind. Recently, Jason was feeling very unhappy. He was standing at the bathroom sink, crying a little and pouting -- what the cause of his unhappiness I am not sure. At any rate, he looked up and saw his expression in the mirror. He stared at himself, then stuck his lower lip out farther. When Tom came in to check on him, Jason was busily making faces at himself. Seeing his father in the mirror, Jason said thoughtfully 'I don't think I am going to stick my tongue out anymore. It makes me look like a space alien.' Hmmm...

And then there is Xander: his biggest concern these days seems to be my lack of male genetalia. He is quite worried that if I can't pee, I will die and he cannot conceive of how I could pee without male equipment. After attempting to explain how things work, I surrendered to four year old determination -- one might say that I copped out -- and told him that his Gma Pat would explain.

Sigh. I don't like the winter seasons -- oh, the weather is nice. I like snow and the light is interesting. But every fall/winter, little boys get sick. Last fall/winter, we had to rush Xander to the ER in an Aid care at 2 in the morning. This year... we are on the first cold of the season. Monday night, Xander woke at midnight with a horribly croupy sounding cold. I got him up, fed him Ibuprofen to get his fever down, wrapped him in a blanket and we went to sit on the porch. Previous experiences with Jason have taught us that cold air helps. Xander loved it. He watched the stars and chatted. Finally, after about an hour or so, we came in and cuddled on the couch. About three am, I put him back in his own bed and went to lie down -- only to be awakened by Tom's alarm. Tuesday night and last night, Xander slept quite well -- only to wake at 5 am coughing and choking from all the stuff that had gathered in his chest. So, up again and outside. Then inside and into the tub. Again, I am firmly convinced of the healing power of water. Or at least it provides a pleasant distraction.

Pokemon Math

I am feeling quite pleased with myself. I have been trying to figure out how to use Pokemon as a teaching tool and I think I have done it. I had Jason sort his cards and remove all but the Pokemon cards themselves. We then played WAR with the face cards using the hit points as the value. At the end of the game, I had Jason sort the cards by value. He then multiplied the face value by the number of such cards and added all of those together to achieve the final value of the hand. I did the same and the higher number 'won' the game. How is that for creative thinking!!!:>

The reprecussions of Home Schooling

Okay


Now, for those who are unfamiliar with the art and practice of home schooling, let me explain that there are many many different approachs and philosophies. We are what one might term 'eclectic unschoolers'. Unschoolers are folks who follow the advice given by John Holt, one of the earliest advocates of home schooling and an ex-Public school teacher who specialized in teaching reading. Holt argued that it was the structure used in schools, as well as the 'one size fits all' mentality that causes many of the 'learning problems' in schools. Holt argued for 'child led' learning, in which children choose their interests and parents supply the materials they need. This, Holt argued, would allow children to retain the joy and excitement of learning -- and with a little creativity, parents can make sure that kids meet state 'learning standards.' Holt believed that children, by nature curious, often learnt faster and better when their interests drove them.


The eclectic part comes from a variety of other philosophies which I have grafted on: (1) Charlotte Mason was a 19th century educational reformer. Like Holt, she believed that learning should not be forced, that children learn best what interests them. She advocated the 15 minute lesson -- unless the child was fascinated by the topic in which case she suggested that they be allowed to indulge their interest to its fullest extent. She argued for the need for 'nature study' and for the use of what she called 'living books' as opposed to 'twaddle.' Into the latter category, she placed such items as the McGuffy readers, and 'dumbed down' versions of classic literature. For the harder books, she suggested that parents read to the children until they could read them themselves. She also included the idea of narration for early readers -- having the children explain what they had heard/read in their own words, first in the spoken form and then later in the written form. She believed that one understood better if one could process ideas in one's own words. There are many other aspects of her philosophy but these are amongst the most central. (2)Classical -- this approach argues for the inclusion of latin and greek and for the study of classics. It argues for the use of copy work -- also an element in CM -- having children practice handwriting skills by copying actual sayings/writings of classical authors. Poetry too is included in the classical method of study. The Classical method is rather more rigid in its scheduling than CM and much more so than unschooling but there are aspects of it that fit well with my own preferences and beliefs so we include portions of the approach in our 'school'. (3)Core Knowledge -- this is the most modern of the approachs, deriving from the idea of academic standards of learning. The CK approach presumes that there is a body of knowledge that children must encounter in order to be comfortable/productive in their own particular society. This last approach I include mainly because of testing needs -- children unfamiliar with these standards might well find themselves in trouble should they ever have to deal with the PS education system. It is also one of the most pre-programed of the approaches which makes it an easy fall back for those times when I am too tired or sick to create my own curriculum.:>


Now why the mini-diss on approaches used? Well, I was thinking about how children learn -- and this because of both boys. Jason is learning to spell but NOT using standard spelling approaches. He is interested in writing -- stories, poems, signs etc. When he wants to spell something, he asks me. Usually, unless the word is hard to figure (like 'wear') I help him sound it out. He is quite remarkably good -- I suspect in part because he reads so much that he has seen the words he wants many times over and just needs a little reminding to see them in his mind.


Well, here is the latest news on that front: Xander, who LOVES letters and numbers and the writing of them, has picked up Jason's habit. Just a short time ago, he decided that he wanted to write the word 'Stolen' so he asked me how to spell it! It was really rather funny to watch him, pad in hand, writing out the word 'stolen' but he did it. Turns out he was creating a story about some robbers who were running around stealing letters...


At the moment, Jason is very kindly reading to his little brother. This is included in his 'schooling' as I believe that reading out loud is helpful in many many ways. So while I write this and handle 'business' matters, Jason is doing some 'home work'.


Enough for now. I am going to include a picture of the chyrsalis that we found on Tom's cherry tree. We collected it in a glass jar and watched it over days.



We all made guesses as to what it might be. In the end, it turned out to be.....

A lady bug!!!! How wonderful. I had never thought about it before but it is lovely to think that ladybugs are living on Tom's cherry tree.

Some new stories -- September 2008

Sigh, it has been awhile. I shall try to do better at keeping up with this blog but life has a way of challenging my time management skills.

Where to begin? Well, Jason is 7 now and in March will be 8. That, in the HS world 0f Washington state, means that I need to start thinking about submitting a DOI. I actually have the thing written and printed. I will need to submit it the first term that he is 8. I am thinking that that probably means Spring Term. Hmmm...

Now, thinking about this, and about the fact that with the submission of the DOI comes the requirement that Jason have yearly assessments of his progress done, I went ahead and did some home 'assessments' using ones I found on the web. His math skills need work, not a surprise, but his reading? According to the San Diego assessment, he is reading at the 11th grade level. His vocabulary and comprehension are truly impressive. The words whose pronunciation and meanings he stumbled over are ones that many adults would miss. What most impressed me, however, was his understanding of word meanings and his ability to communicate those.

And then there is Xander -- he really wants to learn to read, for the same reason that Jason started reading independently, he is tired of waiting on other peoples' convenience. So we are going to work through the 'Teach your child to read in 100 easy lessons' and see how that works.

Last night we read some books on Ancient Greece for part of our bedtime reading. The first book, count your way through Greece, sparked all sorts of interest. So... we are going to make Greek food Sunday night, boys are going to help. They want to make bahklava. We will see on that one!

I did find instructions on how to make Rose Water, a primary ingredient in the recipe and darned expensive if one was to buy it. That would be fun -- and a good lesson in condensation as well. Think I will see if I can find all the bits for it.

And then there are the Art projects -- Xander saw the pictures of Ancient Greek Metal work and decided that that was what he wanted to do. So I told him that we would flatten and stretch some coke cans and he and Jason and I can tap designs in them. He, of course, wants to build the Tin Woodman out of the cans. That is a little advanced for any of us at the moment... And then there are the Greek Red/Black Vases. I told the boys that we would make our own clay, create the vases, fire and paint them. Now I have to come through. Looks like a trip to the Art supply store is in order -- we need to get paints and I need to locate some flourescent fabric paint (white) for Xander's Halloween Costume. (He has decided to go as a Ghost Pirate Skeleton...)

Another thing that came out of reading the book was... skeletons. Yep. The book was talking about the two major industries in the Greek Islands, fishing and sponge collecting. The first is in trouble because of over-fishing and pollution but the second is a growth industry. Bad news for the sponges. However, the book also mentioned that sponges are the skeletons of Marine animals and so I found myself promising the littlest one that we would find some/buy them, and compare them with cellophane sponges as a 'science' experiment. Hmmm... the things I get myself into!

Okay, enough for this update. Will write more tomorrow.

Fish Lips

May 14, 2008

Timing is everything -- and children know timing! Classic example was the other day in the car -- the adults were all feeling tense. All of a sudden, into the vibrating silence we hear Xander say reflectively 'I think now is a good time for Fish Lips' -- I glance back from the passenger front seat and sure enough, there he is, making 'Fish Lips'. We all cracked up. Sigh.

So... I had surgery on my left knee on April 28th. Mom very kindly came down to stay for a month to help us. It has been hard -- the house is small and everyone has been trying to adjust to new routines. I have been chafing at the bit: my knee hurts and I cannot bend it. I cannot run and when I trip or turn the wrong way, I scream. I feel badly for my family, having to go through this frustrating time with me but I am very grateful that they are here to do so... selfish, hmm?

MEANWHILE... Little league -- yeah, I am coaching Jason's Little League team -- continues. The Blue Jays are doing better all the time. Our next game has had to be rescheduled because the other team isn't (there is a shindig at one of the elementary schools and most of the team will be at that) so they won't have BB this week. I know that the boys will be disappointed but it might be okay. We will have to see. I know that it won't hurt my knee to have more recovery time!

Hmmm.... and on Friday we will drive to Oregon for Ian and Grace's daughter, Abbey's, graduation from Pacific University. We had hoped that Matt and his gang would make it too but they have decided, reasonably enough, that since they wouldn't get to see much of Ian et al, they will save their money and plan to go to Hawaii next year. As it turns out, Tom has been traveling to Singapore enough recently that with his next trip in June, he will have enough frequent flyer miles to get four tickets to Hawaii... so now all I have to do is to budget for a hotel and car and food etc and then coordinate dates with Matt's family. Yikes!

I need to sit down and catch up on my posting. Seems like time is once again getting away from me. But in the meanwhile, remember -- 'Tense Times call for Fish Lips'!

Ah, from the mouths of babes

Sometimes -- no, much of the time, my children stun me. What I find most amusing, however, is when they do something to amaze others. The classic moment with Jason was when, at three, he told Jeff Brewer 'Now we must do something truly difficult -- we must walk the stone path of destiny.'

Xander has done it now too. The other day, while I was off with Jason at a Cub Scouts trip, Xander stayed at home here with his Nonna Donna. They were having a conversation when suddenly he looked at her and said 'Now, let us reflect on this: It is an interesting idea but you are wrong.' She was floored. Grin. When I heard the story, I just cracked up.

What is it about three year old children or is it just my three year olds? Perhaps it is because the statements they make are so adult -- and they are so definately NOT!

Newest mad moments

Sigh, it is really too early in the morning for this. I just clicked to the fact that our clock in the bedroom is set 1/2 an hour early. That means when we get up at '4 am' we are really getting up at 3:30! No wonder the coffee pot hasn't turned on yet...

Anyway, though I am wiped out and want nothing more than to return to bed and sleep, I figure I should use this quiet time to get something written here, there having been so many things that have happened recently.

First, a Xander story: I was talking with Tom the other night about having mercifully repressed the deaths of some of my animal friends. Xander, who listens even when you think he is not, suddenly piped up:
'When I was this (holding fingers barely a pinch apart) big, I had a pet that died.'
We looked at him, as deer look into headlights. 'Hmmm?'
'Yes. My pet cucumber.'
'What?!' with a choke.
' My Pet cucumber' he explained, 'She was a dog, and she liked cats and children. But...' he trailed off sadly, 'she died of alamonia.'
So now, I was caught. 'Alamonia'
'Yeah' he said 'Like in Hank'
(He is referring here to the 'Hank the Cowdog' series of books)
'Ah,' I said, light dawning, 'you mean Pneumonia!'
Tom, who had been listening to this interplay, couldn't resist 'What is so New about it? Its
been around for centuries!'
Xander looked from Tom to me, waiting an explanation.
I threw Tom a stifling glare and said 'Pneumonia is the illness, love. Alimony is something
else entirely.'
Xander, who can be VERY interested in words, decided not to pursue this particular line of thought, thank heavens and instead decided to expand on his 'Pet Cucumber' stories.

Flash forward: I take Jason to baseball practice. When we get home, Tom informs me that he and Xander had had a conversation about his ex-dog and that the dog's name was actually 'cucumber' but Xander called her 'Pet Cucumber' for short....
___________________________________________

In other news, Jason has decided to start writing poetry, again. There is a poetry contest through the local library system. People submit poems, they are judged and then, in May, there is a 'Poetry Coffee House' where people come and read their poetry to an audience. So now we are going to have a mini unit on poetry for the next week -- with lots of readings of poetry -- and Jason is going to keep a poetry notebook. When he has a satisfactory collection, he will select from amongst it and we will submit it. Should be an interesting process. Thank heavens for the electric typewriter. It makes it much easier for Jason to write.

There is also a book writing contest called 'Written and Illustrated by...' We have read a few of the books from the series and, in fact, one of Jason and Xander's favorite authors, Dav Pilkey, was one of the early winners. So I guess we are submitting for that as well!

All this writing and creative output comes on top of all of Jason's other activities: He is playing Little League (with me as coach), he is taking Tae Kwon Doe two days a week, he is in Tiger scouts every Tuesday, Swimming TTH, we have Earth Scouts once a month and Legos club twice a month. Man, I am getting exhausted just thinking about it all.

Little League Coaching

Occasionally I am overcome with bouts of complete insanity. That must've been the case when I signed up to coach Jason's little league team -- 13 seven and eight year old boys! Tom, thank heavens, can take Xander off, most of the time because he has announced that HE should be on the field as well...

So here I am. We have had two practices and we have more this month -- every weekend day and a couple of weekdays. Then games start on the 31st and run through the middle of June. Jason should be getting enough exercise though -- swimming starts today and he wants to take Martial Arts as well which are TTH and Saturday. (The nice thing about the Saturday class is that Tom can take it with him!)

Oh heavens! Wish us all luck! I am still sore from two days of running with/after little boys for an hour and a half each day. My one hope is that I may actually lose weight -- and do it without further injuring my knee... Well, my biggest hope is that Jason and the other boys enjoy playing:>

A Roman Vignette

Okay, so there I was, sitting on the couch doing schoolwork. Out of the hall marches Jason. He is swathed in scarves. He stops and poses before me smiling. I blink. 'I am a Roman Senator' he announces and marches off back down the hall. Then here comes Xander, also swathed in scarves. 'I am a Roman Senator too!'

'I guessed' I replied, 'What is your name?'

'Julius Ceasar' and off he marches.

I sit there blinking. Here comes Jason. He looks sad.

'I need a name too!' he tells me.

'Umm... how about Cicero?' (Now WHY did I suggest that?!)

Sunshine fills his face. 'CICERO! YEA!' and off he goes.

That evening, I tell Tom the story. He looks at me solemnly.

'Didn't Ceasar conquer Egypt too?'

' Well, yeah, I guess, sort of' I respond decisively.

He walks away, shaking his head and muttering 'This is getting spooky!'

Arizona Trip and Aftermath

February 22, 2008

Wow! It has been awhile since I wrote -- and so much has happened in the interim. Course since no one save me reads this thing, I don't suppose it matters much:>

Anyway, let me see:

We left for Arizona on Feb 7. Just days before Jason had woken with ear pain and when we took him to see the doc, it turned out that he had dual ear infections going. Now the current thinking is that one should leave ear infections alone but I said 'No, we are getting on a plane in a couple of days and I KNOW what can result from burst ear drums. No.' So the nurse practitioner put him on antibiotics. She also checked Xander's ears at the time. They were clear.... then!

Well, Jason woke at 3:00 am on the morning we were to leave -- which was fine as we had to be at the airport by 5 am at the latest. We ended up having to wake poor Xander though. He recovered from that, however, given the excitement of a car ride in the dark, a ride on a bus, a train and then a plane. Actually, by that point, he was close to ecstatic!

The flight was more or less uneventful. Jason and Tom spent it playing the DS and the Leapster L-Max. Xander spent it drawing. On the descent, however, I began to suspect that I had an ear infection -- and by the time we landed, I was sure of it. Ouch! On top of the discomfort, however, there was the fact that I was now deaf in my left ear. (Turns out, I still am!)

We picked up the rental car and our suitcases and drove to the hotel in Apache Junction. There was Mom, all primed and waiting. The boys, of course, did not fall asleep in the car as I had hoped so we told them that they had to rest for awhile before going out to the pool. Tom, Jason and Xander all fell asleep:> When they woke, several hours later, we dressed and went to the pool and everyone had quite a bit of fun. However, when we were getting out of the pool to go change for dinner, Xander began to complain of ear pain... and at dinner that night, he threw up. Sigh. He slept fairly well and the next day we went to the Ren Fest.

The weather was gorgeous, bright and sunny. We wandered at will -- Xander with me and Jason with Tom while Mom sort of wove in and out around us:> By noon, however, the littlest one was wearing out. Lots of noise and excitement. He declined the Joust -- was too tired and hungry so I left Tom and Jason to watch it and took Xander to find some food. Despite some miscommunications, we found each other in the end and were able to get everyone back to the car. Xander was asleep by the time we got to the hotel.

That night Xander woke complaining again of pain and this time, though it was Sunday morning at 2 am, I climbed in the car and drove until I found an all night Pharmacy. Got pain meds and decongestants and headed back. (Jason on Elepant)

The next morning, we got in the car and headed for Tucson. It was near lunch time when we got to the outskirts so we decided to stop at Tucson Mall and let the boys play at the playspace. That went well though Xander encountered a nasty 2 year old who went about pinching and pushing people. When his father was confronted with his behavior (for a second time) his response was that the other kids should've done it back. Gads! No wonder there are bullies in the world!

We ate lunch and headed to Mom's house. Once again, Xander was gone when we got there. He slept, poor tyke, and woke up fairly late -- but thrilled to be at G'ma Pat's. She is one of his most favorite people in the world. While we were in Tucson, he said 'I want to move here and live here. It has sunshine, warmth, and Gma Pat!' Such company my mother keeps!

We had a busy time -- the zoo, Old Tucson studios, the Desert Museum and an abortive trip to Urgent Care (never got seen) when I decided that I did not look forward to having both Xander and myself on a plane with ear infections. :? We even had a couple of not so busy days when what we did was go to the Bookstore and then to a nearby park. We saw Dad a couple of times but Joan was busy trying to arrange for her father's care and was unable to get away.

Then it was time to leave. Sigh. The good news was that we returned to sunshine, if somewhat colder weather. The bad news was that we left Gma behind and that Daddy had to go to work the next day.

And then, just to keep things even -- I got sicker. After some gentle nudging, I finally went to the Doctor on the 20th. He said that there was an ear infection and that it looked like, since it hadn't been treated, it had spread throughout my system. Oh, joy! So now I am on antibiotics -- Xander is too though in his case (Thank Heavens) the ear infection apparently cleared itself up and all he is battling at this point is a sinus infection! Gawk. And here I was thinking we'd dodged the winter bullet. No such luck, it seems.

Now we are home, the sun is still shining, the weather is still cold. I am deaf in my left ear and may have to tolerate that for a couple of months until the fluid behind the ear drum (if that is what is causing the deafness) gets reabsorbed. Xander is recovering with lots of sleep as is Jason and Tom, that iron man, is back to working late hours.

As it was, we messed up Tom's bday. I was sick and had a late doctor's appointment. We did get him a happy birthday banner and a cake but had to eat the cake the following night (late) because of how late we got home from the doctor's appt and dinner. And then, on Saturday we will go over to his parents' place for a small bday celebration. I pointed out that while it wasn't a great fantastic party -- it certainly is turning into a long one:> Sort of like most of our parties these days.

Update -- February 4

It is 5:53 am and here I am again, attempting to get some writing done before the crowds arise and the day begins.

Well, post ER... we all became sick. Tom slept, or at least, lay down, for most of the weekend. The rest of us went around feeling miserable -- me with a blazing headache and stopped up ears and the boys with sore throats, coughs and sneezles. The worst part for them, I think, was having sick parents. We weren't much fun, I know. Hopefully our 'lazy' days will ensure that we are healthy when we get on the plane on friday. MEANWHILE... I have a zillion things to do that didn't get done this weekend. Sigh. Isn't that always the case?

Nonetheless, I am happy to report that the boys are getting better and so am I. Tom, I worry about. He is still abed, still sleeping and plans to work from home today.

Too much excitement

January 25, 2008

As I write this, I can feel the exhaustion dragging at me. It has been a far too exciting night. It started at about 10:30 pm. We have a monitor in Xander's room and at about 10:30, I heard a high pitched sound, almost a squeal, coming from his room. So I went into check on him. He was in distress. I picked him up and brought him into the bedroom. Tom got up and got the nebulizer and we used it on him. He was very good. When the first dose was done, we put him in a warm bath and called the doc. The doc on call (not Dr. Oriel) said that we could use the nebulizer every 20 minutes but that we might want to get him to the ER. Given that we were both exhausted and I thought it probably a BAD idea that we drive, we tried using the nebulizer again. He seemed better, though still hoarse, so I took him back to his room and lay down with him. Then at some time around 1:30 (Tom says) he woke up in acute distress. Tom got the nebulizer out again but Xander began to scream and cry about how his tummy hurt. He was hysterical and his breathing was beyond labored. So we called 911. The firemen came and continued the treatments, adding oxygen. When he appeared to getting worse rather than better, they called Medic One. Medic One arrived, assessed him (by this point there were 9 people in that tiny bedroom of ours) and concluded that he needed to go the ER. Through it all, Xander was a trooper -- exhausted but doing his best to respond to what was being requested of him. They got us (Xander and I. Tom stayed home with Jason, who had awakened just as we were leaving) into the MedicOne Van and I sat on the gurney with Xander, wrapped in his Nemo blanket, clutching his bunny and wearing his nebulizer mask, on my lap. Half way to the Hospital, Xander decided that he liked the young medic who was riding in back with us and began to sing to her.
We got to the ER and went straight in. The Medic gave the nurse the history then, explaining to Xander that she would be back to check on him, went off to fill out paperwork. Then the Dr. came in -- Steve Johnson, I believe his name is. He was very good, very calm. He explained to Xander that he needed to check him out. He listened to Xander's chest -- 'Whoa! Did you swallow a frog? It sounds like you have a frog in there!' he said. Xander gave him a quizzeled look and said 'No, I think it was probably a Bumblebee!' The nurse started choking and had to turn away. The doctor didn't even blink. 'A Bumblebee! Thats not good.' Then he examined Xander's throat and nose -- 'Do you have any boogers in there?' he asked. 'No.' Xander said solemnly 'I ate them all.' Choke. All this time, Xander had been wearing the nebulizer. By this point he had had about 8 treatments + oxygen.
After examining Xander, the doctor turned to me. 'We are going to give him some medicine and a different breathing treatment. It sounds like asthma but there also seems to be a croup component. It doesn't sound like pneumonia. We will give him the treatments and wait about an hour. If he improves, we will send him home. If not, we will need to admit him to Mary Bridge Children's Hospital.
Xander was then given a nasty tasting combo of steroids and codeine cough medication plus anti-nausea meds. He drank it like a trooper. The nurse told him he could have a popsicle for being so brave and asked him if he liked green? He said 'Yes, I like all colors.' She smiled and brought him a lime popsicle. At that point the young medic came back to say 'Goodbye'. She saw that he was eating a popsicle and said 'Oh, Lime is my favorite!' Xander smiled and said 'It is one of my favorites too!' The nurse, who was looking in said, 'He likes all the colors. Aren't we lucky?' The Medic grinned and nodded, 'Oh yes. That IS lucky!' She said 'Goodbye' and Xander allowed as how he would 'like a little quiet'. I turned the light off and he snuggled down with his bunny.
About 10 - 15 minutes passed. The breathing tech showed up. He explained that he was going to give Xander an 'Epi' treatment and asked if Xander had ever used an inhaler. I said 'No' but that I think he could try. The Tech was doubtful but said 'I'm willing.' And guess what? My little trooper did it. He was beginning to get restless towards the end of the process but held out when the tech told him that, when he was finished, the tech would set it up so that Xander could give his bunny a breathing treatment. That was a treat. He finished up and then very seriously administered saline to his bunny. ( The breathing treatment intrigued him because, as I pointed out to him, he was being allowed to 'drink the clouds' as he had always wanted to do!)
A short while later -- sometime around 5:15 am, the doctor came in and examined him. His o2 level was at 90-95% so they decided that they could send him home. He thanked everyone but was VERY happy to leave. Tom and Jason came to collect us and, Jason informed me, Jason told his father to 'park close so that Xander doesn't have to be out in the cold air for too long.' Xander fell asleep in the car.
So now it is 8 am. Xander is sleeping. His breathing sounds rough again. I have propped him up and that seems to be helping. I hope it is. We were given 3 days dose of steroids for him and told to nebulize him every four hours. We were also warned that tonight may be rough. I fear that they are right. I have called the doctor and left a message. Now we will see what we will see. I should check our supply of albuterol -- make sure that it is current. I should probably get some more as well. This has been too much excitement. Even now I feel like crying -- maybe that is partly because I am so dead tired but partly... oh well.

Images from Egypt

So what have we been doing 'in school?' Well, currently we are studying Egypt. Jason was quite surprised to realize that the Africa map does not show the White Nile, only the Blue. We have read about how the two rivers join to create the 'Great' Nile that flows through Egypt -- And yesterday, we watched a National Geographic Special called 'The Mysteries of Egypt.' That was a wonderful show, narrated by Omar Shariff, it talked about the history of Ancient Egypt, its Mummies, Pharoahs, Pyramids and fall. There was also a special segment afterwards on the making of the Imax film -- soon to be showing at the Pacific Science Center. I have promised Jason we will go.

Meanwhile, we have been reading a lot -- Jason has read me two novellas -- Mummies in the Morning and Tut Tut. I have two I am going to read to him... and maybe he can read a bit of them himself. They are 'The Golden Goblet' and 'A Place in the sun.' Then there are all the picture books -- and we have found several truly lovely ones:
The Scarab's Secret
The Winged Cat
Muti's Necklace
Tutankhamen's Gift
Both boys have enjoyed these books, though I think that the Scarab's secret came out as their favorite.

And we have built with legos. Here is a picture of the three projects completed -- a pyramid, with yellow outside bricks to represent the pyramid's link to the sun, a canal barge for carrying the Pharoah down the Nile, and the Sphinx. The first and the last, I helped to build. They were hours long projects and man! Was I sore afterwards!

January 17, 2007 - More news is some news!

The drama continues:

The other day, while at a meal -- cannot now remember whether it was lunch or dinner -- Xander held up his spoon in one hand, fork in the other and announced 'And now I SHALL CONQUER THE WORLD!'

Without a blink, standing at the sink, I replied 'No. According to the Internet site on World Conquest, you can't do that until you have finished your food -- ALL UP!'

Xander looked askance at me.

Jason, quick as a wink: 'Yeah, because if you don't eat it all up, you won't have the energy for conquering the world.'

Xander, still somewhat suspicious, looking from brother to mother: 'And then what?'

Jason, glancing at me 'And then you have to get Mom's permission. It says so in the book -- 'No world conquest without your mother's permission.''

Xander was NOT impressed. 'I'm done then.' he said 'Can I go play?' And off he went, to conquer the legos pile.

_________________

Then, this morning, after using the toilet, he went dancing down the hall, singing something loudly. It sounded...odd. So I asked him (my mistake) what it was he was singing. He gave me his under the eyebrows grin and said 'The power of underpants is that you can take your penis out!' Seeing my face, the imp chortled and charged the rest of the way down the hall singing his risque song. Sigh. Will I never learn?

_________________

It has been hard, though, recently, what with Tom working ungodly hours. Hard on him, no doubt -- he is tired and stressed. Hard on the boys, though, as well. The other night, after several nights of not seeing daddy before bed, Xander burst into tears. 'I want to hug my Daddy!' I suggested, without thinking to carefully, I admit, that I could be a 'pretend Daddy' and I could give him a surrogate hug. He thought about that a bit and decided that that would do. His elder brother, however, was having none of it. 'I don't WANT you to be Daddy! I want you to be Mommy and I want Daddy home!' Sigh.

Earlier, Xander had offered to 'punch Boeing in the nose' if they kept Daddy away in Singapore too long. (Both boys were worrying that Tom would be there during Christmas. Thank heavens the wasn't!) Jason explained that that wasn't feasible because Boeing was too big, too many people. Xander's response was 'line'em up!' He is occasionally terrifying.

Thank heavens for Little Boys

Oh, I know that I am getting old. My bones remind me of this constantly. The other day I was on the floor for several hours, helping Jason construct a Legos Sphinx as part of our unit on Egypt. When I stood up, I almost couldn't. Sigh. So yesterday, I decided to try stretching. I got out the Tai Chi Video that I had borrowed from the library and went through the 'Warm Up' portion. Sad to say, my muscles are so tight that I am still sore from doing it.But it is a better kind of sore, one I recognize from my running days so I will do it again... and again... and again...

But enough about me and my aches:> Time to talk about boys and about the funny things that accompany their days...

The first story involves both boys. We were sitting at the breakfast table when, for no reason that I could discern, Jason said 'I don't think Goldilocks behaved very well.' Huh? He went on to explain that he thought her behavior in going in uninvited and then using the bears' furniture and eating their food was wrong... and that running away when confronted with her behavior was even more so. Xander, who had, of course, been listening intently, allowed as how, maybe she was scared that they would be mad (which, of course, they were!) Xander does not like 'mad' -- it is the only thing, apart from death, that truly scares him. Jason allowed that that might be so but that she should've thought about that BEFORE she took their things. I suggested that part of the problem was that she was lost, hungry and scared and had gone in seeking shelter. Jason said 'She should've waited until they came home and asked.' Then he asked 'Why was she lost?' Oh, man! I had to dredge into my memory of the story... I said I thought that her parents had been working and that she had gotten bored and wandered off. Jason thought about this and then allowed as how, if it had been him, he would either have offered to help his parents OR if he couldn't do that, he'd've told them where he was going. Xander, thinking intently this whole time, allowed as how, if it had been him, he'd've had a BIG stick and played Jedis close to Mom and Dad. Jason agreed that that was probably the best solution and I just stared in astonishment. Boys.

That same day, while I was attempting to get things put away from a grocery run (Xander was exhausted, not having napped and the day was too grey and rainy for them to go out again), Jason collected his copy of Captain Underpants and the Attack of the Wicked Wedgie Woman and proceeded to read it to his brother... from cover to cover! That took about an hour or so. I was amazed and impressed with both of them. Xander sat and listened intently for most of it -- though there was one bit that he decided he didn't like and so he got up and ran about until that bit was finished. Jason just read and read. And then, when it was time for bedtime books, he volunteered to read more chapters of 'Tut, Tut' -- the second 'novel' that he is reading for the Egypt unit. I allowed as how I wasn't sure that Xander wanted that and Jason said, in that voice all avid readers will recognize, 'But I want to know what happens!' He has certainly taken to reading.

Updates on the year

(Here are the boys in the Santa Suits that their Nonna Donna made for them)

Hmm

Let me see: Mom came for Christmas. Sorry to say I was a grouch. Tom had been shipped off to Singapore for a week plus prior to her arrival (He actually returned several days after she got here) and I was at the hair pulling point. At any rate, a day or two after she got here, we took the boys to the McDonald's playspace in Issaquah (opps, almost spelled it with an 'a' -- Jason has given me grief about that in the recent past:>). The space there is large -- to quote one of the boys' friends 'it is as tall as a sky scraper!' While we were there, Mom and I sitting below while the boys played in, around and above, the following event occured... Xander, who had been charging around, came down to his grandmother and, with his hands on his hips, said 'Did you see how I stood up to that bully? I don't like bullies and I never have!' Mom was slightly confused. Then Jason came down and the story was explained. It seems that a slightly older boy got angry at Xander. I am not sure what precisely occured but it offended Xander's sense of self. Being Xander, though, he was proactive. He went down and collected a group of other children then set off in search of the boy. When Jason came on them, the kids were 'confronting the bully' with Xander in the lead. Jason intervened, explaining gently that just because someone gets mad doesn't necessaryily mean that they are a bully. Apparently this intervention took because a short while later, I saw Xander playing with the boy in question... go figure.

More recently I was informed by my successful negotiator that when I sing (in the guise of Missy Coyote) I sound 'like a sheep with discomfort' -- a bad play on words around the idea of 'distemper'... yes, he kknow what distemper is. He has heard about it via Hank the Cowdog. Amazing what one learns from the series. We are planning to do a Texas/Cowboy unit centered around the book. Should be fun, with lots of possibilities.

Right now, however we are deep in Egypt once again. Jason has become fascinated with Indiana Jones (there is a fourth movie coming out in May) and archeology. At the moment, he is building a legos 'maze' pyramid. I have found, on the web, instructions for making mud bricks (to scale) and for using them to build a scale model of the Great Pyramid at Giza. I know what our weekend project is going to be!!!