Alex is still awake at almost 9 pm. His standard reply when you tell him he needs to go to sleep is "I only go to sleep at midnight." That's all the sleep your average superhero robot types need, apparently. I went back to try to talk him down. I said, "Maybe your nap this afternoon is keeping you awake." In a highly unusual development, Alex fell asleep in the car on the way back from Art's parents' today. I always fall asleep on the way home but he rarely does. Anyway, he disputed the claim: "I did not sleep. I drinked too much and needed to rest." What did you drink? "You know, that chocolate milkshake." Ahh, Sonic's chocolate milkshakes have put many on the path to nap-ness. Let's hope he gives up soon because I am going to sleep shortly whether he does or not.
He did tell me about a disturbing dream he had last week. From the backseat of the car, "I have big dreams, you know." I thought this might involve the hotel he wants to build in the backyard. "It had Miss Brandy in it." (His former preschool teacher.) This could be interesting. They were pretty tired of one another by the time he left preschool. "Yeah, she turned into a werewolf and eat EVERYONE. Peyton was the last to go." Oh, dear. "I'm sorry, that sounds awful." "Yes, it was HORRIBLE!" Sweet dreams, everyone!
Sunday, September 12, 2010
Too cute
I picked Alex up from the kids' program at church this evening. I think he only goes so he can see Miss Edie, who leads children's education. He loves her. They went to part of a youth program this evening and there was a band. Apparently Alex "rocked out" - doing his full dance number, head banging and all. Edie said it was hysterical and she definitely was going to make sure they had music again so she could see the whole performance. On the way home Alex told me about it:
Alex: "Yeah, I rocked out."
Me: "Really?"
Alex: "Yeah, I'm too cute. She kept saying that."
No swelled heads there!
School went well this week. Alex didn't have any notes, but the ants did go marching. I ran into his teacher one afternoon while she was leaving the school. Apparently he didn't get into enough trouble to get a note, but it was a close thing. Same trouble as before, too much talking, not enough listening. We agreed that everyone involved would continue working on it.
He did dodge the behavioral bullet on Friday. There is a science program on Friday afternoons and Alex goes there for an hour after school is dismissed then goes on to his regular after school activities. Now the all-important thing at after-school care is the star on your card. If you don't get a star every day, there is a real reason and there's a report. I've only seen it happen once or twice and usually the kid in question is led away in tears when the parent signs them out. Anyway, I got there Friday and the after-school staff had posted a sign at the check-out window: "No One Gets Stars Except for Mad Science and Chess Club." What could have happened? Apparently there was some sort of general mutiny during snack time and it was so widespread that stars were withheld from everyone in the cafeteria at the time. I'm just glad Alex wasn't there.
He hates homework. He thinks it's boring. We sit at the dining room table and suffer together. You'd think I was pulling his fingernails out with pliers instead of making him copy 4 lines of the letter D. I don't have high hopes for the rest of elementary school. I didn't expect kindergarten to have homework but so far it's been practicing his writing, reading over a small book on the letter of the day or coloring something that he should have done in class but was too busy to do.
We had our first piano lesson this week, very exciting. They're only 15 minutes long, and she cuts it off as soon as he loses interest. Apparently I'm going to learn, too, since I have to sit through the lesson and make him practice the rest of the week. We've managed to pick out part of "Ode to Joy" so far - I was impressed. Alex learned about Beethoven the first week of Music at school so he was pumped. Hopefully he'll stick with it. He loves the whole singing, dancing and entertaining thing, so we thought this would help us channel it.
A recent conversation overheard from the other room:
Alex: "I'm going to have a moustache like you when I grow up."
Art: "You are?"
Alex: "Yeah. You'll be old then."
Art took it better than I expected.
One interesting new part of our morning routine is breakfast together. Alex's TV time has been cut drastically with the start of school. He doesn't have time to watch in the morning and homework curtails it in the evening. Unfortunately, he still retains all sorts of stuff that he does get to see.
1st breakfast informercial: Alex is eating Chocolate Cheerios. I'm having Special K Vanilla Almond. This is about as health as my breakfasts get. We are eating in companionable silence when Alex announces that I should really be eating Cheerios like him. Why? Oh, it reduces your cholesterol and makes your heart healthier. I didn't point out that the chocolate version can't be much better than my Special K.
2nd breakfast infomercial: Mom, I saw this great thing on TV that you need. (There are many great things that we need on TV. They usually cost $19.95 and are not available in stores. Thankfully Alex misunderstands the whole "You must be 18 to order." He thinks that means you can't play or use the product until you are 18. Whew.) I was ironing a shirt at the time. What do we need? Some sort of spiky ball thing that you fill with water and put in your dryer so that your clothes are steamed while they are dried, knocking the wrinkles out. This makes it so you don't have to iron. Perhaps I lack vision but I thought I put clothes in the dryer to dry - why would I add water to the process? I did see them in CVS today and was very glad Alex wasn't with me.
Art is finishing a project up this week. He tore down the louvred doors on the hall closet and replaced them with the solid doors from Alex's closet, which I'd had him rip down in an attempt to create a toy storage system. (That's still in the works, and believe you me, when it's done, there WILL be photos.) It really looks different. There's the usual trouble with trying to hang doors in a 50-year-old house but he hopes to be finished with 2 or 3 more hours work. Translation: 2 weeks.
I had a fun time at the 1st Annual Indie Craft Parade in Greenville Saturday. I had to wait about 20 minutes to get it but it was so worth it. It was a juried show and had all kinds of artists - paintings, paper, crochet, knit and jewelry. I found some really cool stuff but some of it was Christmas gifts, so no details here.
I gave blood for the first time today and was amazed how easy and pain-free that was. The worst part was the heat inside the bloodmobile. They were having generator problems until a kind church member (Yea, Dale!) fixed it while we were filling out our forms. I will definitely do it again, especially now that I'm in the system and don't have to fill in all the forms. Tomorrow I'm trying to jump-start my health regimen with more exercise and better nutrition. Let's all hope that it lasts for more than a day!
Alex: "Yeah, I rocked out."
Me: "Really?"
Alex: "Yeah, I'm too cute. She kept saying that."
No swelled heads there!
School went well this week. Alex didn't have any notes, but the ants did go marching. I ran into his teacher one afternoon while she was leaving the school. Apparently he didn't get into enough trouble to get a note, but it was a close thing. Same trouble as before, too much talking, not enough listening. We agreed that everyone involved would continue working on it.
He did dodge the behavioral bullet on Friday. There is a science program on Friday afternoons and Alex goes there for an hour after school is dismissed then goes on to his regular after school activities. Now the all-important thing at after-school care is the star on your card. If you don't get a star every day, there is a real reason and there's a report. I've only seen it happen once or twice and usually the kid in question is led away in tears when the parent signs them out. Anyway, I got there Friday and the after-school staff had posted a sign at the check-out window: "No One Gets Stars Except for Mad Science and Chess Club." What could have happened? Apparently there was some sort of general mutiny during snack time and it was so widespread that stars were withheld from everyone in the cafeteria at the time. I'm just glad Alex wasn't there.
He hates homework. He thinks it's boring. We sit at the dining room table and suffer together. You'd think I was pulling his fingernails out with pliers instead of making him copy 4 lines of the letter D. I don't have high hopes for the rest of elementary school. I didn't expect kindergarten to have homework but so far it's been practicing his writing, reading over a small book on the letter of the day or coloring something that he should have done in class but was too busy to do.
We had our first piano lesson this week, very exciting. They're only 15 minutes long, and she cuts it off as soon as he loses interest. Apparently I'm going to learn, too, since I have to sit through the lesson and make him practice the rest of the week. We've managed to pick out part of "Ode to Joy" so far - I was impressed. Alex learned about Beethoven the first week of Music at school so he was pumped. Hopefully he'll stick with it. He loves the whole singing, dancing and entertaining thing, so we thought this would help us channel it.
A recent conversation overheard from the other room:
Alex: "I'm going to have a moustache like you when I grow up."
Art: "You are?"
Alex: "Yeah. You'll be old then."
Art took it better than I expected.
One interesting new part of our morning routine is breakfast together. Alex's TV time has been cut drastically with the start of school. He doesn't have time to watch in the morning and homework curtails it in the evening. Unfortunately, he still retains all sorts of stuff that he does get to see.
1st breakfast informercial: Alex is eating Chocolate Cheerios. I'm having Special K Vanilla Almond. This is about as health as my breakfasts get. We are eating in companionable silence when Alex announces that I should really be eating Cheerios like him. Why? Oh, it reduces your cholesterol and makes your heart healthier. I didn't point out that the chocolate version can't be much better than my Special K.
2nd breakfast infomercial: Mom, I saw this great thing on TV that you need. (There are many great things that we need on TV. They usually cost $19.95 and are not available in stores. Thankfully Alex misunderstands the whole "You must be 18 to order." He thinks that means you can't play or use the product until you are 18. Whew.) I was ironing a shirt at the time. What do we need? Some sort of spiky ball thing that you fill with water and put in your dryer so that your clothes are steamed while they are dried, knocking the wrinkles out. This makes it so you don't have to iron. Perhaps I lack vision but I thought I put clothes in the dryer to dry - why would I add water to the process? I did see them in CVS today and was very glad Alex wasn't with me.
Art is finishing a project up this week. He tore down the louvred doors on the hall closet and replaced them with the solid doors from Alex's closet, which I'd had him rip down in an attempt to create a toy storage system. (That's still in the works, and believe you me, when it's done, there WILL be photos.) It really looks different. There's the usual trouble with trying to hang doors in a 50-year-old house but he hopes to be finished with 2 or 3 more hours work. Translation: 2 weeks.
I had a fun time at the 1st Annual Indie Craft Parade in Greenville Saturday. I had to wait about 20 minutes to get it but it was so worth it. It was a juried show and had all kinds of artists - paintings, paper, crochet, knit and jewelry. I found some really cool stuff but some of it was Christmas gifts, so no details here.
I gave blood for the first time today and was amazed how easy and pain-free that was. The worst part was the heat inside the bloodmobile. They were having generator problems until a kind church member (Yea, Dale!) fixed it while we were filling out our forms. I will definitely do it again, especially now that I'm in the system and don't have to fill in all the forms. Tomorrow I'm trying to jump-start my health regimen with more exercise and better nutrition. Let's all hope that it lasts for more than a day!
Thursday, September 2, 2010
First Day of School
Alex started school a couple of weeks ago, and he loves it. He's an old pro now. Mimi and Paw visited the weekend before he began and we had a ball. We visited the park, went bowling and ate at a new Mexican restaurant. A good time was had by all. A couple of days before they got here we went to the school for Meet the Teacher Day. We went to see his room again and met some of his classmates. There were popsicles. Alex was thrilled to see his old friend Jack P. would be in the classroom across the hall. We got him signed up for his lunch plan and he promptly memorized the number he has to key in. (Art says he got my freakish number memory.) On the way out of the school I pointed out a new swing set that was on the playground. Alex: "Yeah, I knew it was new - it doesn't have any bird poop on it." That's one way to tell, I guess.
On the big day we were allowed to take pictures, then he told Mimi, Paw and Art goodbye. I parked and walked him in, but he went in his room without even a look at me. He'd made clear the night before what was acceptable behavior on my part. "Mom, tomorrow - no kisses, no hugs and no 'Goodbye, sweetheart's". Yes, sir. I worked him down to a high five or a fist bump. That was all I was allowed. Even more thrilling than school, what with the cafeteria serving grilled cheeses every day if you didn't like the main choices, was After School Care. Or, After School Camp, as Alex likes to call it. It is pretty good. They get a snack, homework help (if they have actual homework), and they can play in the gym, outside, watch movies or do crafts. The first couple of days I picked him up he tried to get me to come back later.
Day 2 of school brought a note from the teacher. It seems that Alex can't sit still and won't stop talking - who knew?! His ant was moved from the grass to Anthills #1, 2 and 3. This necessitated a note. I was horrified. We explained that there would be a connection between future ant movement and television watching. (Not a good connection, either.) This seemed to convince him. We haven't had any more notes. And, best of all, I've heard several people say that their kids had notes the first week to, that the teachers were particularly strict to "lay down the law." Wishful thinking? Maybe, but I'll take what I can get.
We also had to explain the connection between the number he punches in the machine in the cafeteria and money. He told us this hilarious (to him) story about Zachary getting him to put ketchup in his milk. I told him he shouldn't waste food. Alex explained that it was okay, he threw the milk away and they "gave" him another one. I told him that we have to pay for that. "No, we don't, they don't ask for money." We went over the arrangements for lunchroom payments. "Ohhhhh, I didn't know that." Well, now we know.
Today he came home with a story about someone whose name he couldn't remember ("from Art Camp, but not Mary Kate") involving blood, no fault on his part, and a tooth. I finally figured out that someone lost their tooth. I explained that it happened, we'd discussed this before. He had not know that blood or pain might be involved. The lure of the tooth fairy is not enough for blood and pain apparently. Our dentist says that is coming soon but no loose teeth so far.
Our next challenge: a pirate ghost Halloween costume. It took me a day or two to figure out it was inspired by Michael Jackson's Thriller video. I wonder where you find a child's small captain's coat? At least I have a couple of months!
Great Moments in Cherokee (NC) History
I'm taking a few moments off from threatening Alex through his homework so I can catch up on the blog. Back in July, in celebration of Art's birthday, we took a long weekend and went to Cherokee, NC. It was a little cooler there but it was still hot. We toured the Oconaluftee Indian Village where Alex was fascinated by the handmade blowguns. Art promised they could make their own when we got home. Thankfully, that has not yet happened.
We also went to Lake Fontana and saw the ginormous dam. (Biggest concrete dam east of the Rockies - fascinating, I know.) The lake is very pretty but the dam is very steep and I refused to walk across it. Alex said I was a scaredy cat. I'm okay with that.
We went to the Ranger Station at the start of the Blue Ridge Parkway and toured the Farmstead they have there, showing Alex the old-timey way things were done. He was horrified to know that they lived without running water, indoor bathrooms and electricity. The last straw for him was video games. This from a child whose only electronic devices are a portable DVD player and a handheld Leapster game. I do not look forward to the teenage years. He did think Mingus Mill was pretty cool. It was also shady, the creek was cold and good for wading and it was at least 10 degrees cooler beside it.
We were happy to make it out of Cherokee without any horrible cultural missteps. Art and I both cringed when Alex had a question in the Indian Village. We were inside the lodge where they held their council meetings and a Cherokee man was explaining their system of government. After sitting quietly throughout Alex piped up when the man was done and asked for any questions. "I have a question." Art and I looked at each other in horror. Oh, no, what could he possibly have to ask. Turns out we shouldn't have worried. Alex was worried about the lodge decor. "Is that bird by you REAL?" Our tour guide pronounced that an excellent question and showed him that the ravens were made of styrofoam and feathers. Whew.
After the village we headed to the Museum of the Cherokee Indian. I had no idea how many times we'd explained to the kid that this was something very old and Cherokee. Later that night when we headed to the next town for dinner, he saw an antique car and asked what it was. It was redone and painted dark green and bright red. We told him it was an old car. He asked, "An old CHEROKEE car?" Not so much.
Here are some pictures of the adventure, including our stop on the way home at Dry Falls, near Highlands, NC. They were beautiful and it was cool that you could walk behind the falls.
And last but not least, the things Alex told us along the trip that made us laugh (or try not to laugh). After visiting with the lady who was demonstrating how people preserved food (drying, stringing up beans, etc.) at the farmstead cabin behind a roped off door, we walked away. Alex observed, "She was nice." We agreed. "I wonder if they ever let her out of there."
As we were driving home - and it is a less than 2 hour drive - Alex got bored and was doing acrobatics in his booster seat. Upon being cautioned for about the 100th time to get his bottom out of the air and sit up, he grabbed his rear and commented, "My butt - I got it new." I thought Art was going to drive off the side of the mountain.
Apropos of nothing, Alex asked Art: "When you was a boy, did you go to juvie?" We told him he watches too much TV.
We also went to Lake Fontana and saw the ginormous dam. (Biggest concrete dam east of the Rockies - fascinating, I know.) The lake is very pretty but the dam is very steep and I refused to walk across it. Alex said I was a scaredy cat. I'm okay with that.
We went to the Ranger Station at the start of the Blue Ridge Parkway and toured the Farmstead they have there, showing Alex the old-timey way things were done. He was horrified to know that they lived without running water, indoor bathrooms and electricity. The last straw for him was video games. This from a child whose only electronic devices are a portable DVD player and a handheld Leapster game. I do not look forward to the teenage years. He did think Mingus Mill was pretty cool. It was also shady, the creek was cold and good for wading and it was at least 10 degrees cooler beside it.
We were happy to make it out of Cherokee without any horrible cultural missteps. Art and I both cringed when Alex had a question in the Indian Village. We were inside the lodge where they held their council meetings and a Cherokee man was explaining their system of government. After sitting quietly throughout Alex piped up when the man was done and asked for any questions. "I have a question." Art and I looked at each other in horror. Oh, no, what could he possibly have to ask. Turns out we shouldn't have worried. Alex was worried about the lodge decor. "Is that bird by you REAL?" Our tour guide pronounced that an excellent question and showed him that the ravens were made of styrofoam and feathers. Whew.
After the village we headed to the Museum of the Cherokee Indian. I had no idea how many times we'd explained to the kid that this was something very old and Cherokee. Later that night when we headed to the next town for dinner, he saw an antique car and asked what it was. It was redone and painted dark green and bright red. We told him it was an old car. He asked, "An old CHEROKEE car?" Not so much.
Here are some pictures of the adventure, including our stop on the way home at Dry Falls, near Highlands, NC. They were beautiful and it was cool that you could walk behind the falls.
And last but not least, the things Alex told us along the trip that made us laugh (or try not to laugh). After visiting with the lady who was demonstrating how people preserved food (drying, stringing up beans, etc.) at the farmstead cabin behind a roped off door, we walked away. Alex observed, "She was nice." We agreed. "I wonder if they ever let her out of there."
As we were driving home - and it is a less than 2 hour drive - Alex got bored and was doing acrobatics in his booster seat. Upon being cautioned for about the 100th time to get his bottom out of the air and sit up, he grabbed his rear and commented, "My butt - I got it new." I thought Art was going to drive off the side of the mountain.
Apropos of nothing, Alex asked Art: "When you was a boy, did you go to juvie?" We told him he watches too much TV.
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