Nathan has been really good about sleeping through the night. Last night was an exception.
1:56 a.m.
Mommy, I need a drink of water.
You're just too hot. Let's change you out of those footy jammies.
2:15
Mommy, I need to go potty.
(He didn't)
2:29
Mommy, I need a drink of water.
Okay. Go back to bed, and I will bring you a drink.
2:53
Mommy, I need to go potty.
(He did)
3:12
Mommy, I'm ready to get up now.
That's too bad. You have to go back to bed.
Why?
Because it is the middle of the night. If you get up again before Paul's alarm goes off, you're getting a spanking.
3:26
Mommy, I need to go potty?
No, you don't. (I gave him a little swat on the fanny to make good my threat.)
Mommy, I need my robot.
Not in bed.
Um, there's a sound outside my window!
That's a cricket honey. Here's your doggy. Go to sleep.
[This exchange has been written down for posterity - namely Nathan - for when he is a dad and wonders why I laugh when he tells me the baby kept him up during the night.]
Tuesday, September 29, 2015
sweet girl
When I came home from work yesterday there was a purple bandanna wrapped up like a little package with a hair band holding it closed. I was told that Julia had assembled this thing. I hefted the bandanna and it had a suspicious feel to it, so I unwrapped it. Inside was a ziploc back with water and melting ice inside. The ice bag was folded around a couple of foil wrapped dark chocolates.
I rewrapped the package and tucked it in the freezer, smiling over the fact that Julia was icing chocolate to keep it from melting in a manner that would be completely useless by the next day. When I asked her about it she said the chocolate was for her and her buddy A, in case their chocolate levels got too low at recess the next day. A has been in the habit of sharing M&Ms.
This morning before the bus came, Julia got her package out of the freezer. In addition, Grandma K brought over some cookies, and Julia snagged some for her buddies on the bus, saying, "Cookie Club!"
She is really not supposed to be sharing food at school or on the bus. I'm a little concerned that she is going to get in trouble (and then there is the whole issue of breaking rules even if you don't get caught.) But I find I'm reluctant to squelch this generous streak she is showing.
I rewrapped the package and tucked it in the freezer, smiling over the fact that Julia was icing chocolate to keep it from melting in a manner that would be completely useless by the next day. When I asked her about it she said the chocolate was for her and her buddy A, in case their chocolate levels got too low at recess the next day. A has been in the habit of sharing M&Ms.
This morning before the bus came, Julia got her package out of the freezer. In addition, Grandma K brought over some cookies, and Julia snagged some for her buddies on the bus, saying, "Cookie Club!"
She is really not supposed to be sharing food at school or on the bus. I'm a little concerned that she is going to get in trouble (and then there is the whole issue of breaking rules even if you don't get caught.) But I find I'm reluctant to squelch this generous streak she is showing.
Thursday, September 24, 2015
Paul's mind working
A couple of months ago I heard Paul ask Steve to "wiki-up" how do something on his MineCraft game. This apparently means something.
------------------------------
Over the summer Paul kept some "pet ice" in the freezer in a cup. Some time afterward I cleaned the freezer and released his pet to the wild. He wasn't too upset.
About a week ago, he put a pet rock in a cup, covered it with water, and set it in the freezer. His theory was that the ice would expand and crush the rock.
Paul pulled the rock & ice out of the freezer yesterday. The cup must have been been sitting funny, because the ice slanted up along the side and the cup was dented. He put the cup in the sink to thaw.
Paul: I'm going to ask the rock some questions about what it is like to time travel.
Sarah: Because it has been in suspended animation?
Paul: Yeah.
Steve tried to persuade Paul that for suspended animation to be meaningful, you have to start with something that is animated.
----------------------------
Paul was sick to his stomach at school yesterday morning. While he was waiting in the nurse's office, he noticed a cheerful poster asking, "Did you have a healthy breakfast today?"
Ha, ha. Very funny.
------------------------------
Over the summer Paul kept some "pet ice" in the freezer in a cup. Some time afterward I cleaned the freezer and released his pet to the wild. He wasn't too upset.
About a week ago, he put a pet rock in a cup, covered it with water, and set it in the freezer. His theory was that the ice would expand and crush the rock.
Paul pulled the rock & ice out of the freezer yesterday. The cup must have been been sitting funny, because the ice slanted up along the side and the cup was dented. He put the cup in the sink to thaw.
Paul: I'm going to ask the rock some questions about what it is like to time travel.
Sarah: Because it has been in suspended animation?
Paul: Yeah.
Steve tried to persuade Paul that for suspended animation to be meaningful, you have to start with something that is animated.
----------------------------
Paul was sick to his stomach at school yesterday morning. While he was waiting in the nurse's office, he noticed a cheerful poster asking, "Did you have a healthy breakfast today?"
Ha, ha. Very funny.
Wednesday, September 23, 2015
What is this "Day Off"?
Monday was my "at-home" day this week, and I didn't need to run any errands, so I was working around the house.
This is how one thing leads to another at home:
I noticed the cushion was fraying on one of the couches.
I pulled out a slip cover to put on the couch.
While trying to wrestle the slipcover onto the couch I made the mistake of looking behind the couch.
I decided that I really must sweep behind the couch.
Sweeping behind the couch lead to sweeping under the couch, which lead to dusting the bookshelf, which lead to rearranging the DVDs, which lead to sorting out old magazines, which lead to wiping the magazine rack down with orange oil. It would appear that my strategy of ignoring the dust for years on end has not made it disappear.
Interspersed through all that activity, I took Nathan to sit on the potty, at his request, about 18 times. He produced on the potty (earning M&Ms) maybe 6 of those times. There were also a few times that he required changes of underwear and/or diaper and/or pants.
Overlaid across the whole morning, was a constant chatty dialogue with Petra. Sometimes we were pretending that we were My Little Ponies, and sometimes we were pretending that we were monsters, a.k.a. mobs, from MineCraft, but most of the morning we were scouts and she was the scoutmaster. She had a piece of lined notebook paper and a fat pink marker and each time we had some achievement, she drew a circle with a picture inside it for a merit badge.
One of my first "merit" badges was a Disappointing Choice Merit Badge for telling her that she couldn't have a Pop Tart for breakfast. It looked like a sad face. We also got a Mountain Climbing Merit Badge for going upstairs, and a Finding a Marshmallow Stick Merit Badge, and a Campfire Merit Badge for building a campfire in the boys' bedroom. I spent a lot of time working on my Meadow Beautification Merit Badge, having told Petra that the living room was a meadow. Nathan earned a Going Potty Merit Badge and an Eating M&Ms Merit Badge. We all worked on a Practicing Our ABCs Merit Badge and a Singing Merit Badge.
I think I need a day at work to slow down and recover a bit.
This is how one thing leads to another at home:
I noticed the cushion was fraying on one of the couches.
I pulled out a slip cover to put on the couch.
While trying to wrestle the slipcover onto the couch I made the mistake of looking behind the couch.
I decided that I really must sweep behind the couch.
Sweeping behind the couch lead to sweeping under the couch, which lead to dusting the bookshelf, which lead to rearranging the DVDs, which lead to sorting out old magazines, which lead to wiping the magazine rack down with orange oil. It would appear that my strategy of ignoring the dust for years on end has not made it disappear.
Interspersed through all that activity, I took Nathan to sit on the potty, at his request, about 18 times. He produced on the potty (earning M&Ms) maybe 6 of those times. There were also a few times that he required changes of underwear and/or diaper and/or pants.
Overlaid across the whole morning, was a constant chatty dialogue with Petra. Sometimes we were pretending that we were My Little Ponies, and sometimes we were pretending that we were monsters, a.k.a. mobs, from MineCraft, but most of the morning we were scouts and she was the scoutmaster. She had a piece of lined notebook paper and a fat pink marker and each time we had some achievement, she drew a circle with a picture inside it for a merit badge.
One of my first "merit" badges was a Disappointing Choice Merit Badge for telling her that she couldn't have a Pop Tart for breakfast. It looked like a sad face. We also got a Mountain Climbing Merit Badge for going upstairs, and a Finding a Marshmallow Stick Merit Badge, and a Campfire Merit Badge for building a campfire in the boys' bedroom. I spent a lot of time working on my Meadow Beautification Merit Badge, having told Petra that the living room was a meadow. Nathan earned a Going Potty Merit Badge and an Eating M&Ms Merit Badge. We all worked on a Practicing Our ABCs Merit Badge and a Singing Merit Badge.
I think I need a day at work to slow down and recover a bit.
Friday, September 18, 2015
Butterflies & buzzards
Our sky has been full of monarch butterflies and vultures.
I don't know if we are on a migration path, but we have seen more than our fair share of monarch butterflies in the last week. Monday evening there were half a dozen fluttering around the old silver maple trees by our house. It has been delightful.
Less delightful was that last Saturday Steve and his dad started filling in some holes in the concrete floor in the barn. One hole revealed extensive burrowing behind it, and an extra trip to Home Depot was required to get enough concrete for the job. Consequently, Steve set up a varmint trap in the barn Sunday night.
Monday morning he found a 'possum in the trap.
Monday evening he disposed of the 'possum.
Tuesday afternoon I told him that the next time he dispensed with a varmint, he had to make sure I knew where he dumped the carcass BEFORE I took the little children & small dog on a walk around the trail in the back acre.
Yuck.
Shortly after doing an about-face on the trail, the little guys and I were by the chicken yard. Petra & Nathan were hand feeding clover to the chickens. We looked up and saw 6 to 8 turkey vultures circling low. They were not exactly right over the dead 'possum, but they were close enough to find it soon. Tuesday night Steve went looking for our little gray dog, and startled two vultures from their meal.
Thursday I walked around the trail for curiosity. I found a tail, some mostly clean ribs, and what I took to be jaw bone off to the side. While vultures do give me the heebie-jeebies, I am grateful to God for the job that they do.
I don't know if we are on a migration path, but we have seen more than our fair share of monarch butterflies in the last week. Monday evening there were half a dozen fluttering around the old silver maple trees by our house. It has been delightful.
Less delightful was that last Saturday Steve and his dad started filling in some holes in the concrete floor in the barn. One hole revealed extensive burrowing behind it, and an extra trip to Home Depot was required to get enough concrete for the job. Consequently, Steve set up a varmint trap in the barn Sunday night.
Monday morning he found a 'possum in the trap.
Monday evening he disposed of the 'possum.
Tuesday afternoon I told him that the next time he dispensed with a varmint, he had to make sure I knew where he dumped the carcass BEFORE I took the little children & small dog on a walk around the trail in the back acre.
Yuck.
Shortly after doing an about-face on the trail, the little guys and I were by the chicken yard. Petra & Nathan were hand feeding clover to the chickens. We looked up and saw 6 to 8 turkey vultures circling low. They were not exactly right over the dead 'possum, but they were close enough to find it soon. Tuesday night Steve went looking for our little gray dog, and startled two vultures from their meal.
Thursday I walked around the trail for curiosity. I found a tail, some mostly clean ribs, and what I took to be jaw bone off to the side. While vultures do give me the heebie-jeebies, I am grateful to God for the job that they do.
Wednesday, September 16, 2015
Seasons of learning
School is well underway and the kids seem to be settling into it. Paul had a rocky start to the school year, but yesterday he got home from school and got right to work on his homework. He had been in some trouble for being inattentive and trying to weasel out of some of his work.
Most of his math assignments are online and he gets three tries to get the answer right on each story problem or question. After a few low scores on assignments, I insisted that he have an adult with him while he did his work. Most of Paul's trouble was that he needed to SLOW DOWN, but I find that sometimes even I have trouble understanding what the question was asking. A couple of weeks ago Grandma K was over helping me to can some grape jam while Paul worked on his homework. What does it say that Grandma would rather stand over a pot of boiling jam in an 80°F kitchen for half an hour rather than sit down with Paul and his math homework?
Julia's classes are going to stretch her this year, but she seems to be taking it in stride. She has some good buddies in her class this year, and she's having fun with that. Her math class is supposed to cover the 4th and 5th grade math curriculum this year (they are calling it Compacted - sounds scary), but her math teacher seems down to earth, so I think she will be alright.
Petra is having fun in Kindergarten. Her teacher, Mrs. C, is nearing retirement, and her class seems to run like a well-oiled machine. Petra is starting to come home singing little songs about clean-up time, and how to write numbers. Earlier this week I sent her to her bed to finish out a little tantrum she was having. A while later she came back and said, "I spent some time thinking about controlling my body, and I'm ready to come back now." Thank you, Mrs. C.
Nathan, meanwhile, is getting training in dressing himself and using the potty. I put him in big-boy underwear (because it keeps us both very honest) and after a few intense days of chasing after him with a towel and a bottle of carpet cleaner, he seems to have decided to keep himself dry. Grandma K has done a lot of work training him on the days Nathan stays with her. Number 1, he has been doing amazingly well with. He has even woken up in the middle of the night to use the potty and stay dry (who is this child!?). Number 2, we are still working out the finer points.
Now, Nathan is also self-taught in some important life skills. He has discovered that he can use, "I need to go potty!" to trump any other activity that we might want him to engage in, such as nap time, bed time, bath time, and eating vegetables. As a result, we have also started training him on the virtues and benefits of honesty.
Most of his math assignments are online and he gets three tries to get the answer right on each story problem or question. After a few low scores on assignments, I insisted that he have an adult with him while he did his work. Most of Paul's trouble was that he needed to SLOW DOWN, but I find that sometimes even I have trouble understanding what the question was asking. A couple of weeks ago Grandma K was over helping me to can some grape jam while Paul worked on his homework. What does it say that Grandma would rather stand over a pot of boiling jam in an 80°F kitchen for half an hour rather than sit down with Paul and his math homework?
Julia's classes are going to stretch her this year, but she seems to be taking it in stride. She has some good buddies in her class this year, and she's having fun with that. Her math class is supposed to cover the 4th and 5th grade math curriculum this year (they are calling it Compacted - sounds scary), but her math teacher seems down to earth, so I think she will be alright.
Petra is having fun in Kindergarten. Her teacher, Mrs. C, is nearing retirement, and her class seems to run like a well-oiled machine. Petra is starting to come home singing little songs about clean-up time, and how to write numbers. Earlier this week I sent her to her bed to finish out a little tantrum she was having. A while later she came back and said, "I spent some time thinking about controlling my body, and I'm ready to come back now." Thank you, Mrs. C.
Nathan, meanwhile, is getting training in dressing himself and using the potty. I put him in big-boy underwear (because it keeps us both very honest) and after a few intense days of chasing after him with a towel and a bottle of carpet cleaner, he seems to have decided to keep himself dry. Grandma K has done a lot of work training him on the days Nathan stays with her. Number 1, he has been doing amazingly well with. He has even woken up in the middle of the night to use the potty and stay dry (who is this child!?). Number 2, we are still working out the finer points.
Now, Nathan is also self-taught in some important life skills. He has discovered that he can use, "I need to go potty!" to trump any other activity that we might want him to engage in, such as nap time, bed time, bath time, and eating vegetables. As a result, we have also started training him on the virtues and benefits of honesty.
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